Mojo - The Music Magazine

FOR THE UNINITIATED (although that in itself is an unfortunate word, in the circumstances), Charles Manson was the Ohio-born fruitcake and self-styled guru whose “Family” of post-hippie freaks unleashed an orgy of violence amongst the canyons of LA’s glamorous and privileged in 1969. The previous year, Manson had revealed to his followers his “revelation” that a race war was afoot. Believing The Beatles’ White Album to be “speaking to him”, he entitled the forthcoming apocalypse “Helter Skelter”.

A frustrated musician who had auditioned for The Monkees and befriended/leached off Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, Manson planned to make a record which would act as a trigger, stirring the black population to rise against the white and slaughter them. Meanwhile, Manson and his cult would hide out in “the bottomless pit” – a secret city beneath Death Valley – only to emerge when the violence had abated. Messiah-like, Manson would then lord it over the surviving blacks.

Later deciding that some prompting might be needed to bring the Helter Skelter into effect, Manson encouraged his Family to embark on a series of murders, including those of actress Sharon Tate and dress shop owner Rosemary LaBianca. After the killing of the latter, the words “Healter (sic) Skealter” were written in blood on the refrigerator door in the LaBianca kitchen.

At least 12 of the White Album tracks were later claimed by Manson to have served as communications from The Beatles to himself. And so, without further ado, MOJO presents Charles Manson’s White Album (with thanks to Wikipedia)...

-----------------------------------------------

Charlie’s Crazy White Album

1. I Will
Lyric: “And when at last I find you/ Your song will fill the air/ Sing it loud so I can hear you/ Make it easy to be near you.” Apparently this meant that The Beatles were looking for Jesus Christ: ie. Manson. Of course! It seems so clear!

2. Honey Pie
Lyric: “Oh, honey pie, my position is tragic/ Come and show me the magic/ Of your Hollywood song.” Meaning: The Beatles know Jesus Christ has returned to Earth and is in Los Angeles. They want Manson to create his "song": that is, the album that will set off Helter Skelter.

3. Glass Onion
“I told you 'bout the fool on the hill/ I tell you, man, he's living there still...” Meaning: the reason the Beatles are too lazy to go looking for Jesus Christ is that they have exhausted themselves in a pilgrimage to India, where they have concluded the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is a false prophet.

4. Don't Pass Me By
“I wonder where you are tonight and why I'm by myself/ I don't see you; does it mean you don't love me any more?” The Beatles are calling for Jesus Christ, who is Manson. Keep up!

5. Yer Blues
“Yes, I'm lonely; wanna die/ Yes, I'm lonely; wanna die...” The Beatles are calling for Jesus Christ, who is Manson. Geddit?

6. Sexy Sadie
Manson had renamed Family member Susan Atkins “Sadie Mae Glutz” long before the release of The White Album. This served to reinforce the mental connection Manson felt he had with The Beatles.

-----------------------------------------

7. Rocky Raccoon
Rolling Stone writers Davids Dalton and Felton visited Manson at LA County Jail and reported the following Manson screed...

"Coon," said Charlie. "You know that's a word they use for black people. You know the line, 'Gideon checked out/ And left no doubt/ To help good Rocky's revival.' Rocky's revival - re-vival. It means coming back to life. The black man is going to come into power again.”

8. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Manson reckoned The Beatles are telling blacks to get guns and fight whites.

9. Blackbird
Meaning: The black man is going to arise and overthrow the white man.

10. Helter Skelter
“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.” Refers to the Family's emergence from “the Bottomless Pit”, the underground Death Valley hideaway where the group will escape the violence of “Helter Skelter”, the apocalyptic race war Manson predicted.

11. Piggies
“What they need's a damned good whacking” interpreted by Manson as the blacks offing the establishment.

12. Revolution 9
Manson hears machine-gun fire, the oinking of pigs, and the word "Rise." The piece is audio representation of the coming conflict; the repeated utterance “Number 9” is reference to Chapter 9 of the Book of Revelation. Also hears the Beatles whispering: “Charlie, Charlie, send us a telegram..”

What a loon!