Across the Universe More Fun Stuff

	60's Newspaper Clips
	Backgrounds And Cursors
	Beatles By Numbers
	Beatles Recording Sessions
	Charles Manson and The Beatles
	Flip Your Wig Beatles Game
	Free As A Bird References
	George Martin Interview
	I Am The Walrus - An Interpretation
	John Lennon's Last Will and Testament
	Paul Is "Dead" Hoax
	Sgt Pepper Mystery and Recordings
	Sun King Meaning
	The Get Back Sessions

PAUL IS "DEAD" HOAX

aaaaaThe story was based on "clues" from record sleeves, songs, etc. that "proved" Paul had been killed in a car crash in November *1966*. Researchers "discovered" that a crash had occurred around that time which involved a young dark haired male who was disfigured beyond recognition.

REALITY: Paul did suffer a minor motorcycle accident in Dec. 1965, and chipped a tooth; you can see the as-yet-uncapped tooth in the "Rain" promo and in a filmed Ed Sullivan appearance in June 1966. This
accident may be the source for the story of Paul's "car crash death".
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aaaaaThen the Beatles, in the winter of 1966, held a "Paul look-alike" contest but no winner was ever announced. BUT - there was a winner....his name was William Campbell, and he was paid a considerable amount of money to play along with the facade - he was to be the NEW Paul. He supposedly looked enough like PM to sit in with the other Beatles for photographs, sometimes even fooling the photographers. Strangely, nothing was ever heard of William Campbell again. His picture is included on the poster that came with the White album in the lower right-hand corner. Looks like Paul with glasses, mustache, and combed back hair. William Campbell has this faint scar on his upper lip, PM doesn't.
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REALITY: Such a contest was actually held, co-sponsored by an American teen magazine (perhaps "Tiger Beat"?) and Dick Clark of the TV show "American Bandstand". The winner of this 1965 contest was Keith Allison, who had a brief brush with fame on teen shows such as "Where The Action Is" and apparently later joined Paul Revere and the Raiders, circa 1966. The real Paul *does* have a faint scar on his upper lip from the above-mentioned motorcycle accident. No William Campbell ever won a Paul look-alike contest. The William Campbell clue was invented by Fred LaBour.
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aaaaaSince then, the Beatles supposedly started putting clues on their album sleeves and even in their music so that their poor fans would find them and thus the shock of Paul's untimely death would be assuaged.

REALITY: All four Beatles, John included, denied any involvement in the Paul Is Dead hoax.

Yesterday...and Today

aaaaaPaul looks like he's in a coffin in the cover shot. "Yesterday and Today" was released in mid 1966 (supposedly just prior to Paul's demise) with the famous "Butcher Cover". As we all know, these albums were recalled just after they were released (right after Paul "died") and 'pasted over' with the now familiar 'Trunk Cover'.

aaaaaThis was allegedly done not because the buying public was outraged at the original "Butcher" cover (as was 'officially' announced by Capitol) but because the cover too closely depicted the carnage that occurred in that deadly 'car crash' and the Beatles themselves demanded that Capitol remove it from the market.

REALITY: None of the above is true. There was no "death of Paul and memos exist explaining why the "butcher cover" to "Yesterday and Today" were being withdrawn. BTW, the "butcher cover" shot was actually photographed as a promotion for the "Paperback Writer" single; it was used on "Yesterday and Today" only as an afterthought.
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aaaaaThe title "Yesterday and Today" symbolizes the controversy that was to start "Yesterday" and still be un-resolved even "Today".

aaaaaAll of the doll parts are resting on Paul except the one doll head that George is holding up. [Actually, both dolls' bodies are resting on two Beatles - one on John/Paul, the other on Ringo/Paul.]. This is two clues in one -

aaaaaa) George was the 'head' of the plot (it was his idea).
aaaaab) The doll head is right next to Paul's head symbolizing his decapitation.

REALITY: No evidence for either of the above.
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aaaaaThe false teeth on Paul's right forearm indicate that his teeth were knocked out in the crash and dental identification was impossible.

aaaaaAnd, of course, the previously mentioned symbolic 'coffin' on the 'Trunk' cover.

aaaaaNowhere Man: "He's a real nowhere man..." "..doesn't have a point of view, knows not where he's going to..." "..you don't know what you're missing; nowhere man can you see me at all?"

REALITY: How could "Nowhere Man" have been part of the plot if it preceded Paul's alleged "death"?
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aaaaaDr. Robert: "...you're a new and better man..." "..he does everything he can, Dr. Robert..." (William is the new man. Nothing Dr. Robert can do will bring Paul back)

REALITY: "Dr. Robert" was actually written about a New York physician who supplied famous people with pills to get high.
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aaaaaYesterday: .."oh I believe in yesterday, suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be, there's a shadow hanging over me. Yesterday came suddenly..."

REALITY: "Yesterday" was *also* written before Paul's alleged "death".
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aaaaaAnd Your Bird Can Sing: "...you can't see me, you can't see me..." "..you can't hear me, you can't hear me..."

REALITY: All of "Yesterday and Today" was recorded before the Nov. '66 alleged "death" of Paul, so all clues on this album are obviously false.
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aaaaaHard Day's Night: aerial sequence of the "Can't Buy Me Love" romp, director Richard Lester runs around instead of Paul.

REALITY: In fact, Paul was filmed in most sequences; he missed one because of a hangover, and Lester used his own legs and feet (wearing Beatle boots!) as a substitute for the temporarily incapacitated Paul.
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aaaaaJohn is missing from the final scene ("Sorry we hurt your field, mister") because he had to attend a literary luncheon at the Dorchester Hotel in Islington, celebrating the publication of his first book "In His Own Write".

aaaaaAlso, there was a major scene between Paul and an actress cut from the movie (presumably Paul was unavailable).

REALITY: The scene was cut because Paul's acting was very self-conscious. And anyway, "A Hard Day's Night" was filmed in 1964. How could the Beatles have planned "clues" that early???
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aaaaaThere was a third movie in the works for the Beatles in late 1966 after HDN and Help, but it was canceled when Paul died and Billy Campbell was unready to appear before the searching eye of the camera. John spent the time appearing in Richard Lester's "How I Won the War", while 'Paul' composed music for the film "The Family Way" (performed by George Martin and a BBC orchestra).

REALITY: The third film was "A Talent For Loving", set for filming in1966 but abandoned when the Beatles lost interest. Playwright Joe Orton wrote a play which he offered to Paul as a vehicle for the Beatles, but "Up Against It" never appealed to Paul and it was never seriously considered.
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Rubber Soul

REALITY: Remember, "Rubber Soul" was recorded and released in late 1965. It preceded the hoax and even Paul's alleged "death". Its clues are thus entirely bogus.
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aaaaaThe Soul is in the shape of a heart, indicating a "false soul" amongst them. The Beatles are peering downwards (in/at a grave?!).

aaaaaI've Just Seen A Face: "...had it been another day I might've looked the other way, and I'd have never been aware..."

aaaaaGirl: "...that a man must break his back to earn his day of leisure/will she still believe it when he's dead..."

aaaaaI'm Looking through You: "...I'm looking through you, where did you go? I thought I knew you, what did I know. You don't look different but you have changed, I'm looking through you, you're not the same..." "..your lips are moving I can not hear, you don't sound different I've learned the game..." "..you were above me but not today, the only difference is you're down there.."

REALITY: Paul actually wrote this about a fight he had with Jane Asher.
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aaaaaIn My Life: "..all these places have their moments ... some are dead and some are living, in my life I love you more."

REALITY: John had written the lyrics to "IML" some time before he and Paul worked to finish the melody...all long before the Paul Is Dead hoax came about.
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Revolver

REALITY: "Revolver" precedes Paul's alleged "death"; clues are bogus.
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aaaaaOn the cover, Paul's name is sideways, as if it didn't fit in with the other Beatles any more.

aaaaaTaxman: "..if you drive a car Paul.." "..if you get too cold Paul.." "..my advice to those who die, taxman!"

REALITY: Actually the lyric is: "If you drive a car...*ohhhhh*"....
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aaaaaEleanor Rigby: "..father McKenzie (McCartney?) writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear.." "..was buried.." "..father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave, no one was saved.."

REALITY: Paul has said he originally wrote it as "Father McCartney" but thought his dad Jim Mac would be embarrassed or offended.
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Yellow Submarine

aaaaa"..in the land of submarines.." "..sky of blue, sea of green in our yellow submarines.." (nice term for a casket that's underneath a sea of green grass)

REALITY: Interpretive and unsubstantiated.
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aaaaaShe Said She Said: "..she said I know what it's like to be dead.."

REALITY: John admits he took this phrase from Peter Fonda, who was tripping on LSD when he said it; it has nothing to do with Paul.
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aaaaaFor No One: "..she says her love is dead.." "..she says that long ago she knew someone but now he's gone.."

aaaaaGot To Get You Into My Life: "..I was alone I took a ride I didn't know what I would find there.." "..and then suddenly I see you.."

aaaaaTomorrow Never Knows: "..laid down all thoughts surrendered to the void.." "..Paul played the game existence to the end.."

REALITY: Actual lyrics are "*all* play the game...."
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

aaaaaThe Sgt. Pepper cover depicts a funeral for "The Beatles" (written in flowers over the grave). There is also a bass guitar made up of flowers. Closer inspection of this "bass guitar" shows that the flowers that make it up actually spell "PAUL?" indicating his questioned existence.

REALITY: Everyone involved with the cover says that the guitar idea was a spur-of-the-moment thing by the florist Apple hired to arrange the flowers, and that the hyacinths are not any sort of clue.
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aaaaaThere are three strings on the guitar, to symbolize the three remaining 'real' Beatles.

REALITY: Coincidence; unintended by album cover designer.
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aaaaaThere is also a raised hand behind Paul's head, the Indian sign for death as well as the four armed "Shiva" in the lower portion of the photo who is pointing its left back hand at Paul.

REALITY: The hand is just waving; it is no Indian sign for death (none exists). In alternate shots of the cover photo, in fact, Paul *isn't* placed under this hand and the Shiva doesn't point at him. If it were an intentional clue, all photos would have been arranged the same.
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aaaaaA doll sits off to the side (Jane Asher?!) with red lines (blood) running down her dress.

REALITY: No identifiable association with Jane Asher. Red lines are stripes in the dress material.
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aaaaaA small car sits on her lap, a model of the car PM was driving.

REALITY: Paul didn't die in a car crash or anywhere else.
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aaaaaPaul wears a patch that reads "OPD" (officially pronounced dead in Canada) on his left arm in the center spread.

REALITY: Actual patch says OPP, for Ontario (Canada) Provincial Police. Paul and all the Fabs got similar patches during their 1965 tour of North America.
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aaaaaOn the back cover of the "Sgt. Pepper" album, George Harrison is pointing at the lyric "Wednesday morning at five o'clock", indicating the time of Paul's death. Paul's head just touches the title of "Within you *Without you" George is pointing a "sixth" finger at him, a sign of ill-omen.

REALITY: No such sign of ill-omen exists.
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aaaaaOn back cover, from left to right, you can find all sorts of clues. Starting with "Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly" (from Lucy), continue reading across "Wednesday Morning at five o'clock as the day begins", "life flows on within you and without you", "you're on your own you're in the street".

REALITY: All non-sequiturs, all meaningless in proving Paul's "death".
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aaaaaSgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band: "..so let me introduce to you the one and only Billy Shears and Sgt. Pepper's lonely heart's club band.." (Sgt. Pepper's Band is actually an idea taken from history (somewhere) where a man was able to take the place of another man without anyone catching on).

REALITY: This is not attested in the Beatles literature, or anywhere else, *at all*.
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aaaaaFixing A Hole: "..and it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right where I belong. See the Beatles standing there, they disagree.." "..silly Beatle run around.." (William is adjusting to his new role as PM)

REALITY: Lyric is actually "Silly *people*..."]
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aaaaaShe's Leaving Home: "..Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins.." (the time of the supposedly fatal accident)

aaaaaLovely Rita: "..standing by a parking meter when I caught a glimpse of Rita.." (he took his eyes off the road!)

aaaaaGood Morning, good Morning: "..nothing to do to save his life.." "..and you're on your own you're in the street.." "..people running around it's 5 o'clock.." "..watching the skirts you start to flirt, now you're in gear.."

aaaaaA Day In The Life: "..I saw the photograph. He blew his mind out in a car, he didn't notice that the lights had changed. A crowd of people stood and stared they'd seen his face before, nobody was really sure if he was from the house of Paul.."

REALITY: The album lyrics say 'House of Lords'. The man who died in the car crash was Tara Browne, heir to the Guinness beer family fortune, and a well-respected man about swinging London at the time. He was just 21 at the time of his death.
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aaaaaInner Groove - on side 2, on the British release, an infinitely-repeating groove (i.e. the needle never went to the inside of the record) contains gibberish that, played backwards, said "Will Paul come back as Superman?" (or alternately, "We'll fuck you like Supermen!")

REALITY: Backwards it sounds like the latter to most people, which has
limited relevance to the hoax.
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Magical Mystery Tour

aaaaaPaul is dressed as a [black] "Walrus" on the MMT album which, according to the Lewis Carroll story, ate oysters and died.

REALITY: In the Lewis Carroll poem "Walrus and the Carpenter", it's the oysters who die, having been eaten by the protagonists.
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aaaaaThe walrus is a sign of death in certain cultures.

REALITY: No traceable legends support this assertion. In fact, this "clue" can be traced to Fred LaBour's article in the Michigan Daily.
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aaaaaOn page three of the booklet, Paul is shown sitting behind a desk with placard [closer examination shows its a bumper sticker] in front of him that reads "I WAS" [or "I You Was", or "I was you", depending on how you read it]. On page 15 in the MMT book, there's a cartoon of Paul playing with a car on his desk. On page 18 and on the last page of the booklet there's that open palm again above PM's head. Paul is shown in several of the shots without any shoes on [but wearing socks, which is why its not so noticeable] and in one picture it actually looks like there is blood on his shoes (Page 13 - he's not wearing them in the picture - they are sitting off to the side). There are several shots of him with a raised hand behind his head. Towards the end of the booklet, Paul can be seen wearing a black carnation while the other Beatles are wearing red ones. [Like most of the pictures from this booklet, it comes from the movie - the "Your Mother Should Know" production number. Paul later explained this was due to a shortage of red carnations, and Paul had to take a black one because that's all they had.]

aaaaaJohn sings [says] "I buried Paul" on "Strawberry Fields Forever". The phrase 'I buried Paul' occurs at the end of Strawberry Fields Forever. It appears to have been slowed down, but it is quite clear.

REALITY: Working versions available on Ultra Rare Tracks and the like make it *very clear* that the words are "cranberry sauce."
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aaaaaThe word "Beatles" when held to a mirror is actually a phone number! The number is: 2317438.

REALITY: Try it. It's really 23L (backwards) TA38. That's as close as it comes to a real phone number! Some people report having tried to call the number, however, or variants on the number, and have
reported different effects. A Rolling Stone article of 29 November 1969, by John Burks, has more information about the numbers; also see Andru Reeve's book "Turn Me On, Dead Man".
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aaaaaFool On The Hill: "..day after day, alone on a hill, the man with the foolish grin is perfectly still.." "..but nobody ever hears him and the sound he appears to make.." [In the booklet on page 9, there's a cartoon of Paul labeled 'The Fool on the Hill', where the last bit of 'hill' runs down the side Paul's head.]

aaaaaI Am The Walrus: "..I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus.." (eggmen represent "life", walrus represents death. Since PM is the walrus the meaning implied is that I have life, they have life, I am dead).

REALITY: It's pretty hard to make sense out of this! As previously noted, the walrus is *not* a sign of death.
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aaaaaHello Goodbye: "..you say goodbye, I say hello.." (exit PM, enter William Campbell).

REALITY: The song is thematically in keeping with Paul's many lyrics which talk about romantic conflicts and difference of opinion ("I'm Looking Through You", "We Can Work It Out").
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aaaaaStrawberry Fields Forever: "..I buried Paul.." (this infamous ending line by JL) [Except it's really "cranberry sauce..."] All You Need Is Love: "..No one you can save that can't be saved.." "..nothing you can see that isn't shown.." "..yes he's dead.." [actually "yes, he is"], "..we loved you yeah, yeah, yeah.." [actually "she loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah...].

aaaaaOnly A Northern Song:"...when you're listening late at night you may think the band is not quite right.." "..you may think the band's a little dark and out of key, you're correct, there's nobody there.." ['Northern' was the Beatles publishing company.]

aaaaaHey Bulldog: "..you think you know me but you haven't got a clue.."

White Album

aaaaaWhen "Revolution #9" is played backwards, the "number 9...number 9...number 9" at the beginning translates to "turn me on, dead man...turn me on, dead man".

REALITY: Not everyone hears this phrase, especially those who don't know what to listen for. :-)
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aaaaaAt the end of the "I'm So Tired" track, a bunch of seemingly meaningless syllables are uttered. When you do the 'ol classic backwards playback, you hear "Paul is dead now, miss him, miss him."

REALITY: Forwards this is a real phrase: John says "Monsieur, monsieur, let's have another one". To most people it sounds like gibberish when played backward. Best transcription: "re re nu va nes devna esne
missile missim". Not very close!
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aaaaaGlass Onion: "..I told you about Strawberry Fields.." "..well here's another place you can go.." "..to see how the other half live, looking through a glass onion.." "..I told you about the walrus and me.." "..well here's another clue for you all, the walrus WAS Paul.." "..I told you about the fool on the hill.." "..listen to me, fixing a hole in the ocean.." "..looking through a glass onion.."

REALITY: None of these phrases have anything to do with the PID hoax. They were written by John in response to critics whom he felt over-analyzed "I Am The Walrus", and whom he wanted to confound.
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aaaaaOne "clue" alleged that centuries-old definition of a "glass onion" referred to a glass coffin handle used in Britain in the past (Russ Gibb seems to have come up with this one) but a scrupulous search of the OED shows no such meaning.

aaaaaI'm So Tired: "..Paul's dead man, miss him miss him.." (what you hear when you play the very end of the song and the beginning of "Blackbird" backwards).

REALITY: Answered above; actually unintelligible gibberish backwards.
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aaaaa"Revolution No. 9": 9 letters in McCartney!

REALITY: John claimed the engineer from EMI would say at the beginning of each take of a song, "This EMI Recording Studio Number 9" (or perhaps "EMI Test Tape Number 9") and John liked the sound of it and added it in).
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aaaaaWhile My Guitar Gently Weeps: George calls out to Paul at the end of the song.

REALITY: generic moaning: "Oh, oh, oh...", no indication that it was intended for Paul.
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aaaaaDon't Pass Me By: "...you were in a car crash...."

Abbey Road

aaaaaThis album cover was the clincher. The front shows a funeral procession and depicts John as the preacher (in white), Ringo as a mourner (in black), George as the gravedigger (in work clothes) with Paul as the deceased.

REALITY: No basis for this interpretation; preachers, gravediggers and mourners do not wear typologically identifiable clothing in all situations.
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aaaaaPaul is in bare feet, is out of step with the others, has his eyes closed, and is the only one shown smoking, holding a cigarette in his right hand when he is a left hander.

REALITY: Alternate takes of this album cover photo show Paul with sandals on and in step with the others, eyes open. Many candid photos exist showing that Paul, although a lefty, holds the ciggie in his right.
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aaaaaVW license says "28 IF" (Paul's age, had he lived. Actually, he'd be 27 at the time of the cover, but this is covered by pointing out that in many Indian religions, one is considered 1 year old at the date of birth, and so he would in fact have been "28 IF").

REALITY: Indian religions date from actual birth of child. Some Chinese traditions are said to date this way, but there's no indication that the Beatles knew of this or believed in it.
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aaaaaOn the back, a crack runs through "The Beatles", indicating a split in the group.

REALITY: "Abbey Road" was actually a revival for the group, after the disastrous experience with the "Let It Be" project. But the group was destined to break up anyway, and ironically it was the real live Paul who tried to hold it together!
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aaaaaCome Together: "..he say I know you, you know me.." "he got early warning.." "..he say one and one and one is three. Got to be good looking cause he's so hard to see.." (only 3 remaining Beatles). "here come old flattop" (no hair) "He got Joo-Joo eyeballs" (replaced by the undertaker) "... he one holy roller..." (in heaven) "... he got hair down below his knees..." (hair growing after death)

aaaaaYou Never Give Me Your Money: "..one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, all good children go to heaven.."

aaaaaHey Jude: The picture above the Beatles on top of the doorway they are standing in front of is a picture of where Paul is supposed to be buried.

aaaaaLady Madonna: "..Wednesday morning papers didn't come.."

aaaaaRevolution: "..don't you know it's gonna be -all right, Paul died, all right.." (a couple of those "all rights" sound just like "Paul died", also a background vocal occasionally dubs in Paul died)

What this exercise shows best is that it's relatively easy to "prove" a series of unrelated facts are hallmarks of hidden wisdom. It's just as easy to put together a set of clues proving that none of the Beatles ever sang a note, or were impersonated by the royal family, or predicted the end of the world on July 22, 1996. All it takes is a little imaginative game-playing. :-)
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A treatise based on the fine investigative work of:

Jim Kendall
Robert Pietkivitch
Joel Hurmence
Jay Smith
Jean Gerencer
Charles McGrew
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