Revelations to December 8 in the John Lennon composition Revolution 9

The song ‘Revolution 9’ on The Beatles White Album stands largely symbolic of the backwardness and hidden messages found in Beatles’ material. Revolution 9 was the spark that ignited the death clues of The Beatles. Written by John Lennon and recorded in June of 1968, John said Revolution 9 was “an unconscious picture of what I actually think will happen when it happens.” What’s heard in Revolution 9 both forward and backwards is a revelation to what occurred on the evening of December 8, 1980. A detailed analysis of Revolution 9 can be found in book The Lennon Prophecy but here are a few highlights and interpretations:

The piece opens with a monotone voice repeatedly saying ‘number nine’. It is the motif for the composition.

Revolution 9: “number nine, number nine, number nine…..”

When played backwards, phonetically ‘number nine’ can be heard as ‘turn me on deadman’.

Revolution 9: “…intended to pay/die for it.”

John can be heard saying ‘he intended to pay for it’, at the same time the word ‘pay’ in spoken, the word ‘die’ is overlaid. He intended to ‘pay/die’ for it - a fitting confession to his pact with the devil.

Revolution 9: “..on the third night… unfortunately”

Mark David Chapman arrived in New York City on Saturday, December 6^th 1980. It was Monday night, on the third night of his visit he shot and killed John Lennon.

Revolution 9: “with the situation… they are standing still.”

John says ‘they are standing still’. Officer Pete Cullen, the first policemen to arrive at the crime scene said, "It was eerie running into that driveway. The cold felt colder. I was scared." Cullen said he was surprised by the lack of movement at the scene: “there was the doorman Jose, a building handyman and the killer Mark Chapman, all standing as if frozen.”

The final note from the song ‘A Day in the Life’ is used numerous times in the piece. Interestingly, in the song ‘A Day in the Life’ John sings, “I’d love to turn you on”. In ‘Revolution 9’ the backwards playing of ‘number nine’ maliciously states ‘Turn me on deadman’.

John can be heard making chocking, gurgling and moaning sounds as if he was wounded. There are sounds of flames from a raging fire followed by John making verbal sounds of pain and anguish with the sounds of gunshots overlain, all within a 10 second time frame.

Revolution 9: “Take this brother, may it serve you well”

John says “Take this brother may it serve you well.” Chapman said he killed John Lennon to capture his fame. One police detective commented, “It’s an old rule. You become as famous as the guy you kill. This kind of killing brings names closer together than marriage.”

The mood of the piece changes dramatically after this. The piece closes with a conversation between John and Yoko with John sounding dazed and confused.

YO: "Maybe then”
YO: "It's not that"
JL: "What, what..."

JL: "Oh.."
YO: "Maybe even then, you expose"

And it sounds like John is mumbling in the background, “It’s gonna be all right, it’s gonna be all right,” and a voice sings, “Good fishes again in the kettle.”

YO: "It's difficult to say..."
YO: "It's almost like being naked"

YO: “You become naked”

On the afternoon of December 8, 1980 John posed naked for photographer Anne Leibovitz. The photograph was eventually used for the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.

There is a prophecy at the very end of Revolution 9. The song ends at a sporting event. John included a recording of a crowd at an American football game chanting ‘hold the line, hold that line, block that kick, block that kick’. The song fades out with the crowds chant ‘block that kick’. These are the last spoken words in Revolution 9 and the song ends.

It may be that fate played a role in the life of Alan Weiss on the evening of December 8, 1980. Alan was a producer for ABC-TV News in New York City. On the evening of December 8 he was involved in a motorcycle accident at 10 PM in Central Park and was taken to Roosevelt Hospital on 9^th Avenue. Alan Weiss was lying in the emergency room when John Lennon was carried in by police officers. He reported the news to the ABC-TV News desk in New York City which in turn relayed it to ABC’s nationally televised Monday Night Football. The football game was being aired nationally on ABC between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots. At the time the game was in the 4^th quarter and tied 13 to 13 and New England’s kicker John Smith was attempting a field goal with 3 seconds remaining on the clock. It was then Howard Cosell made the announcement to the world that John Lennon was shot and killed in front of the Dakota Apartments in New York City. The kick was blocked and the game went into overtime (block that kick, block that kick, block that kick…)