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I am the walrus question

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Nutella

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Dec 8, 2009, 12:40:27 PM12/8/09
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"......corporation T-shirts stupid bloody Tuesday...."

What's that line all about?

I didn't think that corporations in the 60's had their names on T-
Shirts.

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Nil

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Dec 8, 2009, 3:52:12 PM12/8/09
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On 08 Dec 2009, Nutella <amongthe...@yahoo.com> wrote in
rec.music.beatles:

> "......corporation T-shirts stupid bloody Tuesday...."
>
> What's that line all about?
>
> I didn't think that corporations in the 60's had their names on T-
> Shirts.

It's nonsense, as is most of the song. You could probably break the
lyric down into fragments that might have had some personal meaning to
John, but they are strung together in such a way as to randomize or
nullify their meanings.

Just enjoy the sound of the words. The meaning is nothing to get hung
about.

John Doherty

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Dec 8, 2009, 3:52:32 PM12/8/09
to
On Dec 8, 12:40 pm, Nutella <amongthebeliev...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "......corporation T-shirts stupid bloody Tuesday...."
>
> What's that line all about?
>
> I didn't think that corporations in the 60's had their names on T-
> Shirts.

The idea at the time was absurd, just lennon wordplay of two words
that wouldn't normally go together. T shirts were more prole and not
the place a corporation would advertise.

Fattuchus

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Dec 8, 2009, 3:52:48 PM12/8/09
to
On Dec 8, 12:40 pm, Nutella <amongthebeliev...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "......corporation T-shirts stupid bloody Tuesday...."
>
> What's that line all about?
>
> I didn't think that corporations in the 60's had their names on T-
> Shirts.


JOhn made up nonsense lyrics.

iarwain

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Dec 8, 2009, 4:53:28 PM12/8/09
to
>I didn't think that corporations in the 60's had their names on T- Shirts

Obviously the song is nonsense, but I always had the impression that
the corporation MADE the t-shirts, and that's why they were
"corporation t-shirts", not because the corporation had its logo on
the shirt.

LookingGlass

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Dec 8, 2009, 4:53:47 PM12/8/09
to
On Dec 8, 9:40 am, Nutella <amongthebeliev...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> "......corporation T-shirts stupid bloody Tuesday...."
>
> What's that line all about?

"There were no flies on Frank..."

www.Shemakhan.com

Dale Houstman

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Dec 8, 2009, 6:54:38 PM12/8/09
to
John Doherty wrote:
> On Dec 8, 12:40 pm, Nutella <amongthebeliev...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> "......corporation T-shirts stupid bloody Tuesday...."
>>
>> What's that line all about?
>>
>> I didn't think that corporations in the 60's had their names on T-
>> Shirts.
>
> The idea at the time was absurd, just lennon wordplay of two words
> that wouldn't normally go together. T shirts were more prole and not
> the place a corporation would advertise.
>

I don't think that's quite right: corporations have been advertising to
the proles, using proletariat access points for as long as advertising
has existed: the bit of nonsense here (I think) is that one doesn't
usually associate the "corporate uniform" with t-shirts.

dmh

Edvado

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Dec 8, 2009, 6:55:19 PM12/8/09
to
Nutella <amongthe...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> "......corporation T-shirts stupid bloody Tuesday...."

Well, we all know that Paul McCartney DIED on a "stupid bloody Tuesday"
don't we?

Mack A.Damia

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Dec 8, 2009, 6:55:42 PM12/8/09
to
On Tue, 8 Dec 2009 11:40:27 -0600, Nutella
<amongthe...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>"......corporation T-shirts stupid bloody Tuesday...."
>
>What's that line all about?
>
>I didn't think that corporations in the 60's had their names on T-
>Shirts.

Doesn't specifically address your question, but an interview with JL:

http://afrojacks.com/music/2-music/3218-john-lennon-explains-the-meaning-of-qi-am-the-walrusq


Also,

http://www.turnmeondeadman.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=16

John Doherty

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Dec 8, 2009, 6:56:11 PM12/8/09
to
On Dec 8, 3:52 pm, Nil <redno...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote:
> On 08 Dec 2009, Nutella <amongthebeliev...@yahoo.com> wrote in

> rec.music.beatles:
>
> > "......corporation T-shirts stupid bloody Tuesday...."
>
> > What's that line all about?
>
> > I didn't think that corporations in the 60's had their names on T-
> > Shirts.
>
> It's nonsense, as is most of the song. You could probably break the
> lyric down into fragments that might have had some personal meaning to
> John,


OK, I'll bite;-)


the "elementary penguin singing hare krishna" is a dig at Beat poet
Allen Ginsburg. Prior to the song, Lennon & Harrison made the scene
with the wives at some London party where Ginsburg was reciting poetry
naked. "Not in front of the birds, man!" he protested.

The line about the " yellow matter custard" is a rewrite of a
schoolyard gross out rhyme he used to say with Pete Shotton, among
others.

I also think the reference to Poe is a defense of him by Lennon, in
the light of his reputation slipping a bit at the time.

But all in all, meaning is only oblique and not essential to the song.

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