3 of the Weirdest Conspiracy Theories About The Beatles
The Beatles were kings of delivering ambiguous lyrics that would make their fans dive deeply into their songs and interpret whatever messages they could find. Sometimes the band did this intentionally, while other times, fans would get ahead of themselves. A few of these interpretations led to popular conspiracy theories, some of which are still around today. Here are three of the weirdest conspiracy theories about The Beatles.
John Lennon’s life was dictated by the number 9
Many Beatles fans noticed that John Lennon has an odd connection to the number nine. A few of his songs include the number, such as “Revolution 9” and “One After 909”. In his 1980 interview with Playboy, Lennon acknowledged his coincidental ties to the number.
“I lived at 9 Newcastle Road. I was born on the ninth of October, the ninth month [sic]. It’s just a number that follows me around, but, numerologically, apparently, I’m a number six or a three or something, but it’s all part of nine,” Lennon explained.
Many fans have pointed out that the theory goes even further than that. The Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was on Feb. 9; Lennon received a death threat that said, “I’m going to shoot you at 9 tonight;” he left The Beatles in 1969 after being in the band for nine years, and his technical date of death based on the time in Liverpool was on Dec. 9. These coincidences have led many to believe that the number somehow dictated Lennon’s life.
The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’ led to the Manson murders
“Helter Skelter” is one of the most hardcore songs by The Beatles. While it’s relatively tame by today’s standards, the lyrics have a sinister interpretation. Charles Manson was a cult leader during the 1960s whose followers committed nine murders in the summer of 1969. During his trial, Manson claimed that he is not to blame but The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter”.
“It’s the Beatles, the music they’re putting out,” Manson said. “These kids listen to this music and pick up the message. It’s subliminal … It is not my music. I hear what it relates. It says ‘Rise.’ It says ‘Kill.’ Why blame it on me? I didn’t write the music.”
In Many Years From Now, Paul McCartney explained his reasoning behind the lyrics. According to McCartney, he was using the image of a playground slide as a metaphor for the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Still, its connection to Manson now gives this song an eerie vibe.
Paul McCartney is dead and was replaced by a double
Possibly the most famous conspiracy theory in music history, the “Paul is Dead” theory is a fascinating legend of the Beatles’ history. The theory goes that Paul McCartney died in a car crash in 1967, and The Beatles replaced him with a double so fans wouldn’t know. The conspiracy gained momentum in 1969 after a radio caller said a line in “Revolution 9” played backward said, “Turn me on, dead man.”
What confirmed the theory for many was the cover of Abbey Road. The iconic image contains supposed clues hinting at McCartney’s demise. These clues include McCartney being barefoot, a Volkswagen Beetle with a suspicious license plate number, and the outfits worn by each member of The Beatles, suggesting they are attending a funeral procession.
The theory has lost traction over the years, but there is still a minority of diehard conspiracy theorists who believe the “Band on the Run” singer is dead. Fans do tend to go overboard when analyzing lyrics, and these theories show when fans get ahead of themselves.
