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Piggies
EntityQ2331523· pop 19· linked from 89 articles

"Piggies" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles (also known as the "White Album"). Written by George Harrison as a social commentary, the song serves as an Orwellian satire on greed and consumerism. Among several elements it incorporates from classical music, the track features harpsichord and orchestral strings in the baroque pop style, which are contrasted by Harrison's acerbic lyrics and the sound of grunting pigs. Although credited to George Martin, the recording was largely produced by Chris Thomas, who also contributed the harpsichord part.

Key facts

Song.name
Piggies
Song.cover
frameless|center|upright=0.75
Song.caption
Cover of the Apple Publishing sheet music (depicting John Lennon)
Song.artist
the Beatles
Song.album
The Beatles
Song.released
22 November 1968
Song.recorded
19–20 September and 10 October 1968
Song.studio
EMI, London
Song.genre
Baroque pop, folk
Song.length
2:04
Song.label
Apple
Song.writer
George Harrison
Song.producer
George Martin

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Composer
John Lennon
Performer
The Beatles
Record label
Apple Records
Show 5 more facts
language of work or name
English language
title
Piggies
publication date
1968-00-00
form of creative work
song
published in
The Beatles
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~26 min read

Encyclopedic overview

16 sections
Contents
  • Background and inspiration
  • Composition
  • Music
  • Lyrics
  • Production
  • Recording
  • Overdubbing
  • Release and reception
  • Charles Manson interpretation
  • Retrospective assessment and legacy
  • Other versions
  • Personnel
  • Notes
  • References
  • Sources
  • External links

"Piggies" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles (also known as the "White Album"). Written by George Harrison as a social commentary, the song serves as an Orwellian satire on greed and consumerism. Among several elements it incorporates from classical music, the track features harpsichord and orchestral strings in the baroque pop style, which are contrasted by Harrison's acerbic lyrics and the sound of grunting pigs. Although credited to George Martin, the recording was largely produced by Chris Thomas, who also contributed the harpsichord part.

In the context of the turbulent political climate of 1968, "Piggies" was adopted by the counterculture as an anti-establishment theme song. It was also among the tracks on The Beatles that cult leader Charles Manson used as the foundation for his Helter Skelter theory of an American race-related countercultural revolution. Inspired especially by the line "What they need's a damn good whacking", Manson's followers left clues relating to the lyrics at the scenes of the Tate–LaBianca murders in August 1969.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Piggies” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (4)