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.
I Dig A Pony
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, you can celebrate anything you want
Yes, you can celebrate anything you want
Oh
I do a road hog
Well, you can penetrate any place you go
Yes, you can penetrate any place you go
I told you so
All I want is you
Everything has got to be just like you want it to
Because
I pick a moon dog
Well, you can radiate everything you are
Yes, you can radiate everything you are
Oh, now
I roll a stoney
Well, you can imitate everyone you know
Yes, you can imitate everyone you know
I told you so
All I want is you
Everything has got to be just like you want it to
Because
Oh, now
I feel the wind blow
Well, you can indicate everything you see
Yes, you can indicate anything you see
Oh, now
I load a lorry
Well, you can syndicate any boat you row
Yeah, you can syndicate any boat you row
I told you so
All I want is you
Everything has got to be just like you want it to
Because
The Beatles’ “I Dig A Pony” is one of their obscure songs that has a wide range of interpretations from fans and experts alike. The song’s lyrics are quite cryptic, and it seems that the verses are a collection of random phrases stitched together. However, upon closer examination, one could glean that the lyrics speak to the idea of celebrating individuality and the need for authenticity. It’s striking how the words “you can” are repeatedly used in the song, suggesting that people have the power to do anything they want in life.
The song may also be viewed as a love song that expresses the desire for human connection. The line “all I want is you” is repeated throughout the song, indicating a longing for intimacy, affirmation, and devotion from another person. Another interpretation could be that the song is a call to action to seize the day and seize every opportunity for living, freedom, and creativity.
Some other key themes that emerge in the song include the following: the need for self-expression and being true to oneself, the power of imagination and perception, the universality of human experience, and the lure of adventure and exploration. Overall, “I Dig A Pony” is a playful, upbeat song that conveys deep and insightful messages that listeners can relate to in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I dig a pony
I like something or someone that others may not, and I am content with that choice.
Well you can celebrate anything you want
You have the power to celebrate and appreciate anything that brings you happiness.
Ooh.
An expression of excitement or contentment.
I do a road hog
I confidently take control of a situation and assert myself.
Well you can penetrate any place you go
You have the ability to make an impact and influence anywhere you choose to be.
Yes you can penetrate any place you go
Reiterating that you have the power to make your presence felt and change things.
I told you so, all I want is you.
I have previously expressed my desire for you, and that has not changed.
Ev'rything has got to be just like you want it to
You require your surroundings and circumstances to meet your expectations and desires.
Because
A transition to the next verse, or an indication of the reasoning behind the preceding statement.
I pick a moon dog
I choose someone or something that is unique and unconventional.
Well you can radiate ev'rything you are
You have the power to exude and express your true self to the world.
Ooh.
An expression of excitement or contentment.
I roll a stoney
I am laid-back and enjoy taking things slow and easy-going.
Well you can imitate ev'ryone you know
You have the ability to mimic and emulate the people around you.
Yes you can imitate ev'ryone you know
Reiterating that you have the power to adapt and blend in with those around you.
I told you so, all I want is you.
I have previously expressed my desire for you, and that has not changed.
Ev'rything has got to be just like you want it to
You require your surroundings and circumstances to meet your expectations and desires.
Because
A transition to the next verse, or an indication of the reasoning behind the preceding statement.
I feel the wind blow
I am attuned to the world around me and the natural rhythms of life.
Well you can indicate ev'rything you see
You have the ability to express and communicate your observations and insights.
Yes you can indicate ev'rything you see
Reiterating that you have the power to understand and articulate your perception of the world.
Ooh.
An expression of excitement or contentment.
I dug a pony
I have found something or someone that I value and enjoy, even in the midst of chaos.
Well you can syndicate any boat you row
You have the ability to share your ideas and initiatives with others and get them on board.
Yes you can syndicate any boat you row
Reiterating that you have the power and influence to persuade others to follow your lead.
I told you so, all I want is you.
I have previously expressed my desire for you, and that has not changed.
Ev'rything has got to be just like you want it to
You require your surroundings and circumstances to meet your expectations and desires.
Because
A transition to the next verse, or an indication of the reasoning behind the preceding statement.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Mother Nature's Son
A really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on The Night Before
A really splendid Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on P.S. I Love You
Now this is a really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on There's a Place
A seriously underrated Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Do You Want to Know a Secret
A fantastic song by The Beatles.
Philip Kassabian
on When I'm Sixty-Four
A very tuneful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
An excellent Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm Looking Through You
A beautiful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Honestly The Beatles can't stop producing good songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Michelle
A fantastic Beatles song and absolutely beautiful.