You Say You Want a Revolution
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You Say You Want a Revolution

Thought you knew Beatles history?

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You Say You Want a Revolution

The word “revolution” is often synonymous with the idea of war, especially in regard to history. However, the word “revolution” is defined as a ubiquitous alteration in society and its social structure. This revolution, though it may be carried out through violence, can also be effectuated in an enlightening and educational manner. The Beatles and their tendency to defy the confinements of society fueled a liberal revolution during their heightened years of adoration in the 1960s. As an up and coming foreign band exiting the “conservative fifties,” the Beatles’ fearlessness of style, instrumentation, and attitude undermined gender roles and broke down racial barriers, giving rebellious youth a reason to push for a cultural revolution.

The term “Beatlemania” was born out of the rise of a sensational band made up of four quirky, humble, British clowns: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The start of their career began with the help of music entrepreneur Brian Epstein. In the magazine Echo, a column by Tony Barrow particularly captivated Epstein. “The Echo…refused to admit” (Spitz, 282) that Barrow was “a schoolboy,” (Spitz, 282) so he was known to Epstein and all other readers by his pen name, “Disker.” In 1961, Epstein wrote to Disker asking him to write an article on “this fabulous group called the Beatles;” (Spitz, 283) and so the journey of the Beatles began. After a few failed attempts to get the group recognition, on January 1, 1962, the Beatles auditioned for Decca Records, and their career took off down the runway.

As many celebrities do, the Beatles had a defining trademark; the “mop-top.” This hairstyle was a shaggy, long look essentially resembling a mop. In the 1950s, the hairstyle for women was very similar to the mop-top, as the masculine hairstyle in that decade was rather short and gelled back. As the Beatles appeared during the time of the Vietnam war, soldiers with their short hair became the emblem of masculinity. The Beatles’ hair was the beginning of the fading of the line between masculinity and femininity. Amongst interviewers, their hairstyle was very popular. During an interview on February 12, 1964 in New York, when asked about their hair, it was George Harrison who responded with, “I went to the swimming baths and when I came out my hair…was…all forward like a mop. I left it like that…then people were calling it the Beatle cut” (Giuliano, 19). As the foursome became increasingly popular, their look was much sought after.

Along with “Twist and Shout” came another Beatles classic, “Love Me Do.” This song, at first controversial due to its rawness, became a symbol of the music of the “frank and fearless;” a symbol of “the energy of the younger generation” (MacDonald, 43). Straying away from the well-known British pop genre, the Beatles thought the song to be of “a bluesy style” that was “extraordinarily raw by the standards of its time” (MacDonald, 41). There truly was nothing like its “toe-tapping, twist-beat…catchiness” (MacDonald, 41). This unrefined quality of the Beatles’ songs was representative of their passion for spontaneity, as well as of the lack of control their songs had. This absence of containment and discipline was archetypal of the attitudes of the youth during the 1960s. The biggest “hook” the song had was the harmonica playing of John Lennon. Only once before had a harmonica been used in a similar way, and with Lennon’s own spin on his riff, “nothing else on the market sounded anything like it” (MacDonald, 40). “Love Me Do” was indeed “the first faint chime of a revolutionary bell” (MacDonald, 43). It stepped outside of the norm of pop music and formed another culture that progressively became a beloved sound that was “a whole new chapter of musical prophecy…being written” (Spitz, 533).

The Beatles were unlike any music group seen before; they gave young people a voice and a reason to invest their powers into freeing themselves from the contained lifestyle their parents had thrust upon them. The foursome began constructing the bridge between the white and black societies with the use of African American inspired music. While building this connection, they simultaneously created barriers between the adult generation of the age and their offspring by challenging the fundamentals of the 1960s white society. Around the world today, bands such as Pink Floyd, Nirvana, and The Smashing Pumpkins owe their artistic inspiration to the legendary Beatles. The famous Justin Bieber haircut, recognizable around the world, is indebted to the fashion-forward and fearless band. Hardly a single American in the 21st century can deny knowing at the rare minimum one of the Beatles’ songs. The Beatles prominence during the 1960s is effectively the cause of the integrated, liberal society we live in today.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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