It has been covered by several other artists, including Ike & Tina Turner, Aerosmith and Michael Jackson.
In early 1969, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, held nonviolent protests against the Vietnam War, dubbed the Bed-ins for Peace. In May, during the Montreal portion of the bed-in, counterculture figures from across North America visited Lennon, including American psychologist Timothy Leary, an early advocate of LSD whom Lennon admired. Leary intended to run for Governor of California in the following year's election and asked Lennon to write him a campaign song based on the campaign's slogan, "Come Together – Join the Party!" The resulting chant was only a line long: "Come together and join the party". Lennon promised to finish and record the song, and Leary later recalled Lennon giving him a tape of the piece, but the two did not interact again.
In July 1969, during sessions for the Beatles' album Abbey Road, Lennon used the phrase "come together" from the Leary campaign song to compose a new song for the album. Based on the 1956 single "You Can't Catch Me" by American guitarist Chuck Berry, the composition began as an up-tempo blues number,[8] only slightly altering Berry's original lyric of "Here come a flattop / He was movin' up with me" to "Here come ol' flattop / He come groovin' up slowly". Lennon further incorporated the phrase "shoot me" from his unfinished and unreleased January 1969 song, "Watching Rainbows". With lyrics inspired by his relationship with Ono, the lyrics were delivered quickly like the Berry song, author Peter Doggett writing that "each phrase [passes] too quickly to be understood at first hearing, the sound as important as the meaning".
When Lennon presented the composition to his bandmates, his songwriting partner Paul McCartney noticed its similarity to "You Can't Catch Me" and recommended they slow it in tempo to reduce the resemblance.
Beatles historian Jonathan Gould has suggested that the song has only a single "pariah-like protagonist" and Lennon was "painting another sardonic self-portrait".
In a December 1987 interview by Selina Scott on the television show West 57th Street, George Harrison stated that he wrote two lines of the song.
"Come Together" has frequently appeared on numerous publications' lists of the Beatles' best songs. In 2006, Mojo magazine placed it at No. 13 in their list of the Beatles' 101 best songs. Four years later, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 9 on their list of the band's 100 greatest songs. Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly and Ultimate Classic Rock ranked it at No. 44 and No. 20, respectively. In 2015, NME and Paste placed it at No. 20 and No. 23 in their respective lists of the band's best songs.
Rolling Stone ranked "Come Together" at No. 202 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004, re-ranking it No. 205 in the 2010 revised list. Based on the song's appearances in professional rankings and listings, the aggregate website Acclaimed Music lists "Come Together" as the 16th most acclaimed song of 1969, the 113th most acclaimed song of the 1960s and the 393rd most acclaimed song in history.
Come Together
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Here come old flat top
He come groovin' up slowly
He got ju-ju eyeball
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker
He just do what he please
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
He wear no shoeshine
He got toe jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot Coca-Cola
He say, "I know you, you know me"
One thing I can tell you is
You got to be free
Come together, right now
Over me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
He bag production
He got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard
He one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knee
Hold you in his armchair
You can feel his disease
Come together, right now
Over me
Shoot me
Right
Come, come, come, come, come
He roller coaster
He got early warning
He got muddy water
He one mojo filter
He say, "One and one and one is three"
Got to be good looking
'Cause he's so hard to see
Come together right now
Over me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Uh
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Uh
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
The lyrics of The Beatles' song "Come Together" are an example of John Lennon's eclectic and eccentric style. The song starts with the lines "Here come old flat top / He come groovin' up slowly" which refer to a man's appearance - with his flattened hair, low-cut shirt, and generally unkempt look. The reference to "ju-ju eyeball" could represent his eccentricities or idiosyncrasies. The redundant and almost comical line, "Shoot me," appears throughout the song and is believed to be an intentional throwaway line to 'shoot down' any negativity within the song or person it was written about.
The lyrics progress through various unusual images, such as "He wear no shoeshine / He got toe jam football / He got monkey finger." The theme of the song appears to be about an individual who is unique, different, and offbeat but has a critical message to share: "One thing I can tell you is / You got to be free." There's a hint of a suggestion about coming together to create a new world, with Lennon urging listeners to "Come together, right now, over me" and an invitation to a dance filled with unity, freedom, and equality. One last line, "Got to be good-lookin,' 'cause he's so hard to see," perhaps hints at the idea that people who might not fit society's traditional mold are often overlooked or invisible.
Line by Line Meaning
Shoot me
Repetitive phrase used throughout the song as a command or request to be shot
Here come old flat top
Referring to a man with a unique appearance
He come groovin' up slowly
Describing the man's relaxed and rhythmic gait
He got ju-ju eyeball
Highlighting the man's unusual or mystical perception of the world
He one holy roller
Suggesting this man is a devout or zealous individual
He got hair down to his knee
Describing the man's long hair as a distinguishing physical characteristic
Got to be a joker
Implying this man is not to be taken too seriously and has a fun, carefree personality
He just do what he please
Emphasizing his independence and self-determination
He wear no shoeshine
Highlighting this man's preference for being barefoot and casual
He got toe jam football
Describing this man's dirty and unclean feet
He got monkey finger
Highlighting the man's dexterity and nimble hands
He shoot Coca-Cola
Suggesting this man has a rebellious nature or is living life to the fullest
He say I know you, you know me
Emphasizing the man's easy-going and friendly nature
One thing I can tell you is
A preface to a wise observation or piece of advice
You got to be free
Encouraging the listener to be independent and true to themselves
Come together, right now
A call to unite and work together in harmony and peace
Over me
Emphasizing the importance of the cause or goal being worked towards in the collaboration
He bag production
Suggesting this man is ambitious and successful in his work
He got walrus gumboot
Describing this man's eccentric fashion choices
He got Ono sideboard
Alluding to Yoko Ono, a notable figure of the era, perhaps suggesting a willingness to embrace new and unconventional ideas
He one spinal cracker
Highlighting the man's ability to solve problems or innovate
He got feet down below his knee
Describing the man as being very tall or having very long legs
Hold you in his armchair
Suggesting a sense of safety or comfort from this man's presence
You can feel his disease
Perhaps a metaphorical way of saying that his charisma or mindset can be contagious
He roller coaster
Highlighting the man's dynamic and unpredictable nature
He got early warning
Suggesting this man has foresight or intuition
He got muddy water
Describing this man's rough and imperfect life or personality
He one mojo filter
Alluding to African American spiritual practices and suggesting this man has a mystical aura
He say one and one and one is three
Repeating a mathematical inconsistency to suggest that things are more complex or mysterious than they might seem
Got to be good looking
Emphasizing the importance of outward appearance
'Cause he's so hard to see
Suggesting that this man is more than meets the eye and not easily understood or judged
Come, come, come, come, come
A repetitious call to action and togetherness
Come together, yeah
Repeating the main message of the song, urging unity and cooperation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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