anonymous April 29th, 2006 03:36PM  
Paul McCartney actually read a review of 'The Who' which said that they were the 'wildest band ever' and their set was like a 'helter skelter' (the twisty slide). Paul decided to go one better and prove that the Beatles could match 'The Who' for wild songs.

anonymous February 23rd, 2007 11:13PM  
Paul has literally stated in numerous interviews that this song was about a child's sliding board, such as those one might find at a playground. It was not written to be a metaphor nor does it have anything to do with the ridiculous theory that the White Album had an underlying message of white supremacy. This was just Paul once again writing a fun song to mess with everyone's heads.

RodHung March 26th, 2007 05:16PM  
That's too bad, I was really hoping there was a connection between Charlie and The Beatles. The lyrics fit so well with Manson's psychosis.

The first time I heard this song, I thought it was about someone with a god-complex or a drug user coming up and going down. Now, I guess the Beatles coolest song is about a children's slide...ugh.

anonymous August 11th, 2007 07:38PM  
The following is the real truth about the song. A Helter Skelter is an english slide. The Beatles said that the song symbolized the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. The song was written in response to The Who saying that I Can See For Miles war their rawess song. McCartney also wrote it in response that he could only write ballads.

anonymous January 20th, 2008 01:54PM  
Getbackjojo.....you are dead on. everyone listen to that guy. He is totally right. Charles manson claimed he heard hidden messages in this song, Rocky Raccoon, and piggies and rev. #9. John was asked to testify at Manson's trial but refused saying "Well he's barmy. He's like any other Beatles kind of fan who reads mysticisim into it. I mean we used to have a laugh putting this, or the other in, in a light-hearted way. Some intellectual would read us, some symbolic youth generation wants it, but what's "Helter Skelter" got to do with knifing somebody? I never listened to the words properly. It was just noise."

ny7yankee November 20th, 2008 04:41PM  
It is very well documented that this is about a roller coaster ride. Paul has commented on this song several times on where it came from. Listen to the Anthology version, it is much slower than the White Album version, and has a hint of the blues to it. It used to scare me as a kid with all the Charlie Manson stuff, but only Charlie interpreted the song to mean something to his family.

ERod January 3rd, 2009 03:00AM  
im not sure about this but i was told that paul wrote this song in response to john's comment that paul couldnt write a fast badass song and that he only wrote those lubby dubby songs.. but thats just what i heard

louis365 April 6th, 2009 10:11AM  
Seems GetBackJojo has it the closest. Just I'm not so sure it was about a roller coaster. He may have written it about the state of confusion that existed in some parts of the US at the time. All the race riots, etc, that was going on in places like California.

anonymous September 15th, 2009 01:43PM  
Just to correct something:

The "blisters on my fingers" at the end of the track is said by Ringo, so it's drums (not a guitar, as someone said) he's been playing for so long that he has blisters.

loganator454 October 26th, 2009 12:52PM  
Paul mc cartney read a reveiw in rolling stone magazine that stated that the who's newly released single is arguably the loudest most obnoctius song with the loudest drums and other instruments however is still a great song and is opening a new frontier of music.Paul mc cartney wanted to beat this and composed helter skelter whith the help of john lennon. possibly high from lsd thought of the helter skelter (an amusement ride that is basicly a humungus water slide). The exact lyrics are as follows. When i get to the bottom i go back to the top of the SLIDE then i stop and i turn and i go for a ride then i get to the bottom and i see you again.

crazey_2005 November 26th, 2009 02:41AM  
I think Charles Manson gave this song a more sinister appearance because he used it as an excuse to (allegedly) have at least 8 people killed. As far as I'm concerned the Beatles were too "far out" for this song to be interpreted any other way except all in good fun. Whether it's about a roller coaster or someone high on some substance...who cares? It's still a great song. We all live in a yellow submarine but have you ever seen one? lol

anonymous November 28th, 2009 12:29AM  
Helter Skelter is a name of an old English slide and the intro totally describes it but helter skelter also means confusion a panic. That's were Charles Manson comes in. I'd have to agree on it being about him or similar to him the lyrics describe the nut in a way.

anonymous December 5th, 2009 09:05PM  
In the 60s the most popular stlye of record player was the "record changer" which stacked records and released one at a time. As each record in the stack was released it 'slid' to the bottom of the spindel and started playing.

To play a record again one would pick-up the pile, pull it 'back to the top' engage the catch and re-start the mechanism.

As each record went down the 'slide' the process started again and as the record started to "turn and go for a ride" you would "see"/hear your song again.

Clear as mitten?

anonymous December 30th, 2009 03:06AM  
It's obviously about dialectics (read hegel)

anonymous February 14th, 2010 02:29PM  
The song is definitely about Paul subliminely communicating with angry young Americans back in the sixties, and instructing them to murder rich socialite "squares", and cut unborn fetises out of pregnant women, and smearing the word, "PIGGIES", on walls everywhere, in thier unrighteous ,warloving,establishment,blood.

anonymous February 21st, 2010 09:21AM  
This songs lyrics are vague in the fact that they are interpreted by everyone differently. It's about whatever you want it to be about. Whether it's bi-polar disorder or substance abuse. It's kinda like watching a funny show with your kids and noticing they laugh about completely different things than you do. What can you relate to? A roller coaster, mental illness? It doesn't matter, it's your song so don't let anyone change that.