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.
TAXMAN {Harrison}
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me.
The lyrics to The Beatles song "Taxman" are a critique of the British tax system in the 1960s. Written by George Harrison, the song highlights the high tax burden placed on high-income earners in the UK. The opening lyrics, "Let me tell you how it will be, there's one for you, nineteen for me," indicate that the tax rate was around 95%, which meant that for every pound earned, only a fraction went towards personal income. Here, Harrison embodies the role of the taxman, perhaps personifying the British revenue service. He makes no apologies for the tax system and even states that he is the one collecting the taxes, effectively making the listener his employee.
The lyrics then continue to describe how the taxman is willing to tax everything, from the streets and seats to the heat and feet of the people. This further highlights the absurdity of the tax system and the impact of taxes on the everyday lives of the people. The song ends with a warning that no one can escape the taxman, even in death. The advice given to declare one's entire estate, including the pennies on one's eyes, to ensure that the taxman collects the maximum amount possible.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me tell you how it will be
The taxman is in charge and he will dictate the terms.
There's one for you, nineteen for me
Most of your earnings will go to taxes, and only a tiny bit will be left for you to keep.
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
The taxman is letting everyone know that he is the one who controls everything.
Should five per cent appear too small
If you think that 5% tax is low, then think again.
Be thankful I don't take it all
The taxman could easily take all your earnings, but he is generous enough to leave some for you.
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
The taxman is reminding you that he is the one in charge.
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
You will have to pay a tax on everything, even if it's just driving on a street.
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
The taxman will make sure to tax you even if you want to sit down.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
The taxman will find a way to tax you even for your basic needs like heating.
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
The taxman will tax you for every little thing you do, including simply walking.
Don't ask me what I want it for
Don't question why you have to pay taxes and what they will be used for.
If you don't want to pay some more
If you try to avoid paying taxes, you will face the consequences.
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
The taxman is emphasizing his authority and power.
Now my advice for those who die
Even in death, you still have to pay taxes, so prepare accordingly.
Declare the pennies on your eyes
You must declare all your assets, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem.
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
The taxman is reminding you, once again, that he is the one in control.
And you're working for no one but me.
All your hard work and earnings are essentially going to the taxman, leaving you with very little.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGE HARRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mvinge
@@joannedowell3194 Live yes but not in the studio. Paul is/was, along with John, a multi instrumentalist in The Beatles. He played piano and guitar too. Here’s a list of other Beatles tunes Paul played lead guitar on:
“Ticket To Ride “
“The Night Before “
“Another Girl “
“Taxman “
“And Your Bird Can Sing ” [with George]
“Strawberry Fields Forever ” [? — the part right after the last chorus]
“Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
“Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)”
“Good Morning, Good Morning”
“Back in the U.S.S.R.”
“Birthday ”
“Helter Skelter “
“The End ” [with John and George]
@felipemustafa1125
Essa música tem várias curiosidades interessantes:
O John Lennon ajudou o George em alguns trechos de música, principalmente em: (If you try to sit, sit) I'll tax your seat
(If you get too cold, cold) I'll tax the heat
(If you take a walk, walk) I'll tax your feet
O solo maravilhoso de guitarra dessa música foi feita pelo Paul McCartney, porque o George tentou vários takes, e nada saía. E o Paul em um take só fez ela
Essa música tem uma fortíssima inspiração na música tema da série do Batman de 1966, principalmente pela forma de cantar Taxman
@forgingviews3401
“My advice for those who die, declare the pennies on your eyes” Will forever be a cold af awesome line
@brianburgess7020
The line is "put clever pennies on your eyes"....the old British custom of putting coins on the deceased eyes.
@lolforlife2487
@@brianburgess7020 no its not dude
@frankbarnwell____
Yes. When you die, they charge.....
@RamansSon
@@lolforlife2487 i watched boondock saint, its like irish tradition
@lolforlife2487
@@RamansSon that's not the correct lyric tho
@Goatchild90
Rest in Peace George Harrison
One of the best album openers of all time
@groovymusic8910
Absolutely!!!
@theboi5411
@@shelleyhowell86 What?
@shelleyhowell86
@@theboi5411 What is a good question. I'm deleting my original comment. It's a WTF for me too.