Happiness Is a Warm Gun Totally Explained

Everything about Happiness Is A Warm Gun totally explained

"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" is a song by The Beatles featured on the eponymous double-disc album The Beatles (also known as The White Album). It is primarily a John Lennon composition, credited to Lennon/McCartney. The original, working title of the song was "Happiness Is a Warm Gun in Your Hand," which was inspired by a magazine cover containing the phrase. In 1962, Charles Schulz wrote a small, square Peanuts book titled "Happiness is a Warm Puppy." Some believe that the song title refers to a needle for injecting heroin. Lennon denied this.

Overview

Lennon once claimed the song was "sort of a history of rock and roll," as it features five different sections but is less than three minutes long. The song begins with a brief lilting section ("She's not a girl who misses much..."). Drums, bass and distorted guitar are introduced as this portion of the song proceeds. The surreal imagery from this section is allegedly taken from an acid trip that Lennon experienced. After this, the song transitions into a Lennon song fragment called "I Need a Fix," built around an ominous-sounding guitar riff. Lennon's plea "I need a fix/cause I'm going down" in this section forms the basis for speculation that the song is about heroin addiction (indeed, sources have claimed that Lennon was addicted to heroin at this time; Lennon's heroin addiction was referenced famously in "Cold Turkey"). This section drifts into the next section, a chorus of "Mother Superior jumped the gun".
   The final section is a doo-wop send up, with the back-up of vocals of "bang, bang, shoot shoot." The song's multiple sections would inspire Radiohead's three part "Paranoid Android" on OK Computer.
   One of the most radical musical accomplishments of the song is its frequent shifts in meter. Beginning in 4/4 time, the song shifts to a 3/4 time for the guitar solo and the "I need a fix..." section. This gives way to 6/8, 3/4, and 4/4 measures in the "Mother Superior..." section before returning to 4/4 for the majority of the doo-wop style ending. During Lennon's spoken-word interlude, the song briefly switches into 6/4. The spoken word section has its roots in the song later on the album "I'm So Tired" because, exhibited in the song's home demo, is a spoken word section in 6/4 time that's almost exactly like the one in "Happiness is a Warm Gun."
   According to Lennon, the title came from the cover of a gun magazine that producer George Martin showed him: "I think he showed me a cover of a magazine that said 'Happiness Is a Warm Gun.' It was a gun magazine. I just thought it was a fantastic, insane thing to say. A warm gun means you just shot something."
   "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" is Paul McCartney's favorite song on the White Album. It was featured in the Michael Moore documentary Bowling for Columbine in a montage sequence.

Credits

John Lennon - lead vocals, electric guitar, piano

George Harrison - lead guitar, backing vocals

Paul McCartney - bass, backing vocals

Ringo Starr - drums

Cover versions

Tori Amos, on the album Strange Little Girls

Gilby Clarke, on the album The Hangover

The Breeders, on the album Pod

Dream Theater, from the Uncovered Fan Club Gig with Steve Hogarth joining on on vocals

World Party, on the album Thank You World

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, on the album The Sameness of Difference

Anders Osborne, on the album The blues White album

Phish, on the album Live Phish Volume 13

Marc Ribot, on the album Saints

U2, as a B-side of the single "Last Night on Earth"

Jay-Z and Danger Mouse, as a mashup on The Grey Album

Alanis Morissette, during the 1995-1996 Can't Not Tour

Hajime Chitose, of the single Kataritsugu Koto

Sexy Sadie, on the album Dream Covers

Joe Anderson with Salma Hayek, for the soundtrack of Across the Universe

Guns N' Roses on the Use Your Illusion Tour.

Psychic TV heavily samples the song on Jump Thee Gun, a track from Jack The Tab/Tekno Acid Beat.

The Vasco Era use a portion of the song in live performances.Further Information

Get more info on 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun'.

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