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.

The Walk
The Beatles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well I know you heard of Suzy-Q
And I know you heard of the chicken too
I know you heard of the cha-cha-choo
Cause the walk is a dance that you can do
You just walk, you just walk
Oh you walk, yes you walk
Yeah you walk, it has to walk
Well I know you heard of the Texas Hop

I know you heard of the old Fox Trot
But when you do The Walk you ride each car
You just shake your hips and close your eyes
And then you walk, yeah you walk
Then you walk, oh you walk, ah you walk
Oh yes you walk do the walk, boys!

Well I know you heard of the old mambo
And I know you heard of the old congo
But when you do the walk
You're startin to get close
And don't step on your partners toes!
You just walk, yeah you walk, then you walk
Yes you walk, oh you walk, just the walk
Now if you don't know what it's all about
Come to me and I'll show you how
Well do it fast, well do it slow
Then you'll know the walk everywhere you go
You can walk, and you walk, now you walk
You gonna walk, you gotta walk it

Just a walk just a walk
Just a walk just a walk

Overall Meaning

"The Walk" by The Beatles is a playful and energetic song that celebrates a dance known as "The Walk." The lyrics mention various other dances such as Suzy-Q, the chicken, and the cha-cha-choo, highlighting that "The Walk" is a dance that can be enjoyed by all. The song encourages listeners to join in and participate in the dance, emphasizing the simple joy of walking and moving.

The lyrics describe the rhythm and steps of the dance, urging individuals to shake their hips and close their eyes while walking. The song also warns against stepping on their partner's toes, suggesting that it involves a close connection and coordination with a dance partner. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of fun and entertainment, inviting people to embrace the spirit of "The Walk" and experience its joyous movement.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I know you heard of Suzy-Q
I am aware that you are familiar with Suzy-Q

And I know you heard of the chicken too
I am aware that you are familiar with the chicken dance

I know you heard of the cha-cha-choo
I am aware that you are familiar with the cha-cha-choo dance

Cause the walk is a dance that you can do
Because the walk is a dance that you are capable of performing

You just walk, you just walk
All you have to do is walk, simply walk

Oh you walk, yes you walk
Oh, you walk, indeed, you walk

Yeah you walk, it has to walk
Yes, you walk, it is necessary to walk

Well I know you heard of the Texas Hop
I am aware that you are familiar with the Texas Hop dance

I know you heard of the old Fox Trot
I am aware that you are familiar with the old Fox Trot dance

But when you do The Walk you ride each car
However, when you perform The Walk, you metaphorically ride each car

You just shake your hips and close your eyes
All you have to do is shake your hips and close your eyes

And then you walk, yeah you walk
And then you walk, indeed, you walk

Then you walk, oh you walk, ah you walk
Subsequently, you walk, oh, you walk, ah, you walk

Oh yes you walk do the walk, boys!
Oh yes, you walk, perform the walk, boys!

Well I know you heard of the old mambo
I am aware that you are familiar with the old mambo dance

And I know you heard of the old congo
I am aware that you are familiar with the old congo dance

But when you do the walk
However, when you perform the walk

You're startin to get close
You are beginning to get closer

And don't step on your partners toes!
And please be careful not to step on your partner's toes!

You just walk, yeah you walk, then you walk
All you have to do is walk, yes, you walk, then you walk

Yes you walk, oh you walk, just the walk
Indeed, you walk, oh, you walk, specifically the walk

Now if you don't know what it's all about
Now, if you are unaware of what it is all about

Come to me and I'll show you how
Come to me and I will demonstrate to you how it is done

Well do it fast, well do it slow
Perform it at a fast pace, perform it at a slow pace

Then you'll know the walk everywhere you go
Subsequently, you will be familiar with the walk wherever you go

You can walk, and you walk, now you walk
You are capable of walking, and you walk, now, you walk

You gonna walk, you gotta walk it
You are going to walk, you must walk it

Just a walk just a walk
Simply a walk, merely a walk

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMMY MC CRACKLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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