Decrypting Revolution

Shortly after the death of Brian Epstein, The Beatles were cut loose from the restraints that prevented them from voicing out their opinions regarding politics and social issues. John Lennon, in particular, was now free from the censorship that Epstein had strictly imposed to preserve the group’s image. His vigilance on the messages they sent shows how their music was affected where none of it dealt with political or social issues until after Epstein’s death. A notable example of the group touching base with their music making political statements is their song “Revolution,” which was written by Lennon and was a commentary on the attitudes of those who were involved in the numerous political protests at the time. There are three versions of the song where the group made one to be released as a single, a slow version, and an avant-garde version. Each version can be considered to be making some sort of political statement, but the one that was considerably discussed and controversial was the single version. Due to its lyrics, some argue that Lennon was against these protests while others say he was for it. However, the stance he takes is not a matter that can be labeled as black or white since the lyrics are sympathizing yet reluctant. If anything, the stance Lennon takes in “Revolution” is that he is a sympathizer and identifies as being a part of those who were protesting amid the growing social unrest. However, his stance also includes him being optimistic about the outcome of this unrest and rather advocates a more peaceful form of revolution.

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The verse of the song demonstrates Lennon’s sympathy with those involved in these protests. The lyric “You say you want a revolution, well, you know we all want to change the world” lets listeners know that they are not alienated nor alone in their respective movements. This lyric refers to those who are vocal about their demands for change yet feel that they are not garnering enough support to fulfill these demands. When Lennon says “we all want to change the world,” he is letting listeners know that he understands their desire for change and identifies as being a part of them because he also wants a revolution. In this particular lyric, he is giving the listeners his support.

The bridge of the song is where Lennon has exceptions to his support. The lyric “But when you talk about destruction, don’t you know that you can count me out?” states his position that if the listener’s movement and demand for a revolution involves violence, he would rather not support it. This lyric refers to those who demanded for peace but tried to obtain it through violence. Lennon meant that if people were going to demand for peace, then they may as well be consistent and obtain it in a peaceful manner, otherwise it would be hypocritical. He amplifies his stance in the lyric “But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao, you ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow.” This is a reference to Mao Zedong who was the former chairman of the Communist Party of China and was also responsible for human rights abuses. As he continues to make these criticisms, Lennon reiterates in this lyric that he would rather be consistent in what he stands for, which, to him, also included on how he does it and who he supports.


The lyric “Don’t you know it’s gonna be alright?” is Lennon’s reassurance to listeners that things will fall into place and to remain optimistic about the future. For some people, this lyric can be considered patronizing and ignorant given the growing unrest at the time. However, in this lyric, Lennon was not saying to be stationary and to accept things for what they were. Instead, it was his way of summarizing his points to let listeners know that violence was unnecessary in their demands for a revolution because the tumultuous events would soon pass and a revolution will happen in their favor.

Although the song gave some listeners the impression that Lennon was either for or against these social and political movements, there were some who interpreted the song to be unclear since Lennon does not absolutely side with anyone. He demonstrated his support and sympathy for those who demanded for change yet he emphasized that he had his exceptions, which came down to a matter of being consistent in his principles. The song criticized those who preached that the world needed peace yet those same people tried to obtain it through violent means. Although the song’s instrumentals are heavy and give the unknowing listener the impression that it is a “war song” and encourages anarchy, it is far from being considered one when the lyrics are taken to account and does not advocate obtaining change by any means necessary.