What does I am the Walrus mean?

Beatles: I am the Walrus Meaning

Album cover for I am the Walrus album cover

Song Released: 1967


Get "I am the Walrus" on MP3: Get MP3 from iTunes

I am the Walrus Lyrics

i am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together!
see how they run like pigs from a gun, see how they fly …
i'm cryin’

sittin on a corn flake, waitin on the van to come.
corporation tee-shirt,stupid bloody tuesday man you been a...

  1. CroftD1
    click a star to vote
    Mar 14th 2006 !⃝

    First off must everything be tied to John as Wacked-Out Drug Songs!!! Lets have some respect shall we??!! He happened to be one of the most brilliant lyricists of his time and it pisses me off that people would be so rude to someone who did so much for the industry. Good Hell the guy is dead have some respect!! Any ways, addressing those that give a damn. To me is chuck full of inside jokes and things that sounded neat to toy with those that always looked for alternitive motives the Beatles lyrics. I second that the walrus is the symbol of death and that is why he chose it. About the Paul thing, he was just a very different writing style and wasn't as talented as John with the visual imagery like John's lyrics are full of. It was an annoyance of John's that it seemed like all Paul was a good at was a "silly love song" in Paul's response he wrote the song after they broke up in response "What's the Matter with a Silly Love Song?".

  2. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 12th 2006 !⃝

    This is one of the hardest songs ever to interpret, I don't think we should even try which I feel was the aim!

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 22nd 2006 !⃝

    Although I don't know about the socialist symbolism, it is true that part of the song was based off of Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland, specifically the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter. John Lennon wrote it as if he were the Walrus that tried to save the clams that were lead to their deaths. In the story though, it was in fact the Carpenter that tried to save the clams from being eaten by the Walrus. He later admitted his mistake, having misinterpreted the story. Also, Lennon had recently recieved a letter from a student in college who had been interpreting Beatles lyrics in class. He wrote a good portion of the song as a riddle for the class to solve.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 19th 2006 !⃝

    You should understand that the Beatles were cruising on a magic carpet for a long time. and I don't really think that they weredoing any kind of special research for their lyrics. All their old stuff was simple-love songs. Their later stuff was wacked-drugged out.

    I think anyone trying to finda meaning is searching for the beginning of a circle. lennon was a mad man and I think he loved the idea that he was in a position that allowed him to write what he wanted and everyone loved it- though they had no idead what he was on about.

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 12th 2006 !⃝

    I still uphold the theory about death symbolism. Not only was the walrus the socialist symbol, the walrus was also a symbol of death to ancient Celts. (I don't know why but then again, why not?) Also, any close followers of the conspiracy plot would realize that John had extensive knowledge on ancient death symbols.

    PS I personally don't believe Paul ever took LSD as much as othe others, because none of his own songs were warped. They were all sort of loving, if you know what I mean.

  6. bleepscanner
    click a star to vote
    Nov 9th 2005 !⃝

    This song was written in four seperate parts and basicly mashed together to make the song as we know it. Each part was written by a seperate Beatle and whilst all on an LSD trip.

  7. silverbeatle
    click a star to vote
    Sep 23rd 2005 !⃝

    Actaully, the Walrus was inspired by Lewis Carrol's 'The Warlus and the Carpenter' From Through the Looking Glass, which I think did have something with socialists. However, I remember reading in a quote that he didn't realize that when he was writing it.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 12th 2005 !⃝

    It is true that John did write the song so it would not be figured out by critics. It wis during his time on LSD when it was written most likely, but also the title "I am the Walrus" could be attributed to the fact that he was a turned socialist and the walrusn is the symbol of the socialist party. The lyrics state "I am yours, you are his, we are all together" which are ideals of socialism.

  9. silverbeatle
    click a star to vote
    Aug 11th 2005 !⃝

    John was interested in critics trying to find the meaning of thier songs, and decided to write the craziest lyrics he could think of, just to see what they would say.

    When ask what it meant he said "it means whatever you want it to mean"

123456789 next ›



More Beatles songs »


 


Latest Articles

 


Submit Your Interpretation

[ want a different song? ]




Just Posted

Steve's Going to London anonymous
Yes I'm A Mess anonymous
Droppin' Plates anonymous
Rat anonymous
Cry for the Moon anonymous
And the Snakes Start to Sing anonymous
Gingerbread Man anonymous
Not Like the Movies anonymous
This Masquerade anonymous
Birthday Suit anonymous
Dollhouse anonymous
Death anonymous
Copy Cat anonymous
I Hate Jimmy Page anonymous
I Hate Jimmy Page anonymous

(We won't give out your email)