BEATLES: Decoding Their Weirdest Movie (Magical Mystery Tour) 

I've always loved this movie. I had listened to the album for years. I was a Beatles purist as very small child. The rest of my family didn't listen to music. At least I had good taste. Roll up

The first time I watched this movie, I literally laughed out loud at many scenes as I couldn't believe what I was seeing! People shouldn't really compare this to a 'normal' movie by looking for a plot, because there isn't one! I've watch it multiple times and it does get better and make more sense over time but really, just sit back and let the madness wash over you while enjoying the absolutely brilliant soundtrack.

One of my favorite Christmases as an adult is when I got the Magical Mystery Tour Blu Ray box set, and showing it to people who hadn't seen it yet throughout the season

I was obsessed with this movie at one point.. I watched it probably 15 times in the span of a few weeks

Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and others in the film industry have praised ‘Magical Mystery Tour. I agree!

Whether u like the movie or not, the SONGS ARE CLASS!!!!! "I am the Walrus" is arguably one of their best songs in terms of musical complexity and imaginative lyrics. "Strawberry Fields Forever" ,is on my copy of the album, and it's up there as one of the best songs ever written. These guys were on ANOTHER LEVEL!!!!

Brilliant analysis! I'm so glad I viewed this. I must tell you, I am a musician/writer myself and have experienced people like yourself, analyzing my work, and arriving at conclusions far greater and in depth than I ever had in mind while writing. They made my work better than it was when I wrote it. In truth, they (and you) become partners in the creation of an artwork. i don't know if the Beatles had all in mind that you detail here or not. But you have improved my experience of Magical Mystery Tour to a level I never thought it could achieve. Well done.

MMT was the apotheosis of their psychedelic wanderings. Having had boat loads of Acid meself, something very strange happens after a certain ' tipping ' point. The first year is deep immersion into the utter fantastic changes occurring, within you, then you move into the evangelical phase, when you've mastered it, where you want to share it and shout about it from the rooftops , then it begins to get super out there weird, when you realise it's still full of surprises and can have the power to still shock you to your very core. MMT is definitely that moment where you can see Acids darkly comic aspects made manifest. It's a just like a trip. Bewildering, fun, weird and un- pindownable. In a most English manner.

I guess people weren't ready for that. This goes to show the genius of the Beatles. They didn't just write words that went with a melody at this stage, they must have spent quite some time agonising over the meaning of every word and thinking about double meanings, hidden meanings and, in case of this film, every image you see on screen. Even the new single Now and Then is chock full of little things that convey meaning, it's not just something they threw together. That is what I love about the Beatles, they put so much effort into everything they did and after being a fan since I was a child in the 70s I'm still discovering new things in their music every time I have yet another Beatles phase. They are so much more than just a band.

Paul says a lot of things. He's had a lot of years to create narratives. Whether they are true or not. No one is around to dispute them. MMT was an art film. No meaning. He was anxious to keep the band working after Brian died. He feared they'd drift apart. He made a pie chart as a sort of framing of the film. Each of them would write a 'bit" like John feeding the spaghetti to the fat woman, etc. And they'd make some songs and try to tie it all together. It had no meaning. It was an amateur attempt to create something. It failed. Of course today it's legendary. I love it. I've loved it since day one. I mean, we get to see a performance of "Death Cab For Cutie", complete with a burlesque stripper bit. We get to see a live, (well sort of), performance of I Am The Walrus. We get to see Paul's little film he did in France to Fool On The Hill. And the really corny big stage show with Your Mother Should Know. And Victor Spinetti doing the military bit....GOLD. It's a good fun film. No meaning. Just an amateur attempt at a film that is laced together with Gems.

Well done. I've never had a problem with Magical Mystery Tour. Entertaining and progressive at the same time. The way you peeled the layers away is the next level to understanding this film. Again nice job.

Just finished the whole thing. Great video. Great analysis. Great channel. Can't wait for more

This is extremely interesting. The first time I saw this movie, it was at a small town city festival, and completely out of synch, but I absolutely loved it. It turned me into a huge fan of Vivian Stanshall and Bonzo Dog. The songs were absolutely incredible, even though I was a teenager (drug fueled in the 70's) You're right though, I've seen it many times since now (in my 60's) I understand all of it. "Flying" was an absolutely fabuluous sequence.

Your Beatles content is always amazing. Genuinely groundbreaking content when it comes to Beatles RU-vidrs and just Beatle fans in general. Thanks James.

I saw this as a teenager in the 80's. We had a copy of it on video. I actually liked the movie. I like weird things as well as mainstream movies. So I was not disappointed in it. It was basically 20 years old when I saw it and to me it represented an art house psychedelic time capsule of a bygone era so to me it was a bit of history to me.

I love this movie. There are no rules in film. If someone is stuck in a straitjacket about what a film should be, they'll never like it or anything like it.

Victor Spinetti as Sarge, Ivor Cutler & the Bonzo's were worth the price of admission. The Beatles bits weren't bad either. John's turn as a waiter in Aunt Jessie's dream was side splittingly funny doing the Yes M'Lady in a made up Greek accented parody of Parker from Thunderbirds. Paul's video of Fool On The Hill was brilliant, especially as it was Just him and a cameraman that filmed it. I even like the magician bits. "Spent four hours looking for the sugar". It's a great little film, especially if you're zooted

I remember Ian Macdonald in revolution in the head stating something along the lines of the British psychedelic experience being altogether safer and warmer than the confrontational and edgy American experience (think it was his write up of Its All Too Much) comparing Magical Mystery Tour with Ken Kaseys Merry Brand of Pranksters brought this to mind

Finally, a film i really love had a proper defense in the internet!! Yes, an art film following the Fellini influence, and all the things that you teach un your analisis are simply beathifull and genius. At last, justice for a film that it's really genius and inspiring.

If you watch something like Ken Anger's My Demon Brother or Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, MMT begins to make more sense. The slide overlay sequences are truly inspired, The Beatles and Paul must have been watching Anger's stuff.

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels. Great interesting work.

I saw the Boxing Day movie. I was 11 at the time. It has always been my absolute favourite, and still is. I’m now 67. Astounding research, James! Much respect from Western Australia 🇦🇺

My take on this video and now the Beatles film has me doing a rethink on what it was about and from what has been said -it now makes sense so it might not be that weird after all. I absolutely enjoy the album and it still has my ear 56 years later. The Beatles were the most remarkable band of the 20th century and are still beloved my millions of people 53 years after they broke up and that truly is Magical! Excellent video,James.

This was great! I've been watching this movie for many years, and now it has a whole different meaning.

Mystery Tours were popular in the UK throughout the 50's & 60's especially with the working classes before foreign holidays were affordable.

The Beatles were beyond other bands, trying to rhyme was with cuz, or baby and crazy; because the Beatles distilled so much from culture into their concepts and songs.

In many ways, this film (and the Beatles themselves, particularly Lennon) were Monty Python before their time. The scene with the waiter loading the rather large woman's plate with Spaghetti was incredibly similar both visually and in tone to the Mr. Creosote scene in _Monty Python's meaning of Life_ --- so much so that it must have been an influence.

I'm not sure if "Your Mother Should Know" was one long continuous shot, but it sure looks like it. The choreography and everything about that scene is a masterpiece

I was born in 1959. I grew up listening to The Beatles. They influenced my musical desires for the rest of my life. I consider The Beatles to be my favorite band and greatest music ever. All bands I enjoy are measured by The Beatles. I love British music. From Uriah Heep, Jade Warrior, Yes, ELP, Gentle Giant, and so many more. I wish The Beatles would have preformed some Jazz like Klaus Doldinger's Passport...

Wow! Great analysis of what is to me an enjoyable but baffling film. I saw it when first broadcast at age 11(now 67) with my brother and parents. I thought it silly and funny; the others thought it completely bizarre. Your breakdown really does help. Thank you.

Quality. He does it over Sgt Pepper and he does it again over Magical Mystery Tour . Bravo. Really enjoyed it. Thank you.

19:52 the drumming Aunt Jessie wasn't 'behind the scenes footage', it was part of the work print (leaked on the HMC bootleg) where the booklet cartoon and story was ultimately based on.

When it talks about 4 or 5 wizards\tourers\etc it is because YOU, the audience member can choose to be one of the wizards. You can choose to take the ride and to be one of the magical makers. It even has you in front of a chemistry set of your own.

I like how the Beatles cast British comedic actor Nat Jackley probably in the hopes that he'd come up with funny bits...but he was just as confused as everyone else involved in the movie!

Hey James, love the channel for long time now! The posters on the wall are of the Thelemic adaptation of 'The Rosy Cross". Used by many occult schools, such as the Rosicrucians, Golden Dawn, & Crowley's OTO (* check AIWASS & the scene of Paul 'Major McCartney' at the desk w the sign reading "I was") Can't help but wonder if "The Eyes of Man" isn't a reference to the Isle of Man & Gerald Gardner 'father of modern Wicca'...bit of a stretch?? idk. But the stuff on the wall is definitely a Crowley ref....multiple layers/meanings right? Love job you did on the 'Just' video!!! Mystery Solved!! Plz keep up the phenomenal work....SPLENDID!!!

Yes, at first watch, it strikes most everyone as silly, trivial, chaotic, undisciplined, and bla, bla, bla. But, when the dust settles after a number of viewings, you cease to look at what's missing and just enjoy what's there. And, what's there is pure Beatles. It's pure Beatle creativity, energy, experimentation, imagery, imagination and music. And it's wonderful! At this point, the *only* thing I don't like about it, is that it's less than an hour and it comes to an end much too soon.

Hello James, Once again you have managed to analyze perfectly an impossible work of art. I wonder what the music insiders or those in the Beatles' camp would say about this amazing interpretation. I have recently started watching Fellini Films again and MMT plays out very much in the same vibe. Thanks for allowing me to understand and appreciate this work of art.

Really great video. I remember seeing the Blue Jay Way scene when I was about 10 years old and I was simultaneously frightened and intrigued. Love this ridiculous film.

Many Thanks for another beautiful, insightful analysis! It all makes sense now. Brilliant!

I enjoy your explanations of these kinds of things - you do great work! You’ve earned another subscriber

A very interesting video and interpretation. About first view of "Magical Mystery Tour" ... I had read so many places, that it was rubbish, that I didn't expected much. I bought the DVD simply as a collectors item. But of course I watched it. And it brought me in such a cheerful mood. And so - well, if something makes you happy, it's impossible to call it rubbish. So that's what it has been for me: something merry and joyful. Never thought much about hidden meanings in it. But I guess you got a point. It all makes sense.

My mom got me this album for my 5th birthday. Gotta love it!

I think if the BBC had aired a Felini film on that Boxing day the general public would not have liked it either.

If you want to understand any of the Beatles’ 1965+ work, it just takes three little letters

New drinking game: take a sip every time this guy says the movie doesn't have a plot 😂

Despite the typical "not Boxing Day material" whine, MMT was a fantastic film if you look at it for what it actually was: the Grandaddy Prototype of all modern music videos. The Beatles had it down (of course) long before the birth of MTV. They didn't care that it was panned. They knew it's tough being ahead of your time. The Strawberry Fields Forever video was panned too, along with the Penny Lane one (which came out at the same time). Needless to say, they're not panned any more. Neither should MMT.

First off, love this video. Brilliant explanation. But i do remember seeing this on TV when i was around ten . The " I am the Walrus" scene was very memorable and probably sparked my love for the weird and esoteric.

It's entertaining and has great songs. Not a movie, just a 1 hour B&W TV Special. Looks way better in color !!

My new favorite channel. Really amazing and in-dept look at this piece of art. I learned a lot. Thank you.

thank you, Jim. well, I never thought there was much to this film, but I guess I was wrong. I'm even more convinced now, that if it'd been broadcast in color, it would've gone over better. drug trip references being clear only to a few 'insiders'.and appreciating graphic art the way I do, I have to mention how brilliant the lettering which appeared on the front of the LP, 'BEATLES' drawn w/ stars was/is. their best cover, regardless of 'Pepper.'

this is the best channel for beatles and oasis fans. if u both like me you are in the right place.. please keep with this content james and thank you for all work to gather all the information all around the world you gotta spread the word , d'you known what i mean? the word is LOVE , the first step for a revolution

There is nothing to decode, it's an enjoyable film to watch if you're a Beatles fan, nothing more than that.

Watch it every Christmas season. Love it. :)

This is fantastic! Excellent breakdown! Love, love, love ❤❤❤❤

This analysis is just astonishing. lol I don't know where you find the time for these videos, but deeply appreciated, mate. lol

It's all in the name: "Magical Mystery Tour" ✨️ 🎉 🕉 🌟 How about if the movie was just a "bit" of fun?! Funny, stupid, trippy, colorful, happy 😊 🎉 Not to mention it is another great album of Beatles music. Enjoy the music 🎶 as you watch. It's about transformation. 🕉

I think in terms of The Beatles legacy this movie was just an unintentional foreshadowing of an MTV music video format that took off about 20 years after the movie had been released

Wow you make it seems like the Beatles were deep philosophers and mystics. It could explain their world wide crazy popularity. I grew up in that time but in a different language and different culture. I didn’t speak or understood English. Never saw their movies. So the Beatles were for me like the Eiffel tower is to an American: just a symbol of a foreign culture that anyone can identify. Never thought there was any depth to their music but nevertheless I enjoyed it. Your analysis really opens up a lot of boxes in the understanding of the end of the xxth century. Very interesting thank you.

Fantastic analysis. I really enjoyed this video! Thanks for all the thought and effort you put into it!

I loved the movie! it was fun and the music was GREAT!

Interesting I saw the film when first broadcast on the BBC TV (unfortunately in black and white), at that age I didn't get it but loved the Music. Fool on the Hill resonated with me, "He never listens to them, he knows that their the fools" to me, it saying do your own thing, don't follow the crowd, if your not into something. Perhaps that's why I never smoked although my friends did... I am the Walrus, brilliant reminds me of Lewis Carol nonsense poems, so English. I now love this film, I take from it the message be yourself whatever that is... P.S although I saw the film on release, I never thought about a Hippy bus in America, it was always a bus tour.... I think Dewsbury was just a place which came to mind, I don't think they thought about Leeds, or Paul would have said it's near Leeds .

That's the only Beatles film I've not seen yet. Help is my personal favourite. Brilliant deep dive like the others! :)

I've never seen somebody analyze MMT like this. It does add up, I don't know how long you worked on this theory but it's very well done. I'm going to subscribe right now. Even if others don't believe all you've come up with, your effort and imagination to explain MMT movie is about so should definitely be respected. I really enjoyed this and wasn't expecting anything much.. Bravo James and Thank you. Goodnight-sue

I don’t consider MMT a film, just a collection of music videos. If you watch it that way, it’s actually a pretty cool thing.

Paul & John at that time were 25 & 27 and spent the time of their adulthood in touring, recording, interview, tv specials etc. Where did they find the time to become so proficient with psichedelia and occult? Evidently they have been manovoured from powerful forces which kept hidden

Thanks for sharing your insights! Your posts are always a tasty treat!

I believe John’s fav album was the White Album. As he said because his songs are some of his best!

Another brilliant analysis. I really enjoy these videos you put out. Very thoughtful and deep.

I always knew it was about taking a LSD trip for the longest time, but this takes it to a whole new level. Will forever be my fave. Brilliant video!

There’s a really great fan-edit of this that reorganizes the scenes and makes it a bit more of a standard travelogue adventure. It’s still a trip, but it’s honestly more watchable!

I thought that everyone knew "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was about John's son Julian's drawing of his schoolmate Lucy. I have seen the drawing. Lucy was a real person who died somewhat recently. Nobody would believe her when she said the song was about her, and I suspect this video will go a long way towards furthering that. Also, "I Am the Walrus" was (after the first couple of lines were written) generally a reaction to teachers at Quarry Bank High School analyzing Beatles lyrics. John intended to put a stop to that by deliberately writing nonsense lyrics. With the aid of Pete Shotton he included lines from an old poem from his school days intended to disgust people.

That photo of John with the line "the best way to go is by mdc" always creeped me out. The UK ep was released the 8th of December 1967. We all know what happend exactly 13 years later.

Interesting, but Paul never explained it this way in hundreds of interviews. Why a black carnation? "We ran out of red ones." And so on. Why would they make it so obscure? When something is that far off, one has to raise the possibility that the interpreter is overstepping. I think what the movie mostly shows is, while The Beatles made great songs, they were bad moviemakers. But that is a lot less fun.

I love your TAKE on all these songs, albums and movies. Thank you for these.

Astounding perception James, I do believe you have cracked this. I have always thought that there simply MUST have been an explanation behind what appeared to be random filming. Well done & thank you. I can now understand this with more reasoning. {Clever lads them Beatles} - And you !

I remember seeing it on ITV on Boxing Day 1967. I was 13 so thought it was cool. Still do.

Great deep dive! I noticed someone already got the "Rosy Cross" reference, so I'll just comment that I hope that there are others who did as well. It's apparent that the film's harshest critics were never "on the bus", but then again "The Fool" never cared for real reasons ("So we boobed!" while the film continued to be a major influence).

Wow, that was a fantastic analysis. So well researched and logically laid out. What a joy to watch. Magical Mystery tour is the most seminal and favorite album in my life and I love the movie. Thanks !

Brilliant! I was thinking of that “seven levels” soundbite the whole time!

James you are a frequent guest in my home ala RU-vid, and you are quite a great story teller man! Thanks for the company and the forever interesting videos on my favorite bands!! Happy hollidays

Thanks for this very original contribution to Beatles content!

Interesting analysis, James. Keep up the good work!

As a kid I absolutely loved it. Later in life I loved it too for a while😊

Great review of the most bizarre movie and period of the Beatles career :) I love this movie when I am in the mood for it. All the music is great as always. Great channel James. Loving your content mate

I dont even advocate use of pot which is legal here in Canada. Going to jail is worse than being high but neither are harmless.

I LOVE this film. Mystery Tour has always been my favorite Beatles album🤙🏼🌴

I've never listened for meaning... just enjoyed the music.

Even with an interpretation i think the film is patchy, but it has some great visuals and moments. And the tunes are some of the best in popular music history.

Spielberg says it was a classic taught in art schools. Scorse said the moving camera was ahead of it's time. I was lucky enough to see at my friends colour TV. Loved it at the age of 15 and still love it. US wake up !

Whoa ! Great work, dude! Not having the vinyl in hand like the old days, I was still able to appreciate many of the references to specific songs and images. I have been a slave to the wonderful power of music 🎶 ever since 1965; my first dj assignment. Granny started it. We wore the first Temptations records out. Ever since then I actually listen to lyrics and let it all become a great experience. Air guitar star if there ever was one! All of your insights were eye opening and have fleshed out a skeleton of an idea. I will quite likely be hearing from you again. Thank you 😊

I saw this movie on Boxing Day in 1967, in black and white, we didn't have a colour television. I was 17 years old and i thought that it was brilliant. very clever with enormous charm prcisely because it was not rehearsed. I watch now and it's still brilliant.

When I was little I used to try to make movies and they would turn out weird and crazy. This movie is pretty much what 7 year old me would make if I had access to a bus, actors, and the Beatles.

Without mentioning the influence of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters "on the bus" and their improvised filming of their psychedelic tour of the U.S., which John and Paul had both mentioned in other interviews in reference to MMT, then I'm sorry, your analysis comes up a bit short.

Wow!!! Just watched this analysis. GREAT!! Haven't seen "Magical Mystery Tour" the movie since on videocassette in the '80s. I'm going to have to watch it again. I've never taken acid, but the "circle of life" analogy and the "seven layers" seems to make sense. Feel like I was on a "trip" watching this!!! The ancients wrote of this, in the "Tibetan Book of the Dead" which you mentioned, and also in the Hindu vedic scripts of the Mahabharata, also the ancient Egyptians etc. Timothy Leary was very interesting too. I don't think drugs are the answer, but I do think enlightened awareness is. Thanks for this great video analysis. Finally, it all (almost) makes sense!! Took some of us nearly 56 years to get it!!! And I'm only just 61!!

When the movie was first released on vhs i bought a copy .. In several places throughout, it left me with the feeling they had no idea where it was headed thus a camera was left running in case something interesting, unplanned , or candid happened along the way .. Unfortunately, not much happened other than the intentional sets, subtle drug references, and bits of pre-Python-ish humor about private issues society doesn't openly discuss.. Overall it was bizarre, bewildering as to real meaning, and an overall an adventure to nowhere .. But maybe that was the intent all along, and if so, I never understood why, and I surely didn't "get it." And now postscript after watching this youtube vid , James' analysis makes perfect sense and confirms what many of us assumed however unsure, as it being "a trip." But it's much more than that... James does a fine bang-up job presenting facts showing the film is a symbolistic metaphor on the parallels between the circle of life into reincarnation and an LSD trip

Brilliant analysis, reluctant as I was to view yet another I-am-the-true-Beatles-whisperer-docu I could not let go. You would not deny this guy a serious listen ...

7 levels of consciousness. The 8th is .......... beyond words. Transcendence. 🕉

I’m enjoying your open minded and unbiased reviews. Very refreshing.

I always tried to find meaning in the images that I loved the music of so much. Thanks for the illumination

Great work. Thanks for the enlightening analysis.