The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With the… Read Full Bio ↴The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With the line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time. The group was integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music's recognition as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways; the band later explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the group revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the era's youth and socio-cultural movements.

Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".

By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.

The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.

Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".

They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.

Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.

According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".

Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.

In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.

Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.

05. Octopus's Garden
The Beatles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade
He'd let us in, knows where we've been
In his octopus' garden in the shade
I'd ask my friends to come and see
An octopus' garden with me

I'd like to be under the sea

In an octopus' garden in the shade

We would be warm (ooh) below the storm (ooh)
In our little hideaway beneath the waves (aah)
Resting our head (ooh) on the sea bed (ooh)
In an octopus' garden near a cave (aah)
We would sing and dance around
Because we know we can't be found

I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade

We would shout (aah) and swim about (ooh)
The coral that lies beneath the waves
(Lies beneath the ocean waves)
Oh what joy (aah) for every girl and boy (ooh)
Knowing they're happy and they're safe
(Happy and they're safe)
We would be so happy, you and me
No one there to tell us what to do

I'd like to be (aah) under the sea
In an octopus' garden with you

In an octopus' garden with you
In an octopus' garden with you

Overall Meaning

The Beatles’ song “Octopus's Garden” is a whimsical and imaginative tune that takes listeners on a journey to an underwater paradise. The lyrics are about a desire to escape from the chaos of the world and seek refuge in a tranquil environment under the sea. The singer wishes to be in an “Octopus's garden in the shade,” a place where they and their friends are welcomed by the octopus who knows where they have been. The octopus is depicted as a benevolent figure who provides safety, shelter, and entertainment for the visitor. The singer dreams of singing, dancing, and swimming with their friends amidst the coral reefs and sea caves, free from the constraints of the outside world.

The song’s lyrics are rich with symbolism and represent themes of escapism, freedom, friendship, and imagination. The octopus represents guardianship and protection, while the sea symbolizes mystery and the unknown. The coral reefs and sea caves serve as metaphors for the beauty and danger present in the natural world. The song’s chorus serves as a unifying force, reminding the singer and their friends that they are all in this together and that they only need each other to be happy.

Line by Line Meaning

I'd like to be under the sea
The singer desires to be under the water.

In an octopus' garden in the shade
The singer wants to be in a cool and comfortable underwater location.

He'd let us in, knows where we've been
The octopus is welcoming and knows about the singer's past experiences.

In his octopus' garden in the shade
The artist reiterates that they want to be in the comfortable underwater location.

I'd ask my friends to come and see
The artist wants to share their desire to visit the octopus' garden with their friends.

We would be warm (ooh) below the storm (ooh)
The underwater location would be a safe and warm shelter from any external chaos.

In our little hideaway beneath the waves (aah)
Being under the water makes them feel hidden.

Resting our head (ooh) on the sea bed (ooh)
The artist feels comfortable resting on the underwater floor.

In an octopus' garden near a cave (aah)
The octopus' garden is located near an underwater cave.

We would sing and dance around
The artist imagines being joyous and carefree in the underwater environment.

Because we know we can't be found
The singer feels safe and secure in their hidden underwater location.

We would shout (aah) and swim about (ooh)
The artist imagines being exuberant and playful underwater.

The coral that lies beneath the waves (Lies beneath the ocean waves)
The underwater environment has beautiful coral formations beneath the surface.

Oh what joy (aah) for every girl and boy (ooh)
The singer believes that anyone who experiences the octopus' garden will feel immense joy regardless of gender or age.

Knowing they're happy and they're safe (Happy and they're safe)
Being in the underwater environment makes them feel content and secure.

We would be so happy, you and me
The artist imagines being joyful with a companion in the underwater location.

No one there to tell us what to do
The underwater location is a place of freedom and independence.

In an octopus' garden with you
The singer desires to experience the underwater location with a specific person (possibly a romantic partner).

In an octopus' garden with you
Reiteration of the desire to experience the underwater location with a specific person.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Richard Starkey

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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