Day 254 - A song you like that features the use of a harpsichord
Piggies - The Beatles
George Harrison’s mother Louise contributed the line: “What they need is a damn good whacking.”
Harrison intended this as social commentary, but many people interpreted it as an anti-police anthem. Charles Manson, in his very disturbed mind, thought the term “damn good whacking” meant against the American police. During the murders of Sharon Tate, the LaBianca’s and others, knives and forks were used to stab them because these utensils were mentioned in the song. The words “pig and piggy,” were written with the victims’ blood on the walls. Harrison was horrified when he learned his song took on another meaning.
John Lennon did not play on this, but he improved this slightly with the line, “Clutching forks and knives they eat their bacon” - adding a touch of cannibalism to the proceedings. This replaced the line, “Clutching forks and knives to cut their pork chops” which can be heard on Anthology 3. The pig noises were his idea.
This keeps the animal theme between “Blackbird” and “Rocky Raccoon” on The White Album.
There was an extra verse that wasn’t included on the song. It goes:
“Everywhere there’s lots of piggies playing piggie pranks
You can see them on their trotters
At the piggy banks
Paying piggy thanks
“Everywhere there’s lots of piggies playing piggie pranks
You can see them on their trotters
At the piggy banks
Paying piggy thanks
Lyrics:
Have you seen the little piggies
Crawling in the dirt?
And for all the little piggies
Life is getting worse
Always having dirt to play around in
Have you seen the bigger piggies
In their starched white shirts?
You will find the bigger piggies
Stirring up the dirt
Always have clean shirts to play around in
In their styes with all their backing
They don’t care what goes on around
In their eyes there’s something lacking
What they need’s a damn good whacking
Everywhere there’s lots of piggies
Living piggy lives
You can see them out for dinner
With their piggy wives
Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon
(One more time…)
