Why “I Am the Walrus” Was One of the Beatles' Saddest Moments as a Group

Beatles engineer, Geoff Emerick, recounted the experience of watching the Beatles record “I Am the Walrus.” He explained the situation in great detail, keying fans into the aftermath of a not-so-great moment for the Fab Four: the death of their longtime manager, Brian Epstein.

“I Am the Walrus” certainly doesn’t seem like the best song to grieve to. Nevertheless, there was a job to do–no matter the extenuating circumstances.

“There was a pallor across the session that day – we were all distracted, thinking about Brian – but there was a song to be recorded, too,” Emerick once said. “Everyone seemed bewildered. The melody [to ‘I Am the Walrus’] consisted largely of just two notes, and the lyrics were pretty much just nonsense – for some reason John appeared to be singing about a walrus and an eggman. There was a moment of silence when he finished, then Lennon looked up at George Martin expectantly.”

Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come
Corporation tee-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday
Man, you been a naughty boy, you let your face grow long

Unsurprisingly, Martin had issues with this off-kilter track the first time he heard it.

“That one was called ‘I Am The Walrus,’ John said,” Emerick continued. “‘So…what do you think?’ George looked flummoxed; for once he was at a loss for words. ‘Well, John, to be honest, I have only one question: What the hell do you expect me to do with that?’”

Source:Alex Hopper/americansongwriter.com

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