{"id":6761,"date":"2016-10-26T13:02:40","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T18:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?p=6761"},"modified":"2016-10-26T13:03:04","modified_gmt":"2016-10-26T18:03:04","slug":"its-just-a-submarine-dammit-or-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/its-just-a-submarine-dammit-or-is-it\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s just a Submarine, dammit! (or is it?)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Beatles were very lenient with the public\u2019s interpretations of their songs. <\/span><\/p>\n

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In fact, only one or two times did the lads insist that the public\u2019s comments about their lyrics was “dead wrong.” Toward the end of his life, John Lennon was adamant that “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>about LSD! (And Paul McCartney backed him up on this). Similarly, Paul once said, “Personally, I think you can put any interpretation you want on anything! But when someone suggests that “Can\u2019t Buy Me Love” is about a prostitute, I draw the line! That\u2019s going too far.” (1)\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0But other than these two exceptions, as a rule, The Beatles welcomed the public\u2019s multi-colored explanations of Beatles lyrics. In fact, they came to expect it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I can just imagine Paul “laying in bed in the Asher\u2019s garret,” (2)\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0working on the lyrics for “<\/span>Yellow Submarine.” I can almost see the glimmer in his eye as he imagines what the “average Jill or Joe,” the scholarly professor, and the protester are going to make of his “simple children\u2019s song.” It must have amused him.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The thing is\u2026every single Beatles LP included a song for Ringo. And this is Ringo\u2019s <\/span>Revolver<\/span><\/i> song, written in his tight vocal range and fitted for his “down-to-earth,” genuine personality. Ringo possessed a gentleness that appealed to many people, including children. (Hence, his work as Mr. Conductor on Shining Time\u2019s (Series One) <\/span>Thomas the Tank Engine <\/span><\/i>show and his <\/span>I Wanna Be Santa Claus<\/span><\/i> CD years later). Paul\u2019s placing of Ringo in the classic role of storyteller for “Yellow Submarine”\u00a0<\/span>was ideal. It worked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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But almost as soon as the LP was released, critics began to offer up far-flung, complex explanations of the magical song\u2019s “deep and hidden meanings.” Here are just a few:<\/span><\/p>\n

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