6 Violent Beatles Songs

Everything you've always known about the Beatles is about to get turned over on it's head. The Fab Four have always been known to sing and write sugary songs about love gained, love lost, and everything in between. I remember becoming a huge fan when I was a young tyke due to my older sisters and parents playing Beatles records all the time. Like Paul McCartney raps (Yes, he was rapping!) on the song "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the Beatles have gone in and out of style with me as I've grown up. However, the Beatles are still loved by young and old and considered one of the most important bands of the last 50+ years. So, now to shock the current Beatles fanatics and perhaps gain more acolytes among haters, I present in this article in alphabetical order, 6 violent Beatles songs.


1) A Day In The Life

Sample Lyrics:
"He blew his mind out in a car. He didn't notice that the lights had changed. A crowd of people stood and stared. They'd seen his face before. Nobody was really sure if he was from the House of Lords."


Basically, John Lennon is singing about a story of a British politician that shot himself in the head in his car in heavy traffic at rush hour. The crowd of witnesses were not even sure if they recognized the guy with his head blown to bits, but the consensus was that he had to be from the House of Lords. Maybe there was a white wig in the passenger seat.


2) Getting Better

Sample Lyrics:
"I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved."


John Lennon and Paul McCartney harmonize beautifully together about domestic partner abuse. This was only a couple years after singing 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'. It was widely believed and accepted that John wrote this line about his relationship to his first wife, Cynthia. He was a real jerk to her and did terrible things. The lyrics continue with "Man I was mean but I'm changing my scene and I'm doing the best that I can." He acknowledges that he was a complete douchebag and sings about making things better. I hope Cynthia got massive Beatles alimony checks.


3) Maxwell's Silver Hammer

Sample Lyrics:
"Bang bang, Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon her head. Bang bang, Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that she was dead."


Paul McCartney takes the lead vocals about a medical college student named Maxwell Edison also majoring in serial killing with a freaking hammer. Paul makes him sound adorable with this nursing home style orchestrated diddy. Maxwell even goes on and kills his teacher for treating him like a young boy after being forced to write how naughty he's been, 50 times on the blackboard. Of course, he ends up getting arrested and gains some female followers named Rose and Valerie that want him set free. The judge at his trial says no way and Maxwell kills him with his silver hammer. You'd think the British policemen would have confiscated his favorite killing toy before the arrest. 


4) Rocky Raccoon

Sample Lyrics:
"Rocky had come equipped with a gun, to shoot off the legs of his rival. His rival it seems had broken his dreams, by stealing the girl of his fancy."


Paul sings this tale about a young boy named Rocky Raccoon that had his heart broken when his girlfriend Nancy dumps him for another guy named Dan. Rocky is so hurt that he decides to go shoot Dan. The problem is that Dan is not only boning Rocky's girlfriend better, but he also knows how to quick draw a pistol and shoots Rocky when confronted at a local saloon. Rocky doesn't die but learns a valuable lesson when he licks his wounds and discovers a Gideons bible in his room.


5) Run For Your Life

Sample Lyrics:
"Well, I'd rather see you dead little girl than to be with another man. You'd better keep your head little girl or you won't know where I am."


John sings this anthem for jealous freaks around the world that probably treat women as objects. The entire song sounds completely sociopathic and crazy. Whoever this little girl is should get a restraining order as soon as possible or she will end up dead. She better not have any guy friends either or they will probably end up slashed into dozens of bloody pieces in a heap on the floor. I wonder what all the screaming teen girls in the 60s thought about this song when it came out?


6) The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill

Sample Lyrics:
"Hey Bungalow Bill, what did you kill, Bungalow Bill?"


A very peculiar song about an elephant hunter named Bungalow Bill that brings his mother along his various hunts in case of accidents. During one particular hunt, Bungalow Bill gets surprised by a tiger and either shoots the tiger, or comic book super hero Captain Marvel appears out of nowhere and zaps Bungalow Bill between the eyes. This is completely open to interpretation. Some might say that the lyrics are sarcastically calling Bungalow Bill "Captain Marvel" for zapping the tiger between the eyes, or Captain Marvel simply appeared and zapped the tiger between the eyes. No further lyrics suggest that Bungalow Bill was upset by a costumed freak interrupting his hunting, so I believe Bungalow Bill was in fact Captain Marvel.

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In conclusion, I'm surprised that Charles Manson never mentioned any of these songs as his inspiration to tell his maniac family members to kill celebrities. I did not include the Beatles song "Helter Skelter" because there's no mention of any sort of violence anywhere in the lyrics. I really did try to find other violent Beatles songs but I think I have them all covered. If I missed any, please let me know in the comments.

- Miike C.