Happiness Is a Warm Gun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Happiness is a Warm Gun" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Song by The Beatles | ||
| from the album The Beatles | ||
| Released | 22 November 1968 | |
| Recorded | 24 and 25 September 1968 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 2:44 | |
| Label | Apple Records | |
| Writer(s) | Lennon-McCartney | |
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |
| The Beatles track listing | ||
|
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (7 of disc 1) |
"Happiness is
a Warm Gun" (8 of disc 1) |
Martha My Dear (9 of disc 1) |
"Happiness is a Warm Gun" is a Beatles song on the double-disc album The Beatles (also known as The White Album). It is primarily a John Lennon composition, credited to Lennon-McCartney). The original, working title of the song was "Happiness is a Warm Gun in Your Hand", which was inspired by a magazine cover containing the phrase. Derek Taylor, the press officer for the Beatles, contributed some of the lyrics[citation needed].
The song, Lennon once claimed, was "sort of a history of rock and roll," as it features five different sections but is less than three minutes long. The song begins with a brief lilting section. The drums, bass and distorted guitar are introduced in the next section. The surreal imagery from this section is allegedly taken from an acid trip that Lennon experienced. After this, the song becomes more ominous and the next couple of sections are based on repeated verses. The final section is a doo-wop send up, with the back-up of vocals of "Bang, Bang, Shoot Shoot". The song's multiple sections would inspire Radiohead's three part epic Paranoid Android on OK Computer. [citation needed]
One of the most radical musical accomplishments of the song is its frequent shifts in rhythm. Beginning in 4/4 duple time, the song shifts to a 3/4 triple time for the guitar solo and the "I need a fix..." section. This gives way to an alternating 9/8 and 10/8 section in "Mother Superior..." before returning to 4/4 for the doo wop style ending. During Lennon's spoken-word interlude, the instruments continue in 4/4 except for a single electric guitar in 3/4. This is one of the few instances of polyrhythm in a Beatles song.
Cover versions
- Tori Amos, on the album Strange Little Girls
- The Breeders, on the album Pod
- Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, on the album Tomorrow We'll Know Today
- Anders Osborne, on the album The blues White album
- Phish, on the album Live Phish Volume 13
- Marc Ribot, on the album Saints
- U2, as a B-side of the single "Last Night on Earth"
External links
- All Music Review
| The Beatles |
|---|
|
John Lennon |
Paul McCartney |
George Harrison |
Ringo Starr Pete Best | Stuart Sutcliffe |
| Management |
| Brian Epstein | Allen Klein | Apple Records |
| Production |
| George Martin | Geoff Emerick | Norman Smith | Phil Spector | Abbey Road Studios |
| Official studio albums |
| Please Please Me (1963) | With the Beatles (1963) | A Hard Day's Night (1964) | Beatles for Sale (1964) | Help! (1965) | Rubber Soul (1965) | Revolver (1966) | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) | Magical Mystery Tour (1967) | The Beatles (The White Album) (1968) | Yellow Submarine (1969) | Abbey Road (1969) | Let It Be (1970) |
| Filmography |
| A Hard Day's Night (1964) | Help! (1965) | Magical Mystery Tour (1967) | Yellow Submarine (1968) | Let It Be (1970) |
| Related articles |
| Line-ups | Bootlegs | Lennon/McCartney | Anthology | Influence | The Quarrymen | London | Beatlemania | Fifth Beatle | Paul is dead | British Invasion | Apple Corps | Northern Songs | Yoko Ono |
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | The Beatles songs | 1968 songs | Songs produced by George Martin