What does Yellow Submarine mean?

Beatles: Yellow Submarine Meaning

Album cover for Yellow Submarine album cover

Song Released: 1969


Get "Yellow Submarine" on MP3: Get MP3 from iTunes

Yellow Submarine Lyrics

In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines.
So we sailed up to the sun
Till we found the sea of green
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine.
We all live...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 6th 2008 !⃝

    Wee all live in a yellow submarine yellow submarine yellow submarine

    It's obviously about living in a yellow submarine.

    or they just wrote it because they knew that they could write whatever the hell the wanted and could get away with it being a huge hit.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 7th 2007 !⃝

    For those you who, apparently, haven't seen the Beatles Anthology, It's just a song Paul thought of when he was half asleep. So those of you who say it's a fun nonsense you win a cake of happiness. For those of you who went to deep into it and said it was about drugs you walk the walk of shame. Yes, I admit a lot of their songs have something to do with drugs, but this one is totaly sober. Don't believe me? Check the freakin Beatles Anthology dvd. Paul says it. OW! I BURNED YOU!

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 15th 2007 !⃝

    The Beatles opened their minds to the world ("So we sailed up to the sun") and capitalized on their knowledge through their insightful music ("Till we found the sea of green"). Unlike the wavering beliefs of individuals(which is represented through the waves), they stayed true to what they believed in (beneath the waves) ("And we lived beneath the waves"). Though they received a lot of attention (bright yellow), the Beatles were the ones looking out at the people (submarines) ("In our yellow submarine"). They need each other to maintain the power they have achieved ("As we live a life of ease, Everyone of us has all we need"). They're watching you as they interpret you. ("We all live in our yellow submarine")

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 19th 2019 !⃝

    The movie recreates the visual effects of taking magic mushrooms.

  5. catpetter
    click a star to vote
    Jun 8th 2018 !⃝

    I think this has to do with nuclear missiles. Yellow is a color that represents happiness and peace. Submarines were used to carry nuclear missiles. So the man told him about what submarines were used for when they were still kids, WWII era, and now they are grown up and the cold war and threats of nuclear missiles is big. So they decide to turn an instrument of war into an instrument of peace.

  6. slposey
    click a star to vote
    Aug 18th 2017 !⃝

    The theory I heard back in the day was that "Yellow Submarine" was British slang for a urinal.

    The crew could be then interpreted as the cigarette butts thrown in ("And our friends are all aboard, many more of them live next door.")

    Of course, that also sort of fits with the file folder interpretation mentioned.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 19th 2017 !⃝

    The yellow represents everything from the sun to earth....so it seems like a yellow submarine. The sky is still blue and the sea it sails on is green. There are all sorts of people in it.....friends, others who live next door....some people who seem like blue meanies and several no where men.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 24th 2016 !⃝

    Paul has always been dummy wave rider.

  9. DocHollowDaze
    click a star to vote
    May 29th 2015 !⃝

    I think that the song is about people living in the bottom half of the chakra system. IN THE TOWN WHERE I WAS BORN (the 1st base chakra(RED) is where most are born in civilized society(because of doctors and hospitals)). LIVED A MAN WHO SAILED THE SEA AND TOLD US OF HIS LIFE IN THE LAND OF SUBMARINES( a submarine is a chakra, and the man who sailed the sea is a man who knows of the chakra system). SO WE SAILED UP THE SUN TILL WE FOUND THE SEA OF GREEN AND WE LIVED BENEATH THE WAVES IN OUR YELLOW SUBMARINE (made are way up the spine through the 2nd chakra(ORANGE) and stopped at the 3rd chakra(YELLOW/SOLAR PLEXUS/SUN)right under the 4th chakra(GREEN/THE SEA OF GREEN)and go no further than the sea of green....never making it to the 4th chakra(GREEN/HEART) sea of green, sea of love, true love....AND OUR FRIENDS ARE ALL ON BOARD, MANY MORE OF THEM LIVE NEXT DOOR AND THE BAND BEGINS TO PLAY....WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE, YELLOW SUBMARINE, YELLOW SUBMARINE....not everybody lives in a yellow submarine, they want you to live there, but you dont have to, its your choice...IM STILL GONNA LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT COLOR YOUR SUBMARINE IS!!!!

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 22nd 2014 !⃝

    It's the yellow file folder in a file cabinet?

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 21st 2013 !⃝

    I asked Paul and got no reply. I did receive a thought. It's about Praying Mantises and they treat humans like crap. Praying Mantises Do resemble a submarine and are mostly yellow. The group was desperate for material. Paul was just going to sleep and slightly dreaming. He summoned a Praying Mantis alien. So he thought he'd make something out of it...pretending to be a Praying Mantis perhaps extend the idea to include other animals and characters with the thought of amusement for children. Let me tell you, I was 7 when Yellow Submarine came out, and I'm sorry but being THAT confused about a meaning of a song is not for children. Now Progressive Insurance does a 3 bears commercial. That too had secret meaning. It was for girls, choosing men and their sizes...perhaps dick sizes.
    There is a youtube recording of Ringo in concert in 2005 waving arms as if Praying Mantises. They brought it back and even have a yellowsubmarine.com. It's just a hard headed mistake with no redeeming value. But the 3 dimensional graphics are cool and I guess the holes are to other dimensions. If you want to better yourself reverse music. Yellow Submarine isn't worth the time. SUBMARINE AH HA!

  12. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 22nd 2013 !⃝

    Its about a coffin that is yellow live under the sea of green that is grass

  13. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 10th 2013 !⃝

    "In the town where I was born
    Lived a man who sailed to sea
    And he told us of his life
    In the land of submarines."
    Translation: There's this guy who lived a double-life...a public life and also a private lifestyle behind closed doors.

    "So we sailed up to the sun
    Till we found the sea of green
    And we lived beneath the waves
    In our yellow submarine.
    We all live..."
    Translation: So we kept asking around until we scored some weed. And so now we live underneath the radar(public scrutiny) smoking blunts. Yellow signifies peace and submarine means "in private".

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 11th 2012 !⃝

    Paul Mccartney said"its a children song."

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 15th 2012 !⃝

    its about people hiding their true self from others by keeping their inner feelings submerged. yellow is the color of cowardness.

  16. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 5th 2012 !⃝

    I would have to say that given the bands position about war and how we shouldn't be fighting.. the "Yellow submarine " is a medafore.. submarines are essentially built for warring but theirs is yellow.
    an old expression of being Yellow meant that you weren't willing to fight.
    so its a peace jesture.. they live in a realm where peace is the mission.

  17. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 24th 2012 !⃝

    In Len Deighton's book "London Match," a computer used by British Intelligence is called "the yellow submarine."
    So, we all live in a yellow submarine could possibly mean the Beatles knew they were being watched by their government. Or not!

  18. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 7th 2011 !⃝

    It's just about the damn movie.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
‹ prev 12345678



More Beatles songs »


 


Latest Articles

 


Submit Your Interpretation

[ want a different song? ]




Just Posted

Mad Hatter anonymous
Fire Lake anonymous
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead anonymous
We Gotta Get out of This Place anonymous
Jealous anonymous
Won't Get Fooled Again anonymous
Smokestack Lightning anonymous
True Colors anonymous
Future Love Paradise anonymous
Adios, Adios anonymous
Strangers anonymous
Possibility anonymous
Jailbreak anonymous
Sour Girl anonymous
Cornflake Girl anonymous

(We won't give out your email)