The Beatles were undoubtedly the most influential British band in the 1960s, with their music leading to and becoming a revolution in the rock and roll landscape. Their use of drugs through their music changed the way and direction of the Beatles as different types of drugs were introduced. It not only influenced the band, but also every song through their music. From their beginnings in Liverpool, England, The Beatles continued to fulfill their dreams as a rock band and eventually became the most popular and influential rock band of all time. The band began in 1960 and since then consisted of the "fab four" with George Harrison on lead guitar and vocals, John Lennon on rhythm guitar and vocals, Paul McCartney on bass and vocals and Ringo Starr on drums. and voice. Did the songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles have hidden drug references due to them living in the 1960s and 1970s, when drug use was very common? Songs written by the Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCarthy, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are some of the best songs ever written. To many people's surprise, the Beatles included hidden references to drugs such as marijuana, acid, heroin, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), and cocaine in their music and song lyrics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay During the mid to late 1960s, so much was happening to the Beatles and it all started in their hometown of Liverpool. Liverpool is the roots and foundation from which The Beatles began their rock and roll fame. The culture of the 60s at that time was full of drugs. Drugs were everywhere and many people at that time were using different types of drugs, and this was in the face of the Beatles. Their songs such as "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, got to get you in my Life, Day Tripper, Happiness is a Warm Gun, with a Little Help From my Friends, Helter Skelter" and countless others all had alleged drug references. Both Paul McCartney and John Lennon, who wrote most of the Beatles' songs, both admitted to taking drugs. The Beatles began in Liverpool and Hamburg as a band driven by alcohol and amphetamines. McCartney took heroin, cocaine and smoked marijuana and John Lennon took heroin, used cocaine and also smoked marijuana. Both had drug problems and both were arrested on marijuana-related charges. Both Paul McCartney and John Lennon had lifelong drug problems, and Paul McCartney was actually jailed in Japan when half a pound of marijuana was found in his luggage at customs at an airport in Japan. John Lennon's second wife, Yoko Ono, was also charged with the same crime of possession of marijuana. Marijuana played a major role in their advancement in the rock and roll industry. All of the Beatles smoked marijuana by early 1965. The Beatles later experimented with "harder" and mind-altering types of drugs such as acid, LSD, and psychedelics. Paul McCartney was the first member of the Beatles to talk openly about taking LSD or acid even though he was initially reluctant to try them. The first to try LSD was John Lennon in his coffee cup during a dinner at band member George Harrison's house. George Harrison and John Lennon early deliberately experimented with drugs and were joined on one occasion by Ringo Starr. The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, also had drug problems and also died of an overdose. Brian had a big influence on the Beatles regarding drugs. The Beatles and all thosewere close to them they experimented with drugs, which makes it easy to believe that the Beatles' songs contained hidden references to drugs. A couple of Beatles songs were banned by US and British media for advocating drug use or sexually explicit lyrics. One of the songs banned for drug advocacy was "With a Little Help from my Friends". It was banned by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) because it was believed to be about drugs. "A day in the life", which was about smoking and drinking while "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" had obvious references to the drug LSD, was also banned (Deitz Corey. The Clear Channel Banned Songs List). The song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is said to have a very obvious drug reference due to the name. The three nouns in the title indicate LSD, an acid or hallucinogenic drug that causes visual synesthesia with eyes open and closed and an altered sense of time and spiritual experiences. John Lennon, who wrote the song, initially said that it was not a drug reference and that he didn't even realize that the three names together spelled LSD. The entire first verse of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" sounds like someone is on acid or another drug. The first lines of the song are “Imagine yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Someone calls you, you answer slowly, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes." You'd have to take some hallucinogens to see tangerine trees and marmalade skies. The entire first verse makes it sound like John Lennon was under the influence of some kind of drugs while writing the lyrics. It's a little hidden message that they were taking drugs while they were on the tugboat. In the second verse when the singer sings “You get in the back with your head in the clouds and you leave”. .When someone has their head in the clouds it means they're high and leaving has the same meaning. So when John Lennon wrote the song, he was talking about the effects of LSD. The song "With a little Help From my Friends " written by the couple John Lennon and Paul McCartney contained explicit drug references and is said to be about drugs. The song has a verse in which Ringo Starr sings "I get high with a little help from my friends". He's clearly talking about getting high on some drug. The word friends is also said to be a metaphor for drugs because John Lennon used to portray drugs while writing songs. It can also be said that when he talked about love at first sight he was referring to his love for drugs after using them for the first time. Paul McCartney actually stated that this song had a drug reference because it was the weed era. "A Day in the Life" was banned for its clear advocacy of drugs. The song has lyrics about smoking, "I found my way upstairs and I smoked" and drinking, "I found my way downstairs and I drank a cup." They might have talked about smoking a cigarette and drinking a cup of tea, but those living in the 1960s and 1970s were most likely talking about alcohol and marijuana as drug use was very common at the time. There is also talk of entering a dream or getting high "and someone spoke, and I entered a dream". Going into a dream line isn't as obvious as most of their other songs. However, this song is not like the drug use depicted in other Beatles songs because the drug use is literal and direct in this song. McCartney also admitted that while writing the line "He drove himself crazy in the car" (Lennon and McCartney) he imagined a drug-bombed politician who didn't notice the changing light (Barry Miles). The Beatles used their song lyrics as.
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