The Political Commentary On The Beatles (The White Album)

Joe Barnett

The Political Commentary on The Beatles (The White Album)

The Beatles (The White Album) was released in 1968, a year of political turmoil around the world. In the United States and in Britain, opposition to the Vietnam War was at its peak in 1968. Several assassinations of important civil rights and political figures like Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy shocked United States during this turbulent year. Simultaneously, the Cold War continued, and the threat of the Soviet Union loomed over the world, becoming even more menacing after the invasion of Czechoslovakia in this same year. In United States and Britain, dissatisfaction with domestic politics in general fueled protest and added to the paralyzing

“Back in the USSR” is a clever song because it parodies elements from other artists. The song mimics Chuck Berry’s “Back in the U.S.A.” Berry references several places around the United States, and the song begins with the narrator on an airplane. McCartney uses this model of geography and also begins with narrator on an airplane. The first line reads, “Fly in from Miami Beach B.O.A.C, didn’t get to bed last night.” McCartney also parodies the Beach Boys during the song’s bridge, clearly referencing the song “California Girls” (Roessner, 2006, pg. 157). In the Beach Boys’ song, the group refers to various locations around the United States, describing what the girls are like in each part of the country. McCartney does the same thing in “Back in the USSR” but instead describes girls in different parts of the USSR, singing “the Ukraine girls really knock me out, they leave the West behind, and Moscow girls make me sing and shout, that Georgia's always on my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my mind.” The background harmonies during bridge are also cleverly reminiscent of the Beach

In a time as turbulent as 1968, it is no surprise that the Beatles had commentary to offer on the issues of this era. While some of these songs have obvious political messages, others are not as easy to catch. The White Album, which Ian Inglis states has been designated as pop music’s “first post-modern album,” utilizes parody and satire, and goes against the rules the Beatles followed and even created for themselves on previous albums (pg. 120). Some of these songs sounded insincere to listeners at the time because they spoke about politics indirectly and through highly satirical and ironic means; however, the Beatles showed once again that they were far ahead of other artists, tapping into a new style of songwriting and freeing themselves from the hyper-analyzation and criticism of their