The biggest band in history in without a doubt The Beatles, and they have been a fixture in music media for decades on end. Fans know many incredible details about the group, including obscure facts like their potential Lord of the Rings movie, being banned from an country, and even facts about their lyrics. Simply put, no artists have been dissected quite like The Beatles have.
For as much success as the band had, they also had a wealth on controversies. The band found themselves in hot water more than a time or two, and this helped fuel the fire of their success.
For the band, one of their most famous songs pushed the envelope too far, and it received a ban from the BBC. It might seem tame now, but at the time, this was a major deal, and the controversy is partly why the song is so loved today.
The Beatles Are Legends, Who Had Their Share Of Controversies
The Beatles are arguably the most influential and controversial band in the history of popular music. Their journey from a local club act to global superstardom and their profound impact on both music and culture are nothing short of remarkable.
Beatles have sold over 600 million records worldwide, making them the best-selling music artists in history. Albums like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road are iconic, with enduring popularity.
Incredibly, they pulled this off while pushing the bounds of genre bending, and recording techniques.
The band’s willingness to push musical boundaries and experiment with diverse styles, from rock ‘n’ roll to Indian classical music, was groundbreaking. This innovation reshaped the landscape of contemporary music.
The band dominated pop culture like nothing the world had seen, save for Elvis Presley, and just like the King of Rock, the group was rather controversial.
In 1966, for instance, John Lennon’s comment that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus” sparked outrage, particularly in the United States. It led to album burnings and protests, highlighting the band’s immense cultural influence.
The Beatles’ experimentation with drugs, particularly LSD, was well-documented and publicly discussed. Their openness about their drug use was seen as both a reflection of the era and a challenge to conventional norms.
Of course, elements of their life were blending into their music, and one of their most notable tunes was banned by the BBC thanks to it’s not-so-subtle references.
“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” Was Banned By The BBC
For the unfamiliar, “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” is a psychedelic Beatles tune, the contains bizarre lyrics, and a title that was awfully liberal with what people saw as acronym use.
According to NCAC, “The Beatles’ eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, sparked a great deal of controversy upon its release due to its numerous perceived drug references. Over half of the songs were commonly believed to contain drug-related themes, specifically “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” which many believed to be a crafty acronym for the drug LSD. This resulted in the BBC banning the song from British radio, along with other popular tracks on the album such as “A Day in the Life.” “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” was also banned by Clear Channel Communications after 9/11.”
Kicking off a song with lyrics like “Picture yourself in a boat on a river, With tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes” was certainly a choice for a song with LSD in its title, but John Lennon maintained that the song stemmed from a drawing. Nevertheless, the song was banned.
Of course, this tune is hardly the only one that was banned.
They’ve Had Countless Lyrics Dripping With Innuendo
According to Far Out, “Come Together,” the opening track to Abbey Road, was banned by BBC, and it was all thanks to mentioning Coca-Cola, which went against their policy regarding mentioning certain brands.
The site also notes that “I Am The Walrus” was also banned.
“The aforementioned line, along with “let your knickers down”, was a step too far in the BBC’s eyes, and so they banned it for being too sexually explicit. Discussing the lyrics of ‘I Am The Walrus’, Lennon once said: “The words didn’t mean a lot. People draw so many conclusions, and it’s ridiculous. I’ve had tongue in cheek all along–all of them had tongue in cheek. Just because other people see depths of whatever in it…What does it really mean, ‘I am the Eggman?’ It could have been ‘The pudding Basin’ for all I care. It’s not that serious,” the site wrote.
“Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” is a great Beatles tune, and given the controversy surrounding it, it’s easy to see why people have long considered it a psychedelic classic.
Source: NewsFinale
