Meaning of the song Helter Skelter by The Beatles

Fans of The Beatles often put forward absurd versions of the interpretation of the songs of the cult rock band. The musicians perceived such situations with humor and often supported the funny ideas expressed by the fans. Moreover, they themselves could launch fictional stories related to the birth of their compositions to the people. However, the interpretation of the Helter Skelter track by Charles Manson, which led to tragic events, shocked not only the Beatles, but the whole world.

We often joked carelessly about something, and then some intellectual read us, and some symbolic young generation wanted to see something in it. On some occasions we seriously played along, but I don’t know what “Helter Skelter” has to do with stabbing. I never listened to it properly, it was just noise.

John Lennon, Rolling Stone, 1970

The history of creation and the meaning of the song Helter Skelter

Officially, McCartney and Lennon are considered the songwriters, although Paul wrote it. He repeatedly recounted the circumstances under which he conceived and composed Helter Skelter:

I was in Scotland and I read in Melody Maker that Pete Townsend once said, “We’ve just recorded the dirtiest, loudest, most ridiculous rock ‘n’ roll you’ve ever heard.” I couldn’t figure out exactly what track The Who recorded, but I was already turned on by hearing him talk about it. And I said to the guys, “I think we should do a similar song, something really crazy.” And I wrote Helter Skelter.
You can hear the voices breaking and we played it so long and so often that at the end you can hear Ringo saying, “I already have blisters on my fingers.” We just wanted to make it louder: “Can you make the drums louder?” In fact, all I wanted to do was make a very loud, dirty rock ‘n’ roll record with The Beatles. And I think she’s pretty good.

Anthology

McCartney also explained the main idea of the composition:

I sat down and wrote Helter Skelter in one fell swoop, thinking it was going to be the loudest, dirtiest, loudest song in the history of The Beatles… I wanted to do something anti-social, something we had never done before. Helter skelter in the text is used as a metaphor for the group falling apart. “When I get to the bottom I get to the top of the slide / Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride”… I was thinking about the story of the collapse of the Roman Empire. This is a song about decline and decay.

Q, 2006

According to popular belief, the author wrote such a heavy song in response to criticism that he writes too many sentimental ballads.

Translated from English, “helter skelter” means “turmoil, confusion, confusion”. Another so-called attraction in the form of a spiral slide around a round tower. Paul explained why he included this image in the song:

I used the symbol helter skelter as the epitome of the downward movement, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire – and it was doom, death, fall. The title might have seemed pretty elegant, but it’s since taken on a sinister connotation as it was chosen as the anthem by Manson and then played by several punk bands because it’s a rock song with a dirty sound.

Many Years from Now, Barry Miles

Recording and release

The Beatles met several times to record the song.

I went into the studio and said to the guys, “Look, I have a song, but Pete is this, and I want to make it even dirtier.” It was a tough job for the sound engineers, for everyone. Just as slick, as dirty, as loud and as rough as possible, that’s what I wanted.

Paul McCartney, Mojo, 2008

They prepared the first version on July 18, 1968. It was an almost half-hour version, which the musicians rejected.

We asked the engineers to make the drums as loud as possible. We listened and decided: no, it sounds insipid – it needs to be even more deafening, even dirtier. Then we listened to everything sober and decided to send the tapes to the trash.

Paul McCartney,
That Magic Feeling: The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy,
Winn, John C

They made their next attempt on 9 September. The work took about twelve hours, during which more than twenty demos were recorded.

Helter Skelter recorded in an atmosphere of hysteria that bordered on complete madness.

Ringo Starr,
That Magic Feeling: The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy,
Winn, John C

Producer Chris Thomas recalled that when recording Helter Skelter, the musicians went into a rage. Paul yelled the lyrics frantically into the microphone, Harrison ran around the studio with a tortured ashtray over his head, and Starr begged for a pause.

The Beatles drummer recalled the origin of his famous line about blisters on my fingers (“I’ve got blisters on my fingers!”), which can be heard in the song:

The track was really, really long… At the end, the only way to get out of the setup was to say, “Look, my fingers are bleeding. I just have to get up.” And I decided to yell it.

The Miami Herald, 2008

In November 1968, Helter Skelter was released as a single from the White Album, first in the UK and a few days later in the US.

The track was later included on the albums Anthology 3 and Love.

Rolling Stone listed Helter Skelter as one of the “100 Greatest Beatles Songs” and Q magazine ranked it as number five in its Top 100 Guitar Tracks.

Helter Skelter has been covered by dozens of famous artists including Aerosmith, Motley Crue and U2.

Charles Manson and Helter Skelter

In 1969, the song was in the spotlight of the whole world. Charles Manson, head of the Family commune, took it as a prophecy about a future apocalypse. Together with accomplices, they committed a series of brutal murders and wrote “Healter Skelter” on the wall of a Beverly Hills mansion, leaving behind five corpses.

In court, Charles Manson said:

“Helter skelter” means “mess”. Literally. It does not mean war with someone. It doesn’t mean that those people are going to kill other people. It only means what it means. “Helter skelter” is “mess”. Confusion arises quickly, and you can call it whatever you want. This is not my intention. This is not my music. I hear what she brings to us. She says, “Arise!” She says: “Kill!” Why blame me for this? I didn’t write music. I am not the person who projects it onto your social consciousness.

1970

Of course, the members of The Beatles categorically denied any connection with what happened.

Charles Manson decided that Helter Skelter had something to do with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I still don’t know what is meant. It’s something from the Bible, Revelation – I haven’t read it, so I don’t know. But he interpreted everything in his own way – that we were the four horsemen, and Helter Skelter was that song – and came to the conclusion that we need to go and kill everyone.

Paul McCartney, Anthology

Interesting Facts

Music historians credit Helter Skelter as a significant influence in the development of heavy metal.
Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, who handled the Manson case, titled his book on the investigation Helter Skelter.
Helter Skelter is mentioned in the famous American Pie song by Don McLean.
Paul McCartney performed the song at the 2006 Grammy Awards.

Helter Skelter – The Beatles Lyrics

When I get to the bottom
I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn
And I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again
Do you, don’t you want me to love you
I’m coming down fast but I’m miles above you
Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain’t no dancer

Go helter skelter
helter skelter,
Helter skelter

Will you, won’t you want me to make you
I’m coming down fast but don’t let me break you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain’t no dancer

look out
helter skelter,
Helter skelter
Helter skelter.
Look out ’cause here she comes

When I get to the bottom
I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn
And I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again

Well do you, don’t you want me to love you
I’m coming down fast but don’t let me break you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain’t no dancer

look out
helter skelter,
Helter skelter
Helter skelter

Look out ’cause here she comes
look out helter skelter
She’s coming down fast.
Yes she is.
Yes she is
She’s coming down fast.

I got blisters on my fingers!

Helter Skelter Lyrics

Dropping down
I’m going back to the top of the hill
Where do I stop, turn around
And I’m heading down
Until I go down and see you again
Don’t you want me to love you
I’m going down fast but I stay high above you
Give me, give me, give me, give me the answer
You may be a mistress, but you are not a dancer

Down the hill
Downhill,
Downhill

Don’t you want me to catch up with you
I’m going down fast but don’t let me crash into you
Give me, give me, give me, give me the answer
You may be a mistress, but you are not a dancer

Carefully,
Downhill,
Downhill,
Downhill
Watch out, here she comes

Dropping down
I’m going back to the top of the hill
Where do I stop, turn around
And I’m heading down
Until I go down and see you again

Don’t you want me to love you
I’m going down fast but I stay high above you
Give me, give me, give me, give me the answer
You may be a mistress, but you are not a dancer

Carefully,
Downhill,
Downhill,
Downhill

Watch out, here she comes
Caution from the hill
She goes down fast
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
She goes down fast

I have blisters on my fingers!