In author Mark Hertsgaard's description, the lyrics advocate social change but emphasise that "political actions be judged on moral rather than ideological grounds". Ĭhairman Mao Zedong is referenced in the song.ĭespite Lennon's antiwar feelings, he had yet to become anti-establishment, and expressed in "Revolution" that he wanted "to see the plan" from those advocating toppling the system. I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India." Lennon began writing the song there and completed it in England in May, inspired especially by events in France. He recalled, "I thought it was about time we spoke about it, the same as I thought it was about time we stopped not answering about the Vietnamese war. Lennon decided to write a song about the recent wave of social upheaval while the Beatles were in Rishikesh, India, studying Transcendental Meditation. Viewed as leaders of the counterculture, the band – particularly John Lennon – were under pressure from Leninist, Trotskyist and Maoist groups to actively support the revolutionary cause. īy and large, the Beatles had avoided publicly expressing their political views in their music, with " Taxman" being their only overtly political track thus far. For these students and activists, the Maoist idea of cultural revolution, purging society of its non-progressive elements, provided a model for social change. The upheaval reflected the increased politicisation of the 1960s youth movement and the rise of New Left ideology, in a contrast with the hippie ideology behind the 1967 Summer of Love. Major protests concerning other political issues made international news, such as the March 1968 protests in Poland against their communist government, and the campus uprisings of May 1968 in France.
The protests were most prevalent in the United States, and on 17 March, 25,000 demonstrators marched to the American embassy in London's Grosvenor Square and violently clashed with police. In early 1968, media coverage in the aftermath of the Tet Offensive spurred increased protests in opposition to the Vietnam War, especially among university students.
The release of "Revolution 1" in November indicated Lennon's uncertainty about destructive change, with the phrase "count me out" recorded instead as "count me out – in". When released in August, the song was viewed by the political left as a betrayal of their cause and a sign that the Beatles were out of step with radical elements of the counterculture. Despite his bandmates' reservations, he persevered with the song and insisted it be included on their next single. Inspired by political protests in early 1968, Lennon's lyrics expressed sympathy with the need for social change but doubt in regard to the violent tactics espoused by members of the New Left. Although the single version was issued first, it was recorded several weeks after "Revolution 1", as a remake specifically intended for release as a single. Three versions of the song were recorded and released in 1968, all during sessions for the Beatles' self-titled double album, also known as "the White Album": a slow, bluesy arrangement (titled " Revolution 1") that would make the final cut for the LP an abstract sound collage (titled " Revolution 9") that originated as the latter part of "Revolution 1" and appears on the same album and the faster, hard rock version similar to "Revolution 1", released as the B-side of " Hey Jude". " Revolution" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership.
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