Paul McCartney – who penned the song – used the song as a response to critics who accused him of writing too many ballads. The proto-heavy metal musical backing emerged as Paul saw Pete Townshend saying The Who’s “I Can See for Miles” was “the raunchiest, loudest, most ridiculous rock and roll record you’ve ever heard", so he decided to up the ante, while also “using the symbol of a helter skelter as a ride from the top to the bottom; the rise and fall of the Roman Empire – and this was the fall, the demise.”
Paul McCartney only started playing the song live in 2004, but it has since become a mainstay of his setlist. Before that, “Helter Skelter” was covered by many artists, including Siouxsie And The Banshees and Motley Crue. And most infamously, Charles Manson used “Helter Skelter” as the centerpiece of his weird beliefs that led to 8 murders.
We used to have a laugh about this, that or the other, in a light-hearted way, and some intellectual would read us, some symbolic youth generation wants to see something in it. We also took seriously some parts of the role, but I don’t know what Helter Skelter has to do with knifing someone. I’ve never listened to it properly, it was just a noise.
-John Lennon to Rolling Stone, 1970
Helter Skelter
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again
Do, don't you want me to love you
I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you
Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer
Well, you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Helter skelter
Will you, won't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer
Look out
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Helter skelter
Look out, 'cause here she comes
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
And I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
And I get to the bottom and I see you again, yeah, yeah
Well do you, don't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Tell me, tell me, tell me your answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer
Look out
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Helter skelter
Look out, helter skelter
She's coming down fast
Yes, she is
Yes, she is
Coming down fast
(I've got blisters on my fingers)
The Beatles’s song "Helter Skelter" is widely considered as one of the first metal songs in the history of music. The opening lines, "When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide/Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride/Till I get to the bottom and I see you again" refer to a sense of chaos and disorientation, describing the sensation of being out of control and spiralling down.
The song’s lyrics are cryptic and open for interpretation, but generally speak about a manic and mad descent. The refrain of "Helter Skelter" - "When I get to the bottom, I go back to the top of the slide" - has been seen as a metaphor for the cyclical nature of the song and how it perfectly captures the manic and frenetic energy of the chaos that defines it.
The line, "I've got blisters on my fingers" that John Lennon recites at the end of the song after the final “helter skelter” is actually a reference to the brutal jam session that ensued after the band recorded the 18th take of the song. Lennon and McCartney were reportedly hitting the strings of their guitar with such force that their fingers were blistering.
Line by Line Meaning
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Despite hitting rock bottom, the singer keeps trying to rise up again and reach the top
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
After every setback, the singer collects themselves and goes on a journey of self-discovery
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again
Despite the singer's struggles, they have someone to rely on and reach out to when they hit rock bottom
Do, don't you want me to love you
The artist asks their loved one if they want to be pursued and have affection showered upon them
I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you
The artist feels they are on a path of growth and progress, while feeling superior to their lover
Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer
The singer demands answers and seeks clarity in their relationship
Well, you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer
The singer finds their lover inadequate and lacking, despite their love
Helter skelter, helter skelter
The artist expresses their chaos and confusion and a desire for things to stabilize
Will you, won't you want me to make you
The artist questions if their lover wants them to take charge and lead the way
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
The artist warns their lover of their forceful nature, while also recognizing their potential to harm
Look out
The singer warns of impending danger and chaos
Helter skelter, helter skelter
The artist repeats their desire for stability and a lack of chaos
Look out, 'cause here she comes
The singer warns of their lover's approaching presence, and the chaos that may come with it
Well do you, don't you want me to make you
The singer reiterates their proposal of taking charge and leading the way
Tell me, tell me, tell me your answer
The singer again demands answers and seeks clarity
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer
The artist again expresses their lover's lack of ability, but still recognizes their love
Look out
Again, the artist warns of approaching danger and chaos
Helter skelter, helter skelter
The singer may be referencing the Manson murders, and expressing a fear of the chaos in society at that time
She's coming down fast
The singer describes a powerful force quickly approaching
Yes, she is
The artist confirms the force is indeed approaching
(I've got blisters on my fingers)
The artist may be referencing the intense physicality of their musical performing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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