A lot of songs from the 1960s, particularly in the classic rock genre, have defied definition through the years. Some musicians have been direct about what their songs truly mean, while fans still continue to pick the lyrics apart to find some “deeper” meaning. That’s the case for the following three songs, each of which has been more or less explained by its maker. And yet, listeners still try to figure out the “deeper” meaning behind them. Let’s take a look!
“Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles (1966)
John Lennon has explicitly said that “Tomorrow Never Knows” was partially adapted from the Bardo Thodol, also known as The Tibetan Book Of The Dead, an ancient Buddhist text about the experience that conscious souls have when transitioning from death to rebirth. That’s clear enough. However, the intention behind this song remains somewhat ambiguous. The whole track feels like a mantra. Was Lennon trying to spiritually guide listeners? Is there some hidden message within the song meant to wake listeners up to some unknown truth? Was it simply an existential piece of work that came about after an intense trip? Who knows? It’s one of my favorite Beatles tracks, regardless.
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“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” by The Beatles (1967)
Alright, sorry for the additional Beatles entry, but this one is worth mentioning. At face value, we can tell what this song is probably about. It’s psychedelic, that title could easily be an acronym for LSD, and the surreal lyricism throughout is very much trippy. However, John Lennon was pretty insistent that this song was inspired by a drawing his son, Julian, drew as a child, as well as Lewis Carroll’s written works, and was not inspired by drugs. So, what’s the truth? The lyrics of this song have been picked apart for years, as was much of The Beatles’ work. Fans remain pretty divided over what “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” is really about. Either way, it’s a fine piece of music.
“Eight Miles High” by The Byrds (1966)
Like “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, “Eight Miles High” by The Byrds was heavily accused of being about drugs. The band, however, constantly denied this. Despite the word “high” being in the title, The Byrds asserted that this song was actually about a flight that they took to London in 1965. Still, that didn’t convince US radio stations at the time, many of which banned the song after it was released. And, realistically, the lyrics of this song are ambiguous enough to be at least a little suspect.
In the end, unless we fully believe The Byrds on this one, “Eight Miles High” remains a 1960s rock song that can’t be accurately interpreted.
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