Considering how the rest of the world fawned over them, it would have been perfectly normal if the four men within The Beatles had become conceited beyond belief about their work. While they couldn’t have possibly operated at the level they did without a healthy belief in themselves and their talents, they also made sure to never take themselves too seriously. That’s why you can find numerous instances throughout their catalog where they snuck in some sneaky in-jokes and references that might just slip right by you in case you’re not listening too closely. Let’s take a look at five of those instances, and see how many of them you’ve spotted in past listens.
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1. ”Girl” (from the album Rubber Soul, 1965)
The Beatles often included bits of sophomoric humor as a way to leaven songs that might otherwise be considered deep or weighty. “Girl” is just such a song. On the surface, it’s a character sketch about a girl who alternately fascinates and frustrates the narrator. John Lennon, who was the chief songwriter, also explores the notion of pain coming before pleasure, a notion that’s at the heart of many religious philosophies.
Musically, it’s a languorous piece that comes to life during an instrumental break that sounds like it was beamed in from some Greek island. Amidst all of that, we can forgive you if you never noticed that the backing vocalists in the middle-eight are repeating the word “tit” over and over again.
2. “Paperback Writer” (released as a single, 1966)
This is another one where it pays to listen closely to the backing vocals to hear the little joke. Paul McCartney wrote the bulk of “Paperback Writer,” and it’s amazing to hear him get inside the head and heart of a struggling author so well. Here he was, regularly penning No. 1 songs, and yet he accurately captured the desperation of someone hoping for approval for their creative endeavors.
The track features some of the brawniest lead guitar work in the group’s catalog (that’s McCartney playing the main riff). And in the middle of it all, you can hear John Lennon and George Harrison harmonizing backing vocals behind Paul on the verses. What are they singing? Why, the old French nursery rhyme/song “Frere Jacques,” for no apparent reason other than to amuse each other.
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3. “Taxman” (from the album Revolver, 1966)
It was proof of George Harrison’s evolving songwriting skills that his song “Taxman” was chosen as the opening track of The Beatles’ masterpiece album Revolver. Many people assume Harrison was exaggerating the pecuniary details of the lyrics a bit for effect. But when he sings There’s one for you, 19 for me, that actually accurately reflects the 95% income tax facing The Beatles at that time because of their wealth.
Perhaps it’s not too surprising, then, that they went a bit further in this quasi-protest song with their complaints. In the third verse, John Lennon and Paul McCartney add some backing vocals as responses to Harrison’s main lyric. In those moments, the “Mr. Wilson” and “Mr. Heath” they mention were references to Harold Wilson and Edward Heath, who were political leaders in Great Britain at the time and, in the eyes of the Fab Four, partially responsible for the stringent tax laws.
4. “I Am the Walrus” (from the album Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)
The Mike Sammes Singers were a vocal group known for adding robust, cheerful touches to everything from jingles, to theme songs, to the occasional pop song. But never before had they been utilized like The Beatles did on “I Am the Walrus.” The song was a surreal pastiche of John Lennon’s nonsense poetry that somehow sounded deeply profound when attached to the high drama of the arrangement.
Because they’re not quite as far up in the mix and there’s a lot going on in the track, you might not be able to hear what the choral group is singing. Listen close, though, and you’ll hear them chortling with laughter early in the song, and then, in the closing run out, alternating chants of Everybody’s got one with Oompah, oompah, stick it up your jumper. It turns out that the Mike Sammes Singers were pretty game to try something different, and they were rewarded with a little bit of rock immortality because of it.
5. “Glass Onion” (from the album The Beatles, 1968)
Unlike the other songs on this list, where the jokes and self-referential moments are hidden in backing vocals, John Lennon does us the service of spelling them out on “Glass Onion.” His choice to do that was strategic, as the song was his response to those who would try to read too much into his lyrics. There are references to past Beatles’ songs “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Fixing a Hole,” “Lady Madonna” and “The Fool on the Hill.” And when Lennon sings, Well, here’s another clue for you all / The Walrus was Paul, it sent conspiracy theorists into a wild tizzy, which might have been Lennon’s intent all along.
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