Thread: Day The Music Died

I was not even a consideration in 1959. I was starting to appear in reality at about that time (April) 30 years later mind.

Zep, what about Helter Skelter in summer swelter the birds flew off the fallout shelter, 8 miles high and fallin' fast... ? Love the way the line sounds when he sings it, but absolutely no frikkin' idea what he was referring to!

Originally Posted by majurey

Zep, what about Helter Skelter in summer swelter the birds flew off release "Fifth Dimension". They recorded this song when some of the groups members were considering leaving (the fallout shelter, 8 miles high and fallin' fast... ? Love the way the line sounds when he sings it, but absolutely no frikkin' idea what he was referring to!

I can take a stab at this one:

HELTER SKELTER IN A SUMMER SWELTER: "Helter Skelter" is a Beatles song that appears in the "White" album. Charles Manson, claiming to have been "inspired" by the song (through which he thought God and/or the devil were talking to him) led his followers in the Tate-LaBianca murders.

THE BIRDS FLEW OFF WITH THE FALLOUT SHELTER EIGHT MILES HIGH AND FALLING FAST: Without a doubt this refers to the Byrds who helped launch David Crosby to superstardom. The Byrds song, "Eight Miles High", was found on their late 1966 release "Fifth Dimension". They recorded this song when some of the group's members were considered leaving (some of the group's members actually left the group because they refused to fly in an airplane). A fallout shelter was sometimes referred to as the fifth dimension because of the 1950's fascination with sci-fi and the futuristic appearance of a fallout shelter. This was one of the first records to be widely banned because of supposedly drug-oriented lyrics.

* Of course this is all speculation and does not come from Don McLean.

Steve

I was always fascinated by that song. I was born in '66 so I missed most of the events that the song depicts. It was the "unofficial" theme song of my college since Don Mclean was an Iona College dropout and one of the few Iona College attendees who amounted to anything. I think the two or three others are now in prison on mafia bribery charges.