I am the egg man/
I am the walrus.

The lyrics of The Beatles’ “I am the Walrus” are great, but not in the traditional sense. Normally we want lyrics (and words in general) to mean something. That is the whole purpose of language and it is one of the big things we get out of music. “I Am the Walrus” doesn’t provide much meaning, but it does evoke many colorful phrases and images that are fun to say. It shrouds The Beatles in mystery–purposely.

Of course, there are images you recognize. Primarily from Alice and Wonderland. But there is a lot of great imagery in the lyrics that helps to create a wonderful song but don’t connect together to tell a story.

The Beatles’ “I am the Walrus” is the height of psychedelic rock. We have experimental lyrics, strange instruments, bridges and choruses that don’t really match but still somehow sound good together and of course references to dreams and drugs. George Martin really does some amazing things to pull this song together.

“I am The Walrus” is packed to the gills with music and effects: there are so many instruments, background nonsense, background choirs and the song is just plain complex in terms of chord structure. It is amazing that the song sounds coherent at all. And it doesn’t just sound coherent, it sounds like it is on a different level than the rock we are used to hearing.

Other great Songs by John Lennon.

I Am the Walrus Lyrics

I am he as you are he as you are me,
And we are all together.
See how they run like pigs from a gun,
See how they fly.
I’m crying.

Sitting on a corn flake,
Waiting for the van to come.
Corporation T-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday,
Man you’ve been a naughty boy,
You let your face grow long.
I am the egg man,
They are the egg men,
I am the walrus!
Goo goo g’joob.

Mister City policeman sitting,
Pretty little policemen in a row.
See how they fly like Lucy in the sky, see how they run.
I’m crying, I’m crying,
I’m crying, I’m crying.

Yellow matter custard,
Dripping from a dead dog’s eye.
Crabalocker fishwife, pornographic priestess,
Boy, you’ve been a naughty girl, you let your knickers down.

Sitting in an English garden
Waiting for the sun.
If the sun don’t come you get a tan
From standing in the English rain.

I am the egg man (now good sir),
They are the egg men (a poor man, made tame to fortune’s blows),
I am the walrus.
Goo goo g’joob, goo goo goo g’joob (good pity).

Semolina Pilchard,
Climbing up the Eiffel tower.
Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna,
Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allen Poe.

I am the egg man,
They are the egg men,
I am the walrus!
Goo goo g’joob, goo goo goo g’joob,
Coo Coo gacho, ca coo coo gacho, cha cha cha.
Joob, joob, jooba.
Jooba, jooba, jooba.
Joob, jooba.
Joob, jooba.