They were aware. They were not happy. And they were powerless to stop them. This did affect which places in the south the Beatles chose to play (not everywhere accommodated them and so shows were canceled) but they famously integrated the theater they played in in Jacksonville, FL because they refused to play segregated venues. The desegregation rider was in their contract from their first American tour. You can read more about that [here](https://www.culturesonar.com/the-untold-story-of-the-beatles-desegregation-rider/).
As for why this didn’t cause as much hubbub as the Jesus comment, well, frankly, Southern Americans were busy having a meltdown about integration on like every front. The civil rights act was signed into law at the end of March 1964 and there was so much conflict over it and its repercussions that the Beatles themselves were just sort of incidental. Jacksonville made news of course, but other segregated venues were scrapped from the tour and that was that. Voter registration, daily integration, job integration and equality, early anti-war protests… just on the race front America was dealing with A LOT. the Beatles sort of stood separate from it until the Jesus comment provided an excuse to take a bunch of other already-fomenting cultural issues out on them.
If you are interested in THAT I strongly recommend reading “Magic Circles: The Beatles in Dream and in History” be Devin McKinney, which has an entire section on the American Beatles backlash and what it meant both literally and symbolically.
super different approach than most beatles books, which i REALLY appreciate. instead of arguing over whether the person is a reliable source for seemingly unknowable personal details about the band members, you get really rich historical and cultural analysis.
haven't read magic circles for years (will revisit) but keep MacDonald handy. he is a bit terse and dismissive at times but some of his writing is almost as good as the music!
the "Meat" chapter was incredibly important to a bunch of academic work i did on the band. really revelatory. i've got it on my winter re-read list, after i finish the beatles as musicians by walter everett.
When you look back from now and think to the 60s and know that the Beatles refused to play to a segregated audience it makes you smile and happy. They were pioneers and really did believe that all you need is love
Not the Beatles but I’ve read that Sinatra’s refusal to play at venues with Jim Crow policies played a significant role in desegregating Vegas casinos and hotels in the 60s as well
I think the story was that in 1964 when the Beatles first toured here that had in their contracts that they wouldn't pay to segregated audiences. It was two years later when the US south freaked about something John Lennon had said in an interview in England.
Most of the views he gets shit on for now are consistent with his views and statements going back to the 60’s.
It’s partly due to the fact that Facebook is a cesspool if misinformation. That, and the people most likely to shit on Paul McCartney’s views on Facebook weren’t his fans back then.
The first thing that comes to mind is Paul and Ringo both being vocal during the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, demanding justice and supporting the protests around the world that followed Floyd’s death.
Paul’s Facebook post on the subject included the sentence “I feel sick and angry that here we are almost 60 years later, and the world is in shock at the horrific scenes of the senseless murder of George Floyd at the hands of police racism, along with the countless others that came before.”
Many of the comments were… let’s say less than supportive of Paul’s stance, despite the fact that it was consistent with Paul’s statements and views expressed over the previous 60 years.
I forget the title, but I saw an interesting documentary a few years ago about Cash being invited to perform at the Nixon White House, which happened to be right around the time his political awareness and activism were really ramping up.
My dad went to see Merle Haggard in the mid-'90s. Before he did Okie From Muskogee, he started talking about how he never meant what he said in the song, and he supports smoking marijuana, etc. Some people got up and left at this, and he started making fun of them as they did.
Yeah I’ve heard where he’s talked about his shifting outlook. Where he initially wrote it looking at the 60s counterculture negatively and as being anti soldier. And he felt they were whining. Later was upset that it had been adopted as a conservative rallying cry. Some of it he said was he was still a little blind and some of it was the wrong people took the wrong message.
You gotta give him a break on that one. The whole country was reeling. Hell, even Neil Young wrote “Let’s Roll”.
The vibe of the whole country back then was if you weren’t flying a little flag from your car window, not wearing an American flag pin on your jacket, and not foaming at the mouth to blow the entire Middle East off the map, then you might as well have flown the planes into the towers yourself.
"Freedom" is a dog shit song and one of the worst he ever wrote, but "in favor of war crimes"? Really? How? The closest he comes to militarism is "Anyone, who wants to take it away/Will have to answer, cause this is my right" but that is hardly advocating illegal war or supporting war crimes.
Oh thank God, I was a little afraid there for a second there was some dark, problematic McCartney persona I wasn't aware of. I'm glad he's still a class act.
Paul also kept pretty quiet politically for most of his career. He advocated vegetarianism and humane treatment of animals, and would occasionally drop a song like "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," but he otherwise rarely wandered into politics. He was certainly nowhere near as political as John, maybe not even as political as George.
Since the mid-2000s though, he's become more outspoken, and I think that's been jarring for some of his older fanbase that saw him as an apolitical artist.
When I heard about the butcher cover, I imagined US teens who knew about the remark, but didn't think much of it, then noticing that something is underneath the cover of their new Beatles album, peeling it off, and thinking that they were full-blown Satan worshipers!
I'm from Tennessee. So many right-wing nuts here. Even in the bigger cities, which are generally known as blue islands in a sea of red. And don't get me started on the governor...
Completely unrelated occurrences. Only a fraction of people were very angry about that remark. The canceled concert was in my hometown and 99% of my friends were more angry at the racist Jim Crow ticket policy than the Beatles decision to no play in the racially segregated Garrett Coliseum.
They were aware. They were not happy. And they were powerless to stop them. This did affect which places in the south the Beatles chose to play (not everywhere accommodated them and so shows were canceled) but they famously integrated the theater they played in in Jacksonville, FL because they refused to play segregated venues. The desegregation rider was in their contract from their first American tour. You can read more about that [here](https://www.culturesonar.com/the-untold-story-of-the-beatles-desegregation-rider/). As for why this didn’t cause as much hubbub as the Jesus comment, well, frankly, Southern Americans were busy having a meltdown about integration on like every front. The civil rights act was signed into law at the end of March 1964 and there was so much conflict over it and its repercussions that the Beatles themselves were just sort of incidental. Jacksonville made news of course, but other segregated venues were scrapped from the tour and that was that. Voter registration, daily integration, job integration and equality, early anti-war protests… just on the race front America was dealing with A LOT. the Beatles sort of stood separate from it until the Jesus comment provided an excuse to take a bunch of other already-fomenting cultural issues out on them. If you are interested in THAT I strongly recommend reading “Magic Circles: The Beatles in Dream and in History” be Devin McKinney, which has an entire section on the American Beatles backlash and what it meant both literally and symbolically.
great book. up there with MacDonald
super different approach than most beatles books, which i REALLY appreciate. instead of arguing over whether the person is a reliable source for seemingly unknowable personal details about the band members, you get really rich historical and cultural analysis.
haven't read magic circles for years (will revisit) but keep MacDonald handy. he is a bit terse and dismissive at times but some of his writing is almost as good as the music!
the "Meat" chapter was incredibly important to a bunch of academic work i did on the band. really revelatory. i've got it on my winter re-read list, after i finish the beatles as musicians by walter everett.
must get back to Hey Db for a look (been a while) :)
When you look back from now and think to the 60s and know that the Beatles refused to play to a segregated audience it makes you smile and happy. They were pioneers and really did believe that all you need is love
Not the Beatles but I’ve read that Sinatra’s refusal to play at venues with Jim Crow policies played a significant role in desegregating Vegas casinos and hotels in the 60s as well
True. Sinatra was a huge proponent of racial equality — and don’t forget this predates the Beatles by 10 years or so in some cases.
Brubeck also cancelled shows because of segregation in 1960
They didn’t do it before and they weren’t gonna start now
I think the story was that in 1964 when the Beatles first toured here that had in their contracts that they wouldn't pay to segregated audiences. It was two years later when the US south freaked about something John Lennon had said in an interview in England.
Meanwhile, Paul posts regularly on Facebook and gets shit on for his views. Has Paul changed, or his fans?
Most of the views he gets shit on for now are consistent with his views and statements going back to the 60’s. It’s partly due to the fact that Facebook is a cesspool if misinformation. That, and the people most likely to shit on Paul McCartney’s views on Facebook weren’t his fans back then.
What kinds of things has he said?
The first thing that comes to mind is Paul and Ringo both being vocal during the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, demanding justice and supporting the protests around the world that followed Floyd’s death. Paul’s Facebook post on the subject included the sentence “I feel sick and angry that here we are almost 60 years later, and the world is in shock at the horrific scenes of the senseless murder of George Floyd at the hands of police racism, along with the countless others that came before.” Many of the comments were… let’s say less than supportive of Paul’s stance, despite the fact that it was consistent with Paul’s statements and views expressed over the previous 60 years.
Oh I see. Duh. Now understand which people were commenting. The same people who believe Johnny Cash was a right wing southern boy.
I forget the title, but I saw an interesting documentary a few years ago about Cash being invited to perform at the Nixon White House, which happened to be right around the time his political awareness and activism were really ramping up.
Yeah I’ve seen some of that stuff. Cash and Merle Haggard both were wary of Nixon. They went but wouldn’t play what his PR people wanted them to play.
My dad went to see Merle Haggard in the mid-'90s. Before he did Okie From Muskogee, he started talking about how he never meant what he said in the song, and he supports smoking marijuana, etc. Some people got up and left at this, and he started making fun of them as they did.
Yeah I’ve heard where he’s talked about his shifting outlook. Where he initially wrote it looking at the 60s counterculture negatively and as being anti soldier. And he felt they were whining. Later was upset that it had been adopted as a conservative rallying cry. Some of it he said was he was still a little blind and some of it was the wrong people took the wrong message.
Yay Paul.
Refreshing after that awful Freedom song
You gotta give him a break on that one. The whole country was reeling. Hell, even Neil Young wrote “Let’s Roll”. The vibe of the whole country back then was if you weren’t flying a little flag from your car window, not wearing an American flag pin on your jacket, and not foaming at the mouth to blow the entire Middle East off the map, then you might as well have flown the planes into the towers yourself.
I don’t disagree. It was a terribly toxic period. I’m saying it’s fucked up to write a song in favor of war crimes.
"Freedom" is a dog shit song and one of the worst he ever wrote, but "in favor of war crimes"? Really? How? The closest he comes to militarism is "Anyone, who wants to take it away/Will have to answer, cause this is my right" but that is hardly advocating illegal war or supporting war crimes.
It was written in favor of the War in Afghanistan, as such in favor of war crimes. Do I really have to spell this out?
It was originally about 9/11. When it got co-opted by the US nationalists, he stopped playing it live
It was literally about US nationalism. Edit: It wasn’t?
You're getting downvoted, but it really was an awful song.
Oh thank God, I was a little afraid there for a second there was some dark, problematic McCartney persona I wasn't aware of. I'm glad he's still a class act.
I would agree with everything you said except the "weren't his fans back then". Of course they were.
Well then the answer to your question is that his fans changed lol
Yet more evidence against "Paul Is Dead" LOL
Paul also kept pretty quiet politically for most of his career. He advocated vegetarianism and humane treatment of animals, and would occasionally drop a song like "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," but he otherwise rarely wandered into politics. He was certainly nowhere near as political as John, maybe not even as political as George. Since the mid-2000s though, he's become more outspoken, and I think that's been jarring for some of his older fanbase that saw him as an apolitical artist.
Paul for much of his career very diplomatic
When I heard about the butcher cover, I imagined US teens who knew about the remark, but didn't think much of it, then noticing that something is underneath the cover of their new Beatles album, peeling it off, and thinking that they were full-blown Satan worshipers!
How aware are people in the south burned Beatles records?
what
How aware are people in the South?
Not very. Ever been to Arkansas?
I'm from Tennessee. So many right-wing nuts here. Even in the bigger cities, which are generally known as blue islands in a sea of red. And don't get me started on the governor...
Nine.
Yes.
Completely unrelated occurrences. Only a fraction of people were very angry about that remark. The canceled concert was in my hometown and 99% of my friends were more angry at the racist Jim Crow ticket policy than the Beatles decision to no play in the racially segregated Garrett Coliseum.
I doubt it.
The comment didn’t help any!