Editing The Beatles (album) (section)

===Lyrical misinterpretations===
The album's lyrics progressed from being vague to open-ended and prone to misinterpretation of authorial intention, such as "Glass Onion" (e.g., "the walrus was Paul"){{sfn|MacDonald|1997|p=275}} and "Piggies" ("what they need's a damn good whacking").{{sfn|MacDonald|1997|p=278}} In the case of "Back in the U.S.S.R.", the words were interpreted by Christian evangelist [[David Noebel]] as further proof of the Beatles' compliance in a [[Communist]] plot to [[Brainwashing|brainwash]] American youth.{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|pp=53, 113}} According to MacDonald, the [[counterculture of the 1960s]] analysed ''The Beatles'' above and beyond all of the band's previous releases.{{sfn|MacDonald|1997|p=273}}{{Clarify|date=July 2024|reason=did they analyse it more often/intensely than others, it did they consider it AS being greater than others? }} Lennon's lyrics on "Revolution 1" were misinterpreted with messages he did not intend. In the album version, he advises those who "talk about destruction" to "count me out". Lennon then follows the sung word "out" with the spoken word "in". At the time of the album's release – which followed, chronologically, the up-tempo single version of the song, "Revolution" – that single word "in" was taken by the [[Political radicalism|radical]] [[political left]] as Lennon's endorsement of politically motivated violence, which followed the [[May 1968 events in France|May 1968 Paris riots]].{{sfn|MacDonald|1997|pp=248–49}} However, the album version was recorded first.{{efn|Recording on "Revolution 1" began on 30 May,{{sfn|MacDonald|1997|p=245}} "Revolution" on 9 July.{{sfn|MacDonald|1997|p=259}}}}

[[Charles Manson]] first heard the album not long after it was released. Manson may have found hidden meanings in songs from earlier Beatles albums,{{sfn|Nielsen|2005|p=90}} but, according to [[Vincent Bugliosi]] in ''The Beatles'', Manson allegedly interpreted prophetic significance in several of the songs, including "Blackbird", "Piggies" (particularly the line "what they need's a damn good whacking"), "Helter Skelter", "Revolution 1" and "Revolution 9",{{sfn|Guinn|2013|p=194}} and interpreted the lyrics as a sign of imminent violence or war.{{sfn|Sheffield|2004|p=54}} He and other members and associates of the [[Manson family]] repeatedly listened to it, and he allegedly told them that it was an [[Apocalypse|apocalyptic]] message predicting an [[Ethnic conflict|uprising of oppressed races]],{{sfn|Guinn|2013|p=196}} drawing parallels with chapter 9 of the [[Book of Revelation]].{{sfn|Nielsen|2005|p=92}} Paul McCartney said, "Charles Manson interpreted that Helter Skelter was something to do with the four horsemen of the Apocalypse."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polcaro |first=Rafael |date=2019-09-05 |title=What the Beatles said about Charles Manson inspiration on “Helter Skelter” |url=https://rockandrollgarage.com/what-the-beatles-said-about-charles-manson-inspiration-on-helter-skelter/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Rock and Roll Garage |language=en-US}}</ref>