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.
Introduction
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wilson, Wilson
Wilson
Once upon a time there was a mountain
That rose out of a vast green forest
And in the forest there were birds
And lakes and rocks and trees and rivers
The forest was also inhabited
By a small group of people called the lizards
The lizards were a simple people
And they had lived in the forest undisturbed
For thousands of years in utter peace and tranquility
Once a year when spring came
And the first blossoms began to show
The lizards would gather at the base of the mountain
To give thanks for all that they had
They thanked the birds
And they thanked the lakes and they thanked the rocks
And the trees and the rivers
But most importantly, they thanked Icculus
Icculus lived at the top of the mountain
Or at least everyone thought so
For no one had actually ever seen him
But they knew he existed
Because they had the Helping Friendly Book
Icculus had given the Helping Friendly Book
To the Lizards thousands of years earlier as a gift
It contained all of the knowledge
Inherent in the universe
And had enabled the Lizards
To exist in harmony with nature for years
And so they lived
Until one day a traveler arrived in Gamehendge
His name was Wilson
And he quickly became intrigued
By the Lizards way of life
He asked if he could stay on
And live in the forest
And the Lizards, who had never seen an outsider
Were happy to oblige
Wilson lived with the Lizards for a few years
Studying the ways of the Helping Friendly Book
And all was well
Until one morning when they awoke and the book was gone
Wilson explained that he had hidden the book
Knowing that the Lizards had become
Dependent on it for survival
He declared himself king
And enslaved the innocent people of Gamehendge
He cut down the trees and built a city
Which he called Prussia
And in the center of the city
He built a castle
And locked in the highest tower of the castle
were the Helping Friendly Book and the Lizards
The song Introduction by The Beatles is a narrative about a group of people called the Lizards who live in the forest in the Gamehendge. They are a simple and peaceful people who have lived in the forest for thousands of years. Once a year, they gather at the base of the mountain to give thanks for everything nature has bestowed upon them, including the Helping Friendly Book that Icculus had gifted them with. The book contains all the knowledge in the universe, and it has enabled the Lizards to live in harmony with nature for years. However, one day, an outsider named Wilson appears in the Gamehendge, becomes intrigued by the Lizards' way of life, and asks to stay in the forest with them. The Lizards allow him to stay with them, and he lives with the Lizards for a few years studying the ways of the Helping Friendly Book. One morning, the book is gone, and Wilson has hidden it. He declares himself king, and he builds a city called Prussia, where he locks the Lizards in the highest tower of the castle.
The song Introduction tells a story of betrayal and the greed for power. Wilson's character represents greed, and he enslaves the innocent Lizards who have given him shelter and care. The narrative highlights the importance of knowledge and the dire consequences that follow when the uninformed take advantage of the informed. This song is an allegory of power and corruption, and it shows that those who seek power by any means necessary will eventually become the very thing they once despised.
Line by Line Meaning
Wilson, Wilson
Repetition of the name Wilson to emphasize its importance in the song
Once upon a time there was a mountain
Introducing the setting of the story
That rose out of a vast green forest
Describing the mountain's location
And in the forest there were birds
Listing some of the inhabitants of the forest
And lakes and rocks and trees and rivers
Continuing the list of inhabitants of the forest
The forest was also inhabited
Noting that there were people living in the forest
By a small group of people called the lizards
Introducing the Lizards as the inhabitants of the forest
The lizards were a simple people
Describing the nature of the Lizards
And they had lived in the forest undisturbed
Noting that the Lizards were living in peace
For thousands of years in utter peace and tranquility
Emphasizing the duration of the Lizards' peaceful existence
Once a year when spring came
Introducing the Lizards' annual tradition
And the first blossoms began to show
Giving context to the timing of the tradition
The lizards would gather at the base of the mountain
Describing the location of the yearly gathering
To give thanks for all that they had
Explaining the purpose of the gathering
They thanked the birds
Listing some of the things the Lizards were thankful for
And they thanked the lakes and they thanked the rocks
Continuing the list of things the Lizards were thankful for
And the trees and the rivers
Concluding the list of things the Lizards were thankful for
But most importantly, they thanked Icculus
Emphasizing the Lizards' gratitude toward Icculus
Icculus lived at the top of the mountain
Describing Icculus' location
Or at least everyone thought so
Noting that Icculus had never been seen
For no one had actually ever seen him
Reiterating the point that Icculus had never been seen
But they knew he existed
Assuming that Icculus was real despite having never been seen
Because they had the Helping Friendly Book
Explaining the source of the Lizards' belief in Icculus
Icculus had given the Helping Friendly Book
Explaining how the Lizards had obtained the book
To the Lizards thousands of years earlier as a gift
Giving context to the history of the Helping Friendly Book
It contained all of the knowledge
Describing the contents of the Helping Friendly Book
Inherent in the universe
Adding to the description of the book's contents
And had enabled the Lizards
Explaining the book's importance to the Lizards
To exist in harmony with nature for years
Noting how the book had allowed the Lizards to live in peace
And so they lived
Summarizing the Lizards' peaceful existence
Until one day a traveler arrived in Gamehendge
Introducing the conflict of the story
His name was Wilson
Identifying the antagonist of the story
And he quickly became intrigued
Explaining Wilson's interest in the Lizards
By the Lizards way of life
Specifically stating what about the Lizards interested Wilson
He asked if he could stay on
Describing Wilson's request
And live in the forest
Clarifying where Wilson wanted to live
And the Lizards, who had never seen an outsider
Explaining the Lizards' lack of experience with outsiders
Were happy to oblige
Explaining the Lizards' willingness to accept Wilson
Wilson lived with the Lizards for a few years
Describing the passage of time
Studying the ways of the Helping Friendly Book
Detailing what Wilson was doing while living with the Lizards
And all was well
Summarizing the peaceful state of affairs
Until one morning when they awoke and the book was gone
Introducing the climax of the story
Wilson explained that he had hidden the book
Revealing that Wilson had taken the book
Knowing that the Lizards had become
Explaining Wilson's motivation for taking the book
Dependent on it for survival
Clarifying the Lizards' relationship with the book
He declared himself king
Describing Wilson's power grab
And enslaved the innocent people of Gamehendge
Explaining the effects of Wilson's reign
He cut down the trees and built a city
Detailing how Wilson used the resources of the forest
Which he called Prussia
Naming the city that Wilson built
And in the center of the city
Providing the location of the climax of the story
He built a castle
Describing the construction of the castle
And locked in the highest tower of the castle
Revealing where Wilson put the book
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Willie Dixon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sasquatsch9673
0:05 you can hear the beginning of the song “Can‘t Buy Me Love“ (“CAN‘T“)
0:28 there is an old brown shoe in the street. Maybe a reference to their song “Old Brown Shoe“?
0:36 look at the menu card: there are “Honey Pies“ and „Savoy Truffles“
0:43 in the background there is a meter maid. Maybe her name is Rita? ;)
0:44 Ringo holds a chest with the title “Strawberry Fields Farm“
0:49 the sound of a plane is the beginning of “Back In The U.S.S.R.“
@evanblount8711
0:07 : Pan down from Liverpool (Yellow Submarine Movie)
0:12 : Posters - Come Together, Benefit of Mr Kite, Hard Days Night, St Peters Parish Church (Original meeting place of Paul and John), Twenty Flight Rock (song Paul played to John to join The Quarrymen), Rocky Racoon, Maggie Mae, The Meanie Blues (play on the Blue Meanies), The Semoline Pilchard (I Am The Walrus), Jeremy (Yellow Submarine Movie), Mr Moonlight, Carry That Weight, Blue Jay Way
0:26 : Beatles leaving building (A Hard Days Night)
0:32 : Surgery (Dr Robert), Maxwells Silver Sundries (Maxwells SIlver Hammer), Fireman and Barbershop (Penny Lane)
0:35 : Mean Mr Mustard, 1 & 1 is 2 (Early Paul song), Fish and Finger Pie (Penny Lane), Honey Pies (Honey Pie), Creme Tangerine Montelimar (Savoy Truffle), Ginger sling with pineapple heart (Savoy Truffle), Coffee Desert (Savoy Truffle), Coconut fudge (Savoy Truffle), Savoy Truffle, Cool cherry cream and a nice apple tart (Savoy Truffle)
0:42 : Meter Maid in the background (Lovely Rita)
0:44 : Ringo holds a crate from strawberry fields farm (Strawberry Fields Forever)
1:03 : Typewriter on the floor (Paperback Writer)
1:33 : Sign says "Hello" and "Goodbye" (Hello, Goodbye)
1:36 : Lucy (Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds)
1:40 : Yellow Submarine (Yellow Submarine)
If I've missed any easter eggs, please let me know!
@beatlemaniac8527
0:12 Posters referencing the Beatles
0:18 Cavern club
at 0:28 there is an old brown shoe on the side of the road (Old brown shoe?)
0:25 The Beatles are starting to become very popular
0:33 The Beatles pass "Maxwell's Silver Sundries" (Maxwell's sliver hammer) "Surgery" (Doctor Robert) and a place that sells "Honey Pies", "Fish and Finger Pies" (Penny Lane) and "Savoy truffles"
0:34 Person coming in through a window (She came in through the bathroom window) I think it may be a fireman (Penny Lane)
0:30 the Beatles LOVE jump
0:32 Lizard on the window pane (Happiness Is A Warm Gun)
At 0:33 the cult guy from Help!
(Film) comes out of the road
0:39 The early Beatles pass the later Beatles in Abbey road
0:43 Meter maid (Lovely Rita)
0:44 Ringo holds a box from "Strawberry Fields Farm" (Strawberry Fields Forever
0:49 Back in the USSR plane sound effect (Travelling to America and their world tour)
0:56 Ed Sullivan show
1:03 I think this might be the Budokan Hall, in Japan where the Beatles performed
1:11 Shea stadium
1:17 Sargent Peppers uniforms
1:39 Here comes the sun
1:36 "Lucy" is written in the sky with diamonds. (Lucy in the sky with diamonds)
At 1:37 about, you see this Helter Skelter looking thing on a red and green plannet
At 1:41 there is a yellow submarine just emerging from the right side of the screen
1:48 You can see a man on the moon, which just might be a reference to George on the "Midsummer Night's Dream", Shakespeare skit in 1964, "Around the Beatles" broadcast
@r.pizzamonkey7379
Easter eggs
0:14 posters for various beatles songs. Rocky Racoon, Hard Day's Night, Come Together, Mister Moonlight, Etc.
0:32 Maxwell's Silver Sundries (Maxwell's Silver Hammer), right above the sign there's also a lizard on a window pane (Happiness is a Warm Gun)
0:32 On the left there's a wanted poster for somebody, it's too low resolution in this video to make out but I suspect it might be Bungalow Bill
0:34 Someone's coming out of a manhole, not entirely sure who it's supposed to be though, if someone knows I'd love to hear it
0:36 On the Grape's Menu they have "Fish and Finger Pies" (from Penny Lane), "Honey Pies" (Honey Pie), "Hippy Hippy Shakes" (Hippy Hippy Shake), and the rest of them are all from Savory Truffle. They also have "Breakfast all day Price '1 & 1 is 2'" (One and One is Two)
0:44 Ringo is holding a box from "Strawberry Fields Farm"
1:03 there's a typewriter on the ground, likely referencing Paperback Writer
1:26 John and George look into the light as they're the two Beatles who've died
1:28 The pair of eyes in the background also resemble a pair of ovaries
1:35 I know I've seen that dark sun logo before but I can't place it. Again, if anyone knows I'd love to hear it.
1:36 In the left side of the sun the stars spell out "Lucy" in cursive (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds)
1:38 A whole bunch of penguins, who I assume are the "Elementary penguins singing Hare Krishna" (I am the Walrus)
1:38 has two boots walking on the left side moon, likely a callback to the Yellow Submarine movie
1:39 has one of those... creatures on the right side moon. Also from the Yellow Submarine movie, I just have no idea what to call it. I don't think they ever give it a name. It's not the Suckophant.
1:40 The Yellow Submarine itself is on the right side
1:42 a sign saying Tuesday pointing left. I think this is a reference to She Came in the Window?
1:42 another weird trumpety Yellow Submarine creature, this time also referencing the song Hello Goodbye with the sign in its belly
1:48 Behind the Beatles is the Moog Synthesizer which they used to great effect in many of their numbers. It was one of the first synthesizer keyboards.
2:19 a blue meanie appears for a fraction of a second going in front of the camera
Honestly there are so many easter eggs I probably missed a bunch. I didn't cover some of the more obvious ones like the freeze-frame photographs or the Cavern, but I tried to make this as complete as possible. Still a few I'm not sure about, I don't think 23 means anything, or the license plate on the taxi they run through, but I'm not sure.
@strawb3rry_fi3lds16
0:14 Twist And Shout
0:23 A Hard Day's Night
0:50 Back In The U.S.S.R
0:52 Paperback Writer
1:20 Here Comes The Sun x Within You Without You
1:31 Here Comes The Sun
1:43 I Am The Walrus
2:25 A Day In The Life
@joshuagraham2762
I WAS WANTING TO FIND OUT THE DIFFERENT SONGS THANK YOU
@HuevoHour777
People like you are gifts to planet earth.
@kkmac7247
Pinned 3 days ago?
@abbeyniner
at the beginning you can also hear a tiny sliver of From Me To You
@MeesterTweester
Thank you!
@BrandonBryler
The FACT that Paul still uses this intro in his concerts is INSANE. God bless his soul ❤
@alonenjersey
"If it isn't broken, do not fix it."
@ivanreiss
I love how it’s George who leads them into the mystic universe
@1krani
Like how he led them to India.