4 Songs That The Beatles Wrote About Marijuana

The Beatles wrote songs about a lot of things. They sang about being in love, peace on Earth, and, on occasion, certain substances. While many songs that The Beatles allegedly wrote about LSD are up for interpretation, there were definitely a few songs that they wrote about one particular plant. Let’s look at just four songs that The Beatles wrote about marijuana!

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1. “Magical Mystery Tour”

This song is title track of one of The Beatles’ most beloved records. “Magical Mystery Tour” is probably the most obvious reference to a particular psychedelic plant, too. It’s surreal, much like the whole of the 1967 album it accompanies. The term “roll up” appears in the song and was quite a taboo lyric at the time.

2. “She’s A Woman”

One of the first Beatles songs written about marijuana (and a woman, obviously) comes from their 1964 record The Beatles For Sale. This track notes a very specific time in The Beatles’ career when they were transitioning from the clean-cut boy band look to something more… sophisticated? “Grown up” might be a better choice of words.

“That’s Paul with some contribution from me on lines, probably,” John Lennon said of the song. “We put in the words ‘turns me on’. We were so excited to say ‘turn me on’. You know, about marijuana and all that… using it as an expression.”

3. “With A Little Help From My Friends”

This gorgeous 1967 song from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was made even more famous by Joe Cocker’s passionate version. Still, the original tune is nothing to sneeze at. 

One could look at this song and deduce that it’s all about friendship and how important it is to have someone to love in your life. There’s no explicit reference to marijuana in this song, but the band does reference getting high with their friends in its lyrics.

4. “Fixing A Hole”

Another standout track from Sgt. Pepper, “Fixing A Hole” is one of few Beatles songs about marijuana that requires a bit more information to understand. 

“[It’s] about the hole in the road where the rain gets in, a good old analogy,” said Paul McCartney of the song. “The hole in your make-up which lets the rain in and stops your mind from going where it will.”

McCartney went on to say the song was an “ode to pot”, and that fact becomes more obvious when you listen to the song with fresh ears.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns

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