hat The Beatles Said About the American Civil Rights Movement (And Its Opposing Side)
The Beatles often advocated for peace with their music — and equality with their concerts. Here’s what Paul McCartney and the other Beatles said about the American Civil Rights Movement and being “honest about” their activism.
The Beatles sometimes made political statements with their music. “Get Back” acted as anti-immigrant satire and commentary on Britain’s attitude toward immigration. “Revolution,” co-written by Lennon, shared his thoughts on the global turmoil of the late 1960s.
“You say you got a real solution,” the lyrics state. “Well, you know / We’d all love to see the plan / You ask me for a contribution / Well, you know / We’re all doing what we can.”
According to Beatles Interviews, the interviewer mentioned one statement from the Beatles, where they said America was “a lousy country” for calling people who were Black the n-word. The artists stood behind their statements.
“This is it: that if you say anything against, say, the way Civil Rights gets treated over here, then there are bound to be extremist people who’ll think that we’re wrong for saying that colored people are the same as white people, you know,” McCartney said.
Source: Julia Dzurillay/cheatsheet.com
