What does Crackerbox Palace mean?

George Harrison: Crackerbox Palace Meaning

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Album cover for Crackerbox Palace album cover

Song Released: 1977


Crackerbox Palace Lyrics

I was so young when I was born
My eyes could not yet see
And by the time of my first dawn
Somebody holding me . . . they said

I welcome you to Crackerbox Palace
We've been expecting you
You bring such joy in Crackerbox Palace
No matter where you...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    astorian
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    Mar 15th 2012 !⃝

    When George Harrison was young, his favorite comedian was an eccentric English-American fellow who called himself Lord Buckley.

    Years after Buckley's death, George Harrison literally did meet a man named George Grief (pronounced "gryfe"), who had been Lord Buckley's manager. When Harrison told Grief what a big fan he'd been, Grief took him to see Buckley's old house, a house he called "Crackerbox Palace."

    George Harrison wrote the whimsical, silly song "Crackerbox Palace" in honor of Lord Buckley. He even mentions "Mr. Grief" in the lyrics.

    At the end of the song, when George Harrison sins "Know that the Lord is well and inside of you," many people think GEorge is singing about God being inside each and every one of us. Rather, he's saying that, somewhere, the late Lord Buckley is happy in a new, Heavenly Crackerbox Palace.

  2. anonymous
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    Jan 19th 2022 !⃝

    The “palace” of this world shall not last, but we still have a life to live here.
    Though this “palace” will crumble , there is learning and living to be done here.
    Realizing that the author of this life will be well and within us all, is worth a great celebration in each person’s soul.
    Dr. G

  3. anonymous
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    Dec 14th 2020 !⃝

    Some has to do with Lord Buckley and a big part has to do with George and his spiritual practice. He is a follower of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He is the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. When someone goes to find their true selves outside of the “norm” there are many people who are ostracized for stepping outside of SOMEONE ELSE’S comfort zone!! Could be color of skin, race, religion, etc.. All of The Beatles went to India to work in their spiritual practices and George wanted more. He hung out in Verindavan, (it’s hours south of Delhi and about 3 hours west of Agra, where the Taj Mahal is.) It’s a little town but bustling because it’s home to many of the Swami’s followers. How do I know all this? First a Beatles fan. Two, I have been around many of the Swami’s devotees and three, I was in India, in Verindavan and met and spent time with the person whom George would stay with. He even gave me photos of he and George. George also includes chanting of the Maha-mantra in his song “My Sweet Lord”.

  4. anonymous
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    Jul 26th 2020 !⃝

    I believe the song is about someone being kidnapped at birth, and put in a cult. In the music video, George is in a stroller, with a man dressed up as a woman, implying it's not his mother, although many of the other characters are odd, take it as you will. He says in the song he says his eyes could not yet see, and when he opened them he was welcomed to Crackerbox Palace, showing he was either kidnapped, or had "his eyes opened" by the cult. The song also says George wanted someone to reveal his heart, and was told not to, or he'd be kicked out. In the same scene, a guard had a cross on his head, meaning it's religious, more evidence it's a cult. The music video first depicts George in a stroller, then as a young boy, then in a white suit with presumably the cult leader on a throne, in a building. I believe this depicts the stages of life, or his role in the cult.

  5. anonymous
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    May 20th 2020 !⃝

    House of knowledge intermingled with rubbish .. whoever wants it , must go and solve-the puzzle ... separating and organizing all the rights and wrongs ... and finally realize all are just but crucial lessons we go through .. there is no right and there is no wrong ...only acceptance of moment ... and time stands still ... and finally all is true ... Crackerbox Palace is when you finally realize .... All are but lessons ...

  6. Martysnorkle
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    Mar 4th 2020 !⃝

    To me the song is about the cycle of life, and while there are references to real people, places, and events, the song is a metaphor.
    When George enters the world he describes being held by a Dr. and feeling the love of the world, CrackerBox Palace. As the song progresses, he finds that he must grow up, and “do what the rest will do”. He finds that grief will visit and that the love of the world can be conditional. Even through the difficulty he finds the world is still full of love and it requests our presence to participate in the game of “Cracker Box Palace”. There is love in the good and bad.

  7. anonymous
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    Feb 25th 2020 !⃝

    I think Crackerbox Palace is a song about a trip to a mental institution. A "crackerbox" palace like One Flew Over the CooCoo's Nest.

    In the video, there are a lot of strange people and imagery which appear to be congruent with mental disease or perhaps a Monty Python skit.

  8. anonymous
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    Feb 25th 2020 !⃝

    I think Crackerbox Palace is a song about a trip to a mental institution. A "crackerbox" palace like One Flew Over the CooCoo's Nest.

    In the video, there are a lot of strange people and imagery which appear to be congruent with mental disease or perhaps a Monty Pyrhon skit.

  9. anonymous
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    May 26th 2019 !⃝

    My interpretation is that, viewing the other interpretations, no one really knows what it means except George himself. Probably a good dope song...
    everybody will hear something different.

  10. anonymous
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    Feb 16th 2018 !⃝

    The Lord is always with us. We don't know this till .We live An look for him .After we live in this life a while.Unless you look you will never see him.But never the less he's still with us.George is genus trying to help those looking .In his songs!!!

  11. anonymous
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    Sep 22nd 2017 !⃝

    The fact that we are born into this crazy world called cracker box with all the problems

  12. anonymous
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    May 28th 2017 !⃝

    Lord Buckley was strictly American - there was nothing English about him or his life.

  13. anonymous
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    Sep 23rd 2015 !⃝

    I think the meaning this song is about the a tribulations of life. from the personx fixt dawn till the end of a immortal soul,

  14. anonymous
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    Jul 28th 2014 !⃝

    I think its a song about Saltine Cracker houses. Sooner or later.it rains and no more home. Just a pile of mush.


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