1
One, two, three, four
One, two (one, two, three, four)
Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
(If you drive a car, car) I'll tax the street
(If you try to sit, sit) I'll tax your seat
(If you get too cold, cold) I'll tax the heat
(If you take a walk, walk) I'll tax your feet
(Taxman)
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
Don't ask me what I want it for
(Ah, ah, Mr. Wilson)
If you don't want to pay some more
(Ah, ah, Mr. Heath)
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die (taxman)
Declare the pennies on your eyes (taxman)
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me (taxman)
One, two (one, two, three, four)
Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
(If you drive a car, car) I'll tax the street
(If you try to sit, sit) I'll tax your seat
(If you get too cold, cold) I'll tax the heat
(If you take a walk, walk) I'll tax your feet
(Taxman)
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
Don't ask me what I want it for
(Ah, ah, Mr. Wilson)
If you don't want to pay some more
(Ah, ah, Mr. Heath)
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die (taxman)
Declare the pennies on your eyes (taxman)
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me (taxman)
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This song is basically a complaint about the taxation. "One for you, nineteen for me" is a slam against Britain's highest tax bracket, which could claim 95% of the wealthy payer's income. The taxman is consistently portrayed as a cruel and greedy thief, looking to deprive people of their earnings even in death. (He even demands that you "Declare the pennies on your eyes" as taxable income.) It's as perfect a slam against rapacious taxation as I've ever heard.
Some might question the moral consistency of the Beatles for this song, but it wasn't George Harrison who wrote that atonal "Imagine" commie crap. That was John Lennon, with his typical hypocrisy (what we'd call a "limousine liberal" these days). You'll notice he wasn't exactly giving up all his possessions that he wanted the rest of us to imagine doing without, though he certainly took leave of his reason, faith, and sanity with that evil song.
On the whole, the Beatles were always very capitalistic and into making money on their songs. It's nothing to be ashamed of: what they were selling is what people wanted to buy, so the profit motive can't have done any damage to the quality of their singing. As Paul McCartney once said in an interview: "Somebody said to me, 'But the Beatles were anti-materialistic.' That's a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say, 'Now, let's write a swimming pool.'"
I'd say this song earned them at least a jacuzzi.
i think you are an idiot or black-hearted, calling Imagine evil. John doesnt need to let go of his possessions to be a revolutionary--it's the materialism in your heart you need to let go. And your quote en quote was made as a joke, you one-dimensional person you. Duh it's about taxation but the line about the pennies on the eyes refer to Death. In ancient Greece they'd place currency on the eyes as payment for Charon to transport the spirit over the river Styx to Hades. The song is saying taxation and death are intertwined. The way we pay taxes is anonymous to a ritual death we experience at a consistent frequency. Money is power. Your personal power is being eaten by an external machine...little by little the government, an agent of Death...is sucking on our teats till its black, blue, purple...dry. It's a warning, an eye-opener. All you saw was surface. Songs and scripture have to be read, not literally, but with a spiritual eye, with an open heart. Any art form must be read this way. You're better off interpreting a DIY manual for us, see ya.<br />
You're right, Imagine was an evil song because of its calling of people to turn away from God (though it wasn't atonal. It had a beautiful melody).
I wouldn't call this political inconsistency, but rather political ignorance, as the song basically contradicts itself on several instances on the point it's trying to make [refer to my comment] / or, alternatively, it's ironic and the song still denotes progressivism [but I doubt it]