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Famous Groupies Song Meaning
2 October 2014
4.55am
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Musketeer Gripweed
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Not sure if there is already a thread about this. I was listening to this song recently and got me to thinking it could be about his former Beatles Bandmates. Or it could possibly be about famous musicians who passed away. Like the guitarist he mentions in thrid verse could be Jimi Hendrix. Sure there are a few drummers who could be the bongo player or drummer. I think that the last verse could be about John with the voodoo line with his interest in the occult. 

Anyone have any information about the song topic? Or is it just a jibberish track like Monkberry Moon Delight ?

Famous Groupies All Stand Back, Let The People See
Take A Snap Of The Famous Groupies For Me

Behold The Famous Groupies
They Are Alike As Two Peas
And Where The Other Goes, The Other Goes
But Though The Famous Groupies
Are Only Paid In Rupies
Nobody Knows What The Famous Groupies Know
And Nobody Goes Where The Famous Groupies Go

There Was A Bango Player
Who Kept An Extra Layer
Of Dunlopillo Mattress In His Van
But When The Famous Groupies
Arived With Their Twin Snoopies
Nobody Saw Which Way The Poor Boy Ran
Nobody Does It Like A Famous Groupie Can

All Stand Back, Let The People See
Take A Snap Of The Famous Groupies For Me

There Was A Lead Guitarist
Who Lived In Epping Forest
And All He Ever Wanted Was To Blow
When The Girls Were With Him
He Never Lost His Rhythm
And Nobody Knows What The Famous Groupies Know
Nobody Goes Where The Famous Groupies Go

There Was A Classic Story
Of A Roadic Nicknamed Rory
Who Used To Practice Voodoo On The Side
When The Famous Twosome
Suggested Something Gruesome
All That They Found Was A Crater Two Miles Wide
Which Left The Music Business Absolutely Horrified

Ladies And Gentlemen, Those Magnificent Examples Of
Female Pulchritude And Luminosity, Direct From Their
Global Perambulations To The Very Boards Of This
Supremely Magnificent Proscenium Arch – Ladies And
Gentlemen; I Give You Famous Groupies

2 October 2014
6.52am
LongHairedLady
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Let me explain you a thing about Paul:  I have driven myself crazy trying to understand some of his songs.  The thing is that sometimes he just put those words together because they sounded good and maybe it made a bit of sense, and that’s it.  No offence to him by saying that I LOVE Paul a ridiculous amount..  he is a great songwriter.  The substance just isn’t always there.  

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William Shears Campbell

"Please don't bring your banjo back, I know where it's been..  I wasn't hardly gone a day, when it became the scene..  Banjos!  Banjos!  All the time, I can't forget that tune..  and if I ever see another banjo, I'm going out and buy a big balloon!"

 

2 October 2014
10.29pm
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Into the Sky with Diamonds
New York
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Never paid attention to the lyrics, though I do like the way the song ends.

I suppose we could look up Epping Forest!

"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)

3 October 2014
10.03pm
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vonbontee
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I would hope that the lyrics are meant as complete nonsense – indeed, like “Monkberry Moon”. Which is fine by me in concept – I often don’t care about lyrics at all – but I still find myself annoyed reading those words on the screen. Paul writes a song centred around the word “groupies” and finds two perfectly decent rhymes, but insists on placing them both in the first verse, so he has to resort to the pretty desparate and meaningless “twin snoopies” in the second. And so already he’s completely run out of rhymes for “groupies” with two full verses to go! This is just my own personal prejudice, but that kind of pop-song dissymetry really bothers me. Either use up all your important rhymes at once, or spread them evenly throughout; but don’t abandon them halfway through! It suggests a lack of planning, like one of those “PLAN AHEad” signs with the final letters all crammed together.

Anyways, I’ve never heard the track in question. But the music would have to be pretty great for me to enjoy it, I can tell.

GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty. 

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3 October 2014
10.58pm
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meanmistermustard
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I think it was inspired, in part at least, by all the groupies that were around in 70’s, some of which Paul and Wings would have seen seen and more than likely encountered during the ’76 tour. There is at least one story of groupies being around during that tour in ‘Man On The Run: Paul In The 70’s’ and making a beeline for the band. The lyrics themselves being nothing to analyse. 

The song itself is a joke i’ve never found humourous in the slightest resulting in it being one of the weakest moments on ‘London Town ‘ – i always want to skip it.

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3 October 2014
11.29pm
LongHairedLady
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I really like the song!  As ridiculous as it is I do enjoy the arrangement.  

 

As far as London Town goes though, “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” is a gem.  Love that one.  a-hard-days-night-paul-7

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William Shears Campbell, Beatlebug

"Please don't bring your banjo back, I know where it's been..  I wasn't hardly gone a day, when it became the scene..  Banjos!  Banjos!  All the time, I can't forget that tune..  and if I ever see another banjo, I'm going out and buy a big balloon!"

 

3 October 2014
11.57pm
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meanmistermustard
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Not wanting to merge or head into an off-rail or duplicate content there is a thread for the ‘London Town ‘ album if anyone wants to discuss that.

"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)

25 August 2019
2.47am
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Tony Japanese
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I was looking on the official Paul McCartney website for some examples of good lyrics (for that thread) and I came across these words. Please tell me the song isn’t as bad as the lyrics suggest it would be?

25 August 2019
8.17am
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William Shears Campbell
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Tony Jappaneese said
I was looking on the official Paul McCartney website for some examples of good lyrics (for that thread) and I came across these words. Please tell me the song isn’t as bad as the lyrics suggest it would be?

Take a listen and decide for yourself.

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25 August 2019
7.58pm
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Leppo
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Rod Stewart lived in Epping Forest. Not sure what period but up until quite recently.

 

I had a listen to that. Pretty awful in my opinion.

Pivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118:  Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives. 

26 August 2019
8.32pm
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Beatlebug
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I absolutely adore this song. It’s overblown, absurd, and I find it wildly hilarious. Wacky Paul is my favourite a-hard-days-night-john-6

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21 August 2021
8.06am
MononcStef
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LongHairedLady said
Let me explain you a thing about Paul:  I have driven myself crazy trying to understand some of his songs.  The thing is that sometimes he just put those words together because they sounded good and maybe it made a bit of sense, and that’s it.  No offence to him by saying that I LOVE Paul a ridiculous amount..  he is a great songwriter.  The substance just isn’t always there.  

Image Enlarger

  

Oh laaaawd… Finally someone I can relate to in this matter. This interview from the time of the release of “McCartney II ” also helped; the interviewer somewhat politely highlighted the lack of substance in many of Sir Paul’s songs. I cringed a little, but yelled “OMG, THANK YOU!” in my head. LOL It is what it is.mccartney-shrug_01_gif

I love love LOVE this music man, but let’s face it… I mean, “Jet ” was the fist to get me confused, the first time I paid attention to its lyrics. I think I might have developed ageing lines in my forehead after reading some of his explanations. lol

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Richard
24 August 2021
4.16pm
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vonbontee
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Man, what a jackass I was on this thread years ago – ranting and criticizing the song’s before even bothering to LISTEN

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Beatlebug

GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty. 

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24 August 2021
10.00pm
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Beatlebug
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@vonbontee said
Man, what a jackass I was on this thread years ago – ranting and criticizing the song’s before even bothering to LISTEN  

Heh, we all grow and evolve and the Internet gives us a great many opportunities to cringe over our past selves. a-hard-days-night-paul-7

Edit to avoid double post: I should cover this song sometime. ahdn_john_08_gifahdn_john_08_gifahdn_john_08_gif

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17 September 2021
8.42pm
forn
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vonbontee said
Paul writes a song centred around the word “groupies” and finds two perfectly decent rhymes, but insists on placing them both in the first verse, so he has to resort to the pretty desparate and meaningless “twin snoopies” in the second.

  

“Twin snoopies” may be desperate, but I wouldn’t say it’s meaningless.

Anyway, it just seems like a generic song about groupies to me.  But even if it’s not based on specific events, that doesn’t make it a “jibberish track” like Monkberry Moon Delight , because it does have a clear subject and some sort of structured storytelling.

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