Revolution

Editor's Note: This week we're looking at the some of the best songs from 1968. Why? Because everyone and their mother is talking about 1968 this year. Sure it's the 40th anniversary of the most important year since 1945, but it seems like the media and old Baby Boomers want some sort of revolution this year. So to please them, we'll look at some of the better songs from 1968 and see what sort of impact they have on some Gen-Yer who was apparently named after Bobby Kennedy (even though both his grandfather and father went by Robert before RFK became a house hold name...)

Revolution by The Beatles



It's funny to think of it this way, but the Beatles weren't all that political. Seeing that Lennon would stage sit-ins or sleep-ins or whatever they were and pen "Give Peace a Chance" just a year later, but alone, not as the Beatles, it's sort of funny to think of the Beatles as a neutral band. But they were. In fact "Revolution", shockingly, was the Beatles first really political song.

Lennon, apparently changed by a trip to India in the early part of the year, wrote the song as a sort of reflection on the events of the first half of '68. Of course, Paul thought it was too political... but the song was released and the opening guitar rifts is pretty chaotic and cool at the same time... and thankfully, this is the better known of the two "Revolutions" released by the Beatles. "Revolution 1" off the White Album, while good, just doesn't carry the same punch that this plugged in 'second take' does.

This might be Lennon's finest moment as a protest or political song writer. He's basically saying, hey, you want change? You want a revolution? That's cool, we all want to change the world, but you know what? Let's take a step back and look at what we're doing. If you're going out there and cause destruction... I'll pass. You're a fan of Mao? Forget it. (Of course this maybe because Lennon was a Trotskyist, so that might be why he was telling Maoists to get lost).

But over all, this song sort lacks that finishing, almost knock out punch, that leaves you on the ground saying, wow. It's good, but it's not great.