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.
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.
Pantomime: Everywhere It's Christmas
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Everywhere, it's Christmas
Everywhere it's song
London, Paris, Rome and New York, Tokyo
Hong Kong oh, everywhere it's Christmas
And I'm off to join the cheer!
Everywhere, it's Christmas
At the end of every year!
Oh, everywhere it's Christmas
At the end of every year!
I said that everywhere it's Christmas
At the end of every year! One more time now!
Everywhere it's Christmas
Orowainya, orowainya, orowainya, ooh
Endomainya, endomainya, endomainya, ooh
Our story opens in Corsica on
The verandah is a
Bearded man in glasses conducting
A small choir
Orowainya, orowainya, orowainya
Yohoo! Yodellaihetee! Yohoo!
Meanwhile, high in the Swiss Alps
Two elderly Scotchmen munch on a rare cheese
Wonderful stuff this, Agnes
Aye, it's wonderful stuff
Hodellaihetee! Yodellaihetee!
I'm standing in the entrance to the
Main tent immediately behind me
The festivities have already begun
Tell me, are you enjoying the wine?
I am indeed your Highness it
Goes well with me
(yeah, very good, very good, ha ha ha!?)
The King seems to be
Enjoying himself tonight!
(You might not have seen him in such
Good focus since the October festival?)
(Alright!?) Is there a doctor
Here? Is there a
Doctor around here? Did anybody see one?
At the same time as this, in the
Captain's mess on board the HMS tremendous
A toast is being proposed to her majesty!
To her majesty!
(Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho!?)
Podgy the bear and Jasper
Were huddled around the
Unlit fire in the centre of the room
"There are no more matches left, Podgy
" said
Jasper "Then buy some, Jasper, old friend
" said Podgy "Make a
List and afterwards we'll
Go to the shop and buy matches and
(buy?) candles and buns" "There's
No more paper to
Write on, Podgy" "No need to worry
Jasper you keep saying to yourself 'matches'
And I'll keep saying 'candles'
Until we reach the shop then we won't
Need to write it down we'll
Remember" "Who'll remember the buns
Podgy?" "We both will, Jasper … Matches
" "Candles" "Matches" "Candles"
"Matches" "Candles"
"Matches" "Candles" "Matches" "Candles"
In the long, dark corridors
Of Felpin Mansions
A door slams and the shadowy figure
Of Count Balder appears the Count is
The eccentric son of Baron Lndsberg
The inventor of the rack
He speaks "Guten Tagen
Meinen Damen und Herren welcome
To Felpin Mansions the butler will show
You to your rooms butler!" "Yes
Sir!" "Show the ladies and
Gentlemen to their rooms"
Come in may I come in?
Come, come in, Count! May I?
Oh, yes, come in
Ah, thank you i was wondering if you knew any
Of the songs from the good 'ol days
Oh, my goodness, yes don't you worry on that
Score i hear the Baron likes, uh
I hear the Baron likes the good old tunes
Yes, I do so do I, Count, so do
I but they're all melodies, aren't they?
No, don't worry i'll play this one do you
Like this one? Listen to this one
Please don't bring your banjo bag
I know where it's been
I wasn't hardly gone a day
When it became the scene
Banjos, banjos, all the time
I can't forget that tune (Singing)
And if I ever see another banjo
I'm going out to buy a big balloon
And if I ever see another banjo
I'm going out to buy a big balloon
And if I ever see another banjo
I'm going out to buy a toy balloon
And if I ever see another banjo
I'm going out to buy a toy balloon
And if I ever see another bloom
I'm going out to buy a toy balloon
Yes, everywhere it's Christmas
(Singing) everywhere, it's Christmas
Everywhere it's song
London, Paris, Rome and New York, Tokyo
Hong Kong oh, everywhere it's Christmas
And I'm off to join the cheer!
Everywhere, it's Christmas
At the end of every year!
Oh, everywhere it's Christmas
At the end of every year!
I said that everywhere it's Christmas
At the end of every year! One more time now!
Everywhere, it's Christmas, at the
End of every year
: (Ha ha ha?) Jolly good (ho-ho?) jolly good
Everywhere it's song
London, Paris, Rome and New York, Tokyo
Hong Kong oh, everywhere it's Christmas
And I'm off to join the cheer!
Everywhere, it's Christmas
At the end of every year!
Oh, everywhere it's Christmas
I said that everywhere it's Christmas
At the end of every year! One more time now!
Everywhere it's Christmas
Orowainya, orowainya, orowainya, ooh
Endomainya, endomainya, endomainya, ooh
Our story opens in Corsica on
The verandah is a
Bearded man in glasses conducting
A small choir
Orowainya, orowainya, orowainya
Yohoo! Yodellaihetee! Yohoo!
Meanwhile, high in the Swiss Alps
Two elderly Scotchmen munch on a rare cheese
Wonderful stuff this, Agnes
Aye, it's wonderful stuff
Hodellaihetee! Yodellaihetee!
I'm standing in the entrance to the
Main tent immediately behind me
The festivities have already begun
Tell me, are you enjoying the wine?
I am indeed your Highness it
Goes well with me
(yeah, very good, very good, ha ha ha!?)
The King seems to be
Enjoying himself tonight!
(You might not have seen him in such
Good focus since the October festival?)
(Alright!?) Is there a doctor
Here? Is there a
Doctor around here? Did anybody see one?
At the same time as this, in the
Captain's mess on board the HMS tremendous
A toast is being proposed to her majesty!
To her majesty!
(Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho!?)
Podgy the bear and Jasper
Were huddled around the
Unlit fire in the centre of the room
"There are no more matches left, Podgy
" said
Jasper "Then buy some, Jasper, old friend
" said Podgy "Make a
List and afterwards we'll
Go to the shop and buy matches and
(buy?) candles and buns" "There's
No more paper to
Write on, Podgy" "No need to worry
Jasper you keep saying to yourself 'matches'
And I'll keep saying 'candles'
Until we reach the shop then we won't
Need to write it down we'll
Remember" "Who'll remember the buns
Podgy?" "We both will, Jasper … Matches
" "Candles" "Matches" "Candles"
"Matches" "Candles"
"Matches" "Candles" "Matches" "Candles"
In the long, dark corridors
Of Felpin Mansions
A door slams and the shadowy figure
Of Count Balder appears the Count is
The eccentric son of Baron Lndsberg
The inventor of the rack
He speaks "Guten Tagen
Meinen Damen und Herren welcome
To Felpin Mansions the butler will show
You to your rooms butler!" "Yes
Sir!" "Show the ladies and
Gentlemen to their rooms"
Come in may I come in?
Come, come in, Count! May I?
Oh, yes, come in
Ah, thank you i was wondering if you knew any
Of the songs from the good 'ol days
Oh, my goodness, yes don't you worry on that
Score i hear the Baron likes, uh
I hear the Baron likes the good old tunes
Yes, I do so do I, Count, so do
I but they're all melodies, aren't they?
No, don't worry i'll play this one do you
Like this one? Listen to this one
Please don't bring your banjo bag
I know where it's been
I wasn't hardly gone a day
When it became the scene
Banjos, banjos, all the time
I can't forget that tune (Singing)
And if I ever see another banjo
I'm going out to buy a big balloon
And if I ever see another banjo
I'm going out to buy a big balloon
And if I ever see another banjo
I'm going out to buy a toy balloon
And if I ever see another banjo
I'm going out to buy a toy balloon
And if I ever see another bloom
I'm going out to buy a toy balloon
Yes, everywhere it's Christmas
(Singing) everywhere, it's Christmas
Everywhere it's song
London, Paris, Rome and New York, Tokyo
Hong Kong oh, everywhere it's Christmas
And I'm off to join the cheer!
Everywhere, it's Christmas
At the end of every year!
Oh, everywhere it's Christmas
At the end of every year!
I said that everywhere it's Christmas
At the end of every year! One more time now!
Everywhere, it's Christmas, at the
End of every year
: (Ha ha ha?) Jolly good (ho-ho?) jolly good
"Everywhere It's Christmas" is a festive and joyful song by The Beatles that celebrates the universal nature of Christmas. The lyrics convey the message that Christmas is celebrated all around the world, from London, Paris, Rome, and New York to Tokyo and Hong Kong. The singer is excited to join in the cheer and revelry that accompanies the Christmas season.
The song takes listeners on a whimsical journey, with each verse presenting different scenarios and locations where Christmas is being celebrated. It starts with a choir singing in Corsica, led by a bearded man in glasses. Then, it moves to the Swiss Alps, where two elderly Scotchmen are enjoying a rare cheese. The festivities continue with a toast being proposed on board the HMS tremendous in honor of her majesty, and a bear named Podgy and his friend Jasper searching for matches, candles, and buns. The song concludes with Count Balder playing a banjo and singing a playful tune, adding to the overall joyous atmosphere of the song.
Overall, "Everywhere It's Christmas" is a lighthearted and festive song that celebrates the universal spirit of Christmas, emphasizing that it is a time of joy and celebration that transcends borders and cultures.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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ThinWhiteAxe
The Beatles are so good that their off-key 'Christmastday' is better than everyone else's covers of 'Yesterday'.
Nigel77 Patterson
It's great the Fab Four did this Christmas pr but so many covers of Yesterday are much better than this....Elvis,
roomandaroom
@Nigel77 Patterson They weren't trying to sing well here, though. :D
Denis Brouillard
@Nigel77 Patterson it was a goof, something they always did. Not meant for serious ears.
Wilson Stone
I like it cause they're kinda making fun of paul a little, john was having fun
AVeryProfessionalFangirl
absolutely living for George's energy in this 😭😭
Wheekly Worship
Same 😂
Nick L
It's the best lol
James Darrell Reeves
John always being so cheeky. You gotta love it. They are so off the cuff and spontaneous and entertaining even on a larkish Christmas piece like this.
Has
“And if you haven’t got yours, send fourpence in and get a free one”