Number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine...


Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit, edited by robcoz98

Revolution 9 Lyrics as written by Paul Mccartney John Lennon

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Revolution 9 song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

158 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +7
    General Comment

    the whole backwords thing is bullshit, and its the bullshit that got lennon killed so i hate when people talk about it. you think lennons the spawn of the devil? the guy who killed lennon could die a hundred deaths and it wouldnt be justice

    goomba555213on January 10, 2005   Link
  • +4
    My Interpretation

    This is a wonderful piece of music IMO. I don't think people quite understand and appreciate how difficult it is to compose something like this. Anyway, on to the meaning - I know John's said it's a music collage representing the sound of revolution, but I see it more as just a psychedelic piece of music...when I meditate, and certainly when I dream, a lot of nonsensical stuff pops in and out of my mind...there's no sense to it but a lot of it is quite entertaining (at least to me) and Revolution 9 really captures that for me. I like to listen to it in the dark with my eyes closed so that I can just let it take over my mind. Revolution 9 is really essential to The White Album as it stands as a key example of why The White Album is one of the most successfully-innovative albums ever

    acphenomon June 29, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    hey "ZeppellinRockOn", you are way totally off...first off, paul DIDNT die...think of it this way: b-list celebrities cant fuck without it being news. What's the possibility of Paul McCartney dying and having it simply be a cult controversy? and also, if you spent more than five seconds reading some fucktard's flash page about backmasking, you would realize that Stairway to Heaven's Satan references aren't backmasked, but rather naturally occuring phenomena...god i wish people would research more before spouting off about this shit...

    anyway, im done ranting...this song is amazing. it's great to listen to when you want to kill ten minutes or so, because it immerses you in the music totally...

    TheSyndicate88on May 22, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Nobody realizes the significance of this song. Sure it's just abunch of freaky ass tape loops, but has it occured to you that these tape loops may have encouraged a certain band to create a certain album called "The Dark Side of the Moon"?

    scimitar_255on May 30, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    NOBODY CARES WHAT IT SAYS BACKWARDS!!! if one more person points out the fact that if you stretch your imagination you can kinda hear some jumbled inaudible words that sound like they might have something to do with an obscure ass hoax then im going to kill myself. DAMN. why not talk about what it says FORWARD instead of insisting theres some hidden reverse meaning?

    guysteferon February 13, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This reminds me of people thinking "Stairway to Heaven" is about the devil when listened to backwards. Have you actually played it backwards yourself, or have you listened to some unauthorized version backwards. Hoax.

    ikevison February 13, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    There are some obvious mistakes in the above transciption. Here's an excerpt from one which I believe to be correct

    4:04 GH: "to us played it false as the headmaster reported to" JL: "who could tell what he was, his voice was low and his eye was high and his eyes were glowing" GH: " ... Sunday, He really ... became a great deal ... " 4:22 JL: "on fire, his glasses were in t'safe, this was" GH: "into, which enabled him to move his" 5:03 JL: "certain, so the wife told him he'd better go to see a surgeon .... or what with the price .... yellow underclothes". JL: "So, any road, he went to see the dentist instead, who gave him a pair of teeth, which wasn't any good at all. So instead of that he joined the bloody navy and went to sea." 5:37 JL: "in my broken chair, my wings are broken and so is my hair. I am not in the mood for wearing" 6:01 JL: "Dogs were dogging, cats were catting. Birds were birding, Fish were fishing. Thence Pwllheli, went swimming" [Pwllheli, pron. "per-thelly", in Northern Wales. An odd little poem!] 6:18 GH: "only to find the night watchman" JL: "onion soup" GH: "unaware of his presence in the building" [Note: JL interjects "onion soup" at the point where GH says "unaware". I think (speculation) that this was some JL wordplay on what GH was about to say. In fact, I think you can hear GH begin to smile, esp. through the "presence" and "building"]

    The rest is at stevesbeatles.com

    imrazoron June 24, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    no one seems to understand the significance of the number 9. Spiritual as he was I cant believe Lennon didnt mention this in his verbal comments. 9 is a sacred number in many cultures. eg., the step pyramid at Chichin Itzu has 9 levels. Probably represents both Mayan and Aztec belief that there are 9 levels in the nether world. Maybe Dante's 9 circles of hell in the Devine Comedy was sourced from this. The Norman Blake song "Crossing Number 9" is partly about a railroad crossing and the death of a woman. But he knew that "crossing number 9" is a less familiar reference to the final stage of human life. It is a reference to dying. This shows how smart Norman Blake is. Maybe all this comes from the fact that 9 is the ultimate single digit number in the decimal system (an eastern invention). These lyrics... this song-- it's all about death, folks! OK. But it really require 8+ minutes to make this point??

    stratognaton September 02, 2021   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    who the hell wrote this????? this is wrong. i don't know all of the conversation between John and George but i know alot of this is wrong.

    song4juliaon January 17, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This doesn't even classify as a song! It's still cool to listen to every once in a while, though.

    SgtPepperLHCBon April 27, 2002   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.