The Beatles

[Mario Joel]

Well,
I am new to this forum. Cuban. 36. English teacher/translator/interpreter.
I am very happy that I could not sleep and came to my pc.
I have a lot of interests and a lot to learn. Lyrics is one of my favorite, though.

Of course, you've all listened to "happines is a warm gun". Have anyone come with a good traslation for "a soap impression of his wife, which he ate and donanted to the National Trust"?

Best,
Mario

[Hebe]

Hi Marío.. welcome to the Forum . I have to tell you I love the Beatles; but I've never heard this song. My translation attempt would be as follows:

"Una imagen de su esposa impresa en jabón, la cual se comió y donó al Instituto Nacional para La Preservación de Patrimonios Históricos (National trust)


Hope it helps

[Mario Joel]

Hebe,

Thanks, that's exactly how I would translate it but there's something rare there. Almost everyone thinks Lennon put his twisted fingers there. You know, maybe like in "I'm the Walrus", yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye, I think is one of the best piece sof lyrics ever. Only to Beatles could get away with such image.
Well, I guess we're never gonna know. Lennon is to far upthere.
by the way, my book on dominoes will be released in Venezuela sometime by Nov. this year.

Best,
Mario

[Hebe]

I´m afraid that kind of semantics is way on top of my head Mario. Yuo're right .. that was John's style; although he always denied giving to his lyrics a second meaning. (remember what people thought that Lucy in the Sky with Dimonds meant?) In anyc case, please let me know if you figure out a hidden message behind this lyric.

Also , I'll be looking forward to reading your book

Best regards

[Mario Joel]

Hebe, I have my own meaning of them all. I have spent most of my life dealing with Rock music lyrics (classic rock 60's, 70's, 80's). Lennon wrote the song inspired by a magazine picture he saw: a smoking gun on the cover page. The song later become phallic and sexually oriented (check the last stanza). Actually, it was prohibited in England for quite some time. I love the way Lennon does this one. Listen to it and enjoy it.

Best,
Mario


She's not a girl who misses much
Do do do do do do- oh yeah!
She's well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand
Like a lizard on a window pane

The man in the crowd with the multicoloured mirrors
On his hobnail boots
Lying with his eyes while his hands are busy
Working overtime
A soap impression of his wife which he ate
And donated to the National Trust

I need a fix 'cause I'm going down
Down to the bits that I left uptown
I need a fix cause I'm going down
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun

Happiness is a warm gun
Happiness is a warm gun, momma
When I hold you in my arms
And I feel my finger on your trigger
I know nobody can do me no harm
Because happiness is a warm gun, momma
Happiness is a warm gun
-Yes it is.
Happiness is a warm, yes it is...
Gun!
Well don't ya know that happiness is a warm gun, momma?

[Hebe]

Thanks so much for sharing this song Mario!!! , it's the kind of lyric whose understanding requires reading between the lines ... it's so pofound It'll take me a while to interpret the whole message.

Thanks again and keep in touch !!!!

[Mario Joel]

Hebe,

Take my advice, lay down, put the lights down low, drink a beer, light up a cigarette, take the first puff and play the song. Close your eyes and let yourself be driven into the mystery. Once you're done, you won't need to read the lyrics again. This type of Lennon's songs are not to be read over and over again. They were meant to just get one big blow at your mind.
At least, that's the way I see it.

Happy to be in touch, you're giving me a board in the open sea.

Best,
Mario

[Hebe]

Boy !!! If I weren't working right now I would rush to a record store and buy me the CD (jeje) .

Mario the open sea and the outer space are all within your reach. I hope that through this forum we can both not only get to know our colleagues around the world but also make millions of friends.
Till next time God bless !!!

[Veronica]

Hi guys, I am a Beatle fan too, but I have to confess I like the first albums better.
I've heard I'm the Warlus but never paid close attention to it, now those lines by Mario Joel got stuck in my head and I can't find any real meaning to them! custard dripping from a dead dog's eye...give me a hand...

[Hebe]

I have no idea Vero. I could be a resemblance (simil) of what would be dense tears in that dead dog’s eyes. You can give your own special meaning to that phrase, which may differ from the author’s (Lennon) original intention. But that’s the beauty of relativity: The way things are viewed (or interpreted) will always depend on the observer’s frame of reference