Friday, October 14, 2011

The Dark Horse, Cont.

In Martin Scorcese's documentary on George Harrison, more than one of his friends mention how obsessed George was on hating to pay taxes.  And of course Revolver leads off with Taxman, which is presumably the only popular song ever written about a financial charge or other levy upon an individual or legal entity by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law.
Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don't take it all.
'Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman.

(if you drive a car, car;) - I’ll tax the street;
(if you try to sit, sit;) - I’ll tax your seat;
(if you get too cold, cold;) - I’ll tax the heat;
(if you take a walk, walk;) - I'll tax your feet.
Meanwhile, George had this to say about visiting Haight-Ashbury during the Summer of Love:
I went there expecting it to be a brilliant place, with groovy gypsy people making works of art and paintings and carvings in little workshops. But it was full of horrible spotty drop-out kids on drugs, and it turned me right off the whole scene. I could only describe it as being like the Bowery: a lot of bums and drop-outs; many of them very young kids who'd dropped acid and come from all over America to this mecca of LSD.
So for all his love & peace blah blah blah, Harrison hated 1) taxes  2) hippies.

George Harrison: The Tea Party Beatle?

2 comments:

Marley said...

At the time, George's rate would have been 90%, so his tax conservatism is well-earned. As for the hippies, in the end, of all the time-specific personas, from the dandy to the flapper to the greser to the punk, is there anyone more odious and ridiculous as the hippie? I submit not.

Xmastime said...

OCCUPY ABBEY ROAD