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Read the original blog post7.59pm
31 March 2008
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Attention people who remember the early 1970s!
I've been doing a bit of research into the Imagine songs, and found this on the <sarcasm>ever-reliable</sarcasm> Wikipedia:
"Lennon's dig at US President Richard Nixon, referring to him in the lyrics of the song as "Tricky Dicky," proved to be increasingly relevant after the song's release, when in 1972 the Watergate scandal erupted. "Tricky Dicky" became a popular nickname for Nixon during the Watergate hearings, and came into widespread usage."
Wasn't Nixon widely known as Tricky Dicky prior to Watergate? Otherwise how would anyone have known that Lennon was referring to him in Gimme Some Truth ? Wikipedia seems to imply that Lennon popularised the term, but I'm pretty sure that can't be the case. Anyone know?
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8.58pm
3 April 2010
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Joe said:
Attention people who remember the early 1970s!
I've been doing a bit of research into the Imagine songs, and found this on the <sarcasm>ever-reliable</sarcasm> Wikipedia:
"Lennon's dig at US President Richard Nixon, referring to him in the lyrics of the song as "Tricky Dicky," proved to be increasingly relevant after the song's release, when in 1972 the Watergate scandal erupted. "Tricky Dicky" became a popular nickname for Nixon during the Watergate hearings, and came into widespread usage."
Wasn't Nixon widely known as Tricky Dicky prior to Watergate? Otherwise how would anyone have known that Lennon was referring to him in Gimme Some Truth ? Wikipedia seems to imply that Lennon popularised the term, but I'm pretty sure that can't be the case. Anyone know?
He indeed referred to him as Tricky Dicky before Watergate. Something with a reserve act, I'll never know.
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9.01pm
12 November 2009
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I thought it was just Tricky Dick.
Edit: Here we go - 1950 Senate race from the same reliable source!
Ad hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time! So much to know!
9.38pm
14 December 2009
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There's also Philip Roth's 1971 novel "Our Gang", featuring president "Tricky Dixon"
One day, a tape-op got a tape on backwards, he went to play it, and it was all "Neeeradno-undowarrroom" and it was "Wow! Sounds Indian!"
-- Paul McCartney
9.40pm
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14 April 2010
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I seem to remember my parents referring to him as Tricky Dick prior to Watergate.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
2.14pm
31 March 2008
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Cool, that's good enough for me. Thanks all.
Can buy me love! Please consider using these links to support the Beatles Bible: Amazon | iTunes
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
1.46am
17 March 2010
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Helen Gahagan Douglas used that name for Nixon in his 1950 Senate race. Two decades before John Lennon used it.
That's not to say that John didn't popularize its use.
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Zig9.31am
8 January 2015
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The Hair musical which came out in 1967-1968 had a song called Initials which was altered I believe for the Australian production in 1969 to go this way:
Tricky Dick took the IRT
Down to Wall St USA
When he got there what did he see?
LBJ on LSD!
LBJ, IRT
USA, LSD
LSD, LBJ
FBI, CIA
FBI, CIA
LSD, Tricky Dick!
That's how I heard it on the Australian cast recording record. My parents had a weird record collection.
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ZigI'm like Necko only I'm a bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin and also everyone. Or is everyone me? Now I'm a confused bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin everyone who is definitely not @Joe. This has been true for 2016 & 2017 
but I may have to get more specific in the future.
2.18am
24 August 2012
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This is hands down my favorite John solo song... and, as with George's "Let It Down ," which was also first introduced during the Get Back /Let It Be sessions, I'm kind of annoyed the group didn't stay together for another year in order to record this song. Funny how the original version seemed a bit less political, mentioning Gary Cooper instead of Richard Nixon.
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sir walter raleigh, Zig12.56pm
26 January 2017
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I responded to your thoughts on Hear Me Lord , where I disagreed with the idea that it would have been a superior Beatles song to George solo. On this one I agree with you. It would have made a fantastic addition to any album, and there’s nothing there in Lennon’s version from Imagine that I think could have been done as well or better by the full Beatles lineup.
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Zig"The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles!"
-Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues
"We could ride and surf together while our love would grow"
-Brian Wilson, Surfer Girl
10.16pm
24 August 2012
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Of course, George already played the guitar solo on the song as it is... though it's right when his slide fixation was starting to take over.
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sir walter raleigh4.39pm
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17 December 2012
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A lyric video for the Ultimate Mix appeared on John's YT channel yesterday:
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WeepingAtlasCedars"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
9.55pm
18 April 2013
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I thought this song, I Don't Want to Be a Soldier, and How Do You Sleep benefitted quite well from the remix. I was actually able to enjoy these songs a bit more than I had in the past.
"This Beatles talk bores me to death.” —John Lennon
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