The Beatles “Helter Skelter”: Paul McCartney Made It Up On The Spot
The Beatles (Official): “‘Helter Skelter’ was a track we did in total madness and hysterics in the studio. Sometimes you just had to shake out the jams, and with that song – Paul’s bass line and my drums – Paul started screaming and shouting and made it up on the spot.” – Ringo
Paul McCartney was inspired to write “Helter Skelter” after reading an interview with the Who’s Pete Townshend where he described their latest single, “I Can See for Miles”, as the loudest, rawest, dirtiest song the Who had ever recorded. McCartney said he then wrote “Helter Skelter” “to be the most raucous vocal, the loudest drums, et cetera” and that he was “using the symbol of a helter skelter as a ride from the top to the bottom; the rise and fall of the Roman Empire – and this was the fall, the demise.” While the phrase also refers to chaos and disorder, in British English, a helter skelter is a fairground attraction consisting of a tall spiral slide winding round a tower. McCartney has cited this song as a response to critics who accuse him of writing only ballads and being “the soppy one.” –Wikipedia
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