Charles Manson, the infamous cult leader and murderer, as you know, led his cult to commit the Tate and LaBianca murders. Manson believed in an idea called  "Helter Skelter," which like the Beatles song's theme, total chaos. Though regarded as an amusement park ride in England, Helter Skelter was regarded differently by Manson. "Charlie" believed that a race-war between the whites and the blacks would soon take place in America. He committed the murders to show the  blacks how to rise. Manson labeled this war Helter Skelter. He also believed that the Beatles were Gods, or at least angels, sent by God to show Manson himself about the race war.
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First of all, Manson and his cult studied the White Album over and over, and they came to the bizarre song "Revolution 9."  Manson and his followers thought the song not only described the sounds and utter chaos of the black-white war, but opened the door to the entire cult reading the chapter Revelation 9. Manson thought that the similarities between names Revolution 9 and Revelation 9 were highly significant. Revelation 9 begins with the fifth angel blowing on his  trumpet, and star falls to the earth and was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. Out of the pit, locusts were released. Locusts. Locusts, Beatles? Revelation 9 describes the locusts hair as long (as the same with the long-haired musicians), having iron breastplates (the electric guitars), having crowns of gold upon their heads (possibly the Beatles receiving their MBEs), and "the noise (made by the locusts) was like the noise of many chariots . . . rushing into battle." The last note about the noise was about the song "Helter Skelter," no doubt the Beatles most heaviest song and closest they ever came to what is now heavy metal. One unusual quote from the Bible is "they (the locusts) were told not to damage the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those people who do not have THE SEAL OF GOD ON THEIR FOREHEADS." This, explains Manson's grisly "X" and later a swastika crudely tattooed by himself into his forehead. And now to the individual songs of the White Album... 
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        "Honey Pie" - lyrics: "Oh Honey pie you are driving me frantic/ Sail across the Atlantic/To be where you belong." Charles had written many times for the Beatles to come visit him in California, all of which didn't work. Now Charles believed the Beatles were calling him to be with them.

        "Yer Blues" - lyrics: "Yes I'm lonely, wanna die." Manson believed the Beatles were calling for him again.

        "Sexy Sadie" - Manson had long nicknamed one of his followers, Susan Atkins, "Sadie Mae Glutz" before the White Album was released. Manson believed he could communicate telepathically with the Beatles.

        "Rocky Raccoon" - The "coon" part of the title referred to a black man of the race war.

        "Happiness is a Warm Gun" - The Beatles telling the blacks to get guns and fight.

        "Blackbird" - lyrics: "Blackbird singing in the dead of night/  Take these broken wings and learn to fly/ All your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise." According to Manson, the Beatles were urging the blacks to commit to the race war.

        "Helter Skelter" - lyrics: "When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide/ Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride." The first verse of Revelation 9 had described a star  falling into a bottomless pit. (More of a "Paul is dead" clue than a Manson one.) "Helter Skelter" [sic] was scrawled in blood at one of the crime scenes.

        "Piggies" - "What they needs a damn good whacking." According to Manson, what the whites should give the blacks. "Death to pigs" was written in one of the murder victim's stomach with a fork.

        "Revolution 1" - "You say you want a revolution . . . But when you talk about destruction/ Don't you know that you can count me out." Right after the "out," the word "in" is said in almost a whisper. This was supposedly proclaiming that the Beatles were having second thoughts about a race war, but then decided to go along with it.

        "Revolution 9" - All sorts of different noises that describe the war between the blacks and the whites. I have to admit, it does sound like a war! The word "rise" is said in the song, two minutes and thirty-four seconds into the song. Manson, of course directed his followers to write "rise" on the walls of the LaBianca murders. 

I realize that these coincidences are creepy, but remember that they are just coincidences. Once again, I am not trying to spread any propaganda about Charles Manson. I'm just presenting some info about Manson's fascinations with the Beatles.

- Thad Driscoll.

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