Workshop(s) 2016 | Page 48

I Am The Walrus: The Inspiration Behind John Lennon’s Song

Stuart Schenking

The 1960’s sparked a time of cultural revolution. People experimented with fashion, art, music, and psychedelic drugs. The Beatles emerged during the 1960’s and quickly evolved into innovative musical trend setters. The Beatles gained popularity through the unique styles of their songs. The inspirations for their songs ranged from British literary works to 1960’s pop culture and drugs. Lewis Carroll’s writing techniques and plot for, Through the Looking-glass and What Alice Found There, provide the influence for John Lennon’s song “I Am the Walrus,” as well as Lennon’s own drug-induced hallucinations. The writing techniques employed by Carroll, that Lennon mirrors in his song include word invention, comical wordplay, and absurd phrases. Lennon borrows the poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter” and aspects of the adventure Alice has in Carroll’s book for his lyrics. The nonsensical nature of the song results from two of Lennon’s acid trips.

Lewis Carroll uses word invention in his book Through the Looking-glass and What Alice Found There in the poem Alice reads called “JABBERWOCKY.” Alice asks Humpty Dumpty to explain the meaning of some of the words in the poem.