1 year, 9 months ago
via music-answers.com
What do the lyrics to The Beatles' "Penny Lane" mean?
What's the meaning behind the lyrics of the song Penny Lane by The Beatles? What were John Lennon and Paul McCartney trying to say when they wrote this lyrical concoction?
-excerpt-
Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to have known
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
The little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a mac
In the pouring rain...
Very strange
-end excerpt-
And the weirdness continues. What exactly is going on in this song? What's the story?
Original video included for reference, "literal music video" version included for hilarity.
-excerpt-
Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to have known
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
The little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a mac
In the pouring rain...
Very strange
-end excerpt-
And the weirdness continues. What exactly is going on in this song? What's the story?
Original video included for reference, "literal music video" version included for hilarity.
videos:
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$1 Answer
In researching your question, the best answer I can come up with is that Penny Lane is a street in the hometown (Liverpool) of the Beatles. It appears Penny Lane was named after an 18th century slave trader, James Penny. The song evidently is describing life on Penny Lane. McCartney & Lennon would meet up here to catch a bus ride into town. The lyric
a "fish-and-finger pie" is a reference to a sex act involving hands and female genitalia. It appears also that the reference to the fireman keeping his "engine" clean is also a sexual innuendo. I read that England banned the song from being played there because of these remarks.
There are lots of sites offering personal/ individual insights about the meaning of the lyrics.
a "fish-and-finger pie" is a reference to a sex act involving hands and female genitalia. It appears also that the reference to the fireman keeping his "engine" clean is also a sexual innuendo. I read that England banned the song from being played there because of these remarks.
There are lots of sites offering personal/ individual insights about the meaning of the lyrics.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Thanks for the tip! It was an interesting little research.
Good job there Bitbit - you're right on the money with this one. This is one of my favorite songs!