What does Helter Skelter mean?

Beatles: Helter Skelter Meaning

Album cover for Helter Skelter album cover

Song Released: 1968


Covered By: Motley Crue


Helter Skelter Lyrics

When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again
Yeah yeah yeah hey

Do you, don't you want me to love you
I'm coming down fast but I'm miles...

  1. ERod
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    Jan 3rd 2009 !⃝

    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

  2. anonymous
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    Aug 16th 2008 !⃝

    If you played guitar for 5 hours you'd have blisters on your fingers, too

  3. anonymous
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    Jan 21st 2008 !⃝

    I think it could be about self-love (masturbation). I GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS!!L!!!LOVEMEIAMCOMINGDOWNFASTDON'TLETMEBREAKYOU

  4. anonymous
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    Oct 22nd 2007 !⃝

    A metaphorical slide

  5. anonymous
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    Sep 10th 2007 !⃝

    The song is about heroin addiction.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  6. anonymous
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    Aug 11th 2007 !⃝

    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.

  7. anonymous
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    Aug 2nd 2007 !⃝

    He could have gotten the idea from the slide that they have in England, that is true.

    Or it could have been about the Manson's, or something.

    It also sounds like he's describing the love between him and a girl. How she's playing him, how she confuses him, or what it's like when they start kissing. IDK.

  8. anonymous
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    Jul 23rd 2007 !⃝

    To the last person, what's wrong if he got an idea from a slide? You think it would be more important if it was about Manson? I'll take a song about a slide that I can interpret many ways any day over a Manson piece.

  9. RodHung
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    Mar 26th 2007 !⃝

    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.

  10. anonymous
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    Feb 23rd 2007 !⃝

    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.

  11. anonymous
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    Apr 29th 2006 !⃝

    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.

  12. anonymous
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    Apr 8th 2006 !⃝

    Mate, it's about a bloody slide we have in England. It's called a Helter Skelter. It's a big twising slide. A band that the Beatles were given a review saying that their lyrics were all helter skelter. Paul said you think that was helter skelter wait until you hear this!

  13. mythumbjib
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    Mar 25th 2006 !⃝

    Its about how his love for someone is like a roller-coaster: "I get to bottom and 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."

  14. zoso812
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    Feb 20th 2006 !⃝

    Helter Skelter, (The White Album) was written about a English school children's game played on slides in a park or school ground. The game is a variation of tag with the slide being home base but requiring participants to leave base and slide down the slide. It has nothing to do with Charles Manson's deluded 'race war' vision as revealed in grand jury testimony of the Tate-Labianca murders in 1969.

  15. hyangst
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    Feb 19th 2006 !⃝

    As much as we all want it to be about something revolutionary and cool, it is about a roller coaster.

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