Copyright ©2026 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.
I saw this mural peeking at me on a tunnel wall while birding last week and straight-away the Beatles song ” I am the Walrus started playing in my head.
The Purple Walrus with Sleepy Eyes
Copyright ©2026 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Fun Facts:
“I Am the Walrus” is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It served as the B-side to the hit single “Hello, Goodbye” and appeared on the Magical Mystery Tour EP and album, featuring prominently in the associated television film.
Lennon composed the track to confound listeners attempting to analyze Beatles lyrics for deep meaning, particularly after receiving a letter from a student whose teacher was assigning such interpretations. The lyrics are a surreal collage of three distinct song ideas: one inspired by a police siren, another about sitting in a garden, and a third involving nonsense phrases like “sitting on a cornflake.”
Key elements of the song include:
- Lewis Carroll Inspiration: The title references the poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” though Lennon later noted he mistakenly identified the walrus as the villain rather than the carpenter.
- Orchestral Arrangement: Producer George Martin added a complex orchestral accompaniment featuring violins, cellos, horns, and clarinet, along with the Mike Sammes Singers providing vocal effects.
- Radio Experiment: The outro incorporates a recording of Shakespeare’s King Lear tuned in from an AM radio broadcast, creating a psychedelic fade-out.
- Chart History: The song reached number one on the UK charts as a B-side while “Hello, Goodbye” was at number two, a unique distinction.
I invite you to enjoy yourselves today…Happy Wednesday!!
Fun facts gleaned from the internet AI.
more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
I love this song, I’m a huge Beatles fan. If I had seen that chalk drawing on the pavement, I’d have thought of this song, too. Thanks for the information and backstory.
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I always liked that album, and this song, but I never knew anything about it. My English teachers weren’t very interested in pop-culture. Thanks for the information. I don’t think I ever noticed the AM radio portion before.
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Thank you, Dan! I didn’t know the history behind the song either. I learn a lot myself from the Fun Facts. 😊
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Wow! What an Interesting history of the walrus song, cute sleepy walrus too!
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I learned about the song too. I didn’t know that history before reading the Fun Facts myself. The walrus is cute.
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Thanks Deborah that link you gave me worked and went to the page. Thanks also for the interesting information of the song, it takes us back to our era when we use to follow the Beatles and Stones and play their songs in our band among others. Hoping this comment will take. Enjoy your week my friend.
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that song was perfect for the art and this was fun post!
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Thank you so much, Yvette! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!!
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❤
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What a great mural! I like the meaning behind the song – so fun!
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Thank you so much, Jill! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and song.
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The orchestral addition lifts the song up, I think. It makes it more then ‘just’ nonsensical. I love the image of scolars trying very seriously to makes sense of it. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Peter! It is a good image to imagine isn’t it. 😂
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That’s a lot going on between the lines 😊. Love the mural!
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Thank you so much, Belinda!
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That’s all really in, Deborah. The mural is a cute find too. Hugs. 🤗
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Thank you so much, Teagan! Hugs!
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