The PID rumor is a facinating piece of trivia. After its introduction
on the air from a DJ with a wild imagination, it had people buying albums,
playing them backwards, listening to songs just for clues they might reveal
about the grizzly death of one of their members. But what you are about
to read will bring all of this into a new light.
The Original Story
The original story of the "Paul is Dead" rumor, condensed, is as follows. Supposedly, sometime back in 1965-66, on a Wednesday morning, Paul McCartney was taking a ride in his car, became distracted by a pretty meter maid, and was involved in a car crash so horrible that it resulted with the loss of his teeth and hair, and ultimately, his life.
The morbid part of all that is that it is said the remaining Beatles
left clues about Paul's death and the rsulting cover-up on their albums
and songs. The hints and clues are too varied in degree (from insignificant
to unbelievable) to include them all here. This article will describe a
different theory.
The New Beatles Rumor
There was indeed a death in the Beatles family, but it occurred much earlier in their career. The Beatles themselves suspected the public was beginning to catch on to their elaborate hoax, so they decided to plant several "clues" in their recordings, on their album covers, etc. to throw people off the track. That's when they came up with the "Paul is Dead" hoax, and, just as they suspected, people ate it up, ruining their needles, scrambling to find "Butcher covers," and listening intently to their songs for clues. Their ruse had succeeded.
But the story actually begins back in 1964. Not 1966, as some historians would have you believe. 1964. The height of Beatlemania. The Beatles were at the top of the charts. Everyone loved the Fab Four. Even the Queen wanted their company. So you can imagine what a tragedy it would be if anyone were to learn one of those fun-loving rascals of rock had died. The remaining band members careers would be over before it began. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
It was during a routine recording session at EMI studios. The Beatles were at their regular posts. John Lennon on lead guitar, George Harrison on guitar, Paul McCartney on bass, and Ringo on drums. George Martin was in the studio, there were various engineers all around. Recording wires were on the floor, leading to amps. All was going like it usually did. Until FATE dealt a heavy blow.
George Harrison was working on a guitar solo, when he stumbled on some wires, causing him to crash face first into a set of speakers. Sparks flew from the electrical mess and George screamed for help. An engineer held John back, warning everyone to stand clear.
Everyone was silent as George's body was removed from EMI studios. It was clearly a sobering moment for all concerned. The studios were closed down for the day. No work would be accomplished. The Fab Four cut down before they were allowed to flourish.
John Lennon, still hurt and angry from the loss of his mother, and the death of his friend Stu Sutliffe, could not acknowledge the death of George. It was too close. John had been standing not far away from George when the tragic accident had occured. Young Lennon had witnessed the whole thing.
Ringo Starr, still a relative newcomer to the group, found himself at a loss; not knowing what to feel, what to say to make things right. Ringo had given up his chance at fame when he left Rory Storm, and now his chance was fast and fleeting.
Paul McCartney had to be the rock. Missing his friend George, but still positive enough to help his friend John work through his pain, Paul convinced John to keep working. George would have wanted it that way.
"Where are we going, John?" Paul would ask.
"To the top, Paulie Boy. To the Toppermost of the Poppermost." It still took John some time to believe that.
Meanwhile George was given a private burial. Everone who was in the studio that day was in attendance, but no one else. It was decided not to ever mention the death of George Harrison to the papers. The Beatles were just beginning to make it big. Many jobs would be in jeopardy. Engineers, technicians, not to mention the boys themselves. Many were afraid John might feel responsible for the accident, so everyone kept quiet.
Not much is known about the previous life of the man who replaced George Harrison as the fourth member of the Beatles. What is known for sure, is that Brian Epstein sanctioned for the boy to have extensive surgery. After surgery was complete, the boy looked uncannily like George Harrison.
It took a little while for the rest of the Beatles to settle in with the *new* George, but soon the boys relaxed and even playfully wrote a song for George to sing called "Do You Want to Know a Secret?" The Beatles loved this little "in" joke.
After a few years went by, the Beatles looked over their catalog of material, and realized that, through no fault of their own, that had inadvertantly left clues behind. Clues that could lead someone to believe that George was dead, and the Beatles were trying to hide that fact.
It was then decided to head this situation off at the pass, and create something ON PURPOSE for the fans to find. Something so unbelievable, and yet mildly possible, that any theory about George being dead would fall by the wayside.
It was then that the Beatles inveted the "Paul is Dead" hoax. The Beatles
had only inserted several clues in their songs, but by 1969, even clues
they didn't create intentionally were being found. The hoax was created
to throw people off the track, and it worked. Until now.
George Is Dead
There are too many clues in the Beatles music and beyond that prove
that George is dead, for it not to be just a rumor. I will now provide
you with an incomplete list of clues proving George is dead.
- Cry For a Shadow - the only Lennon/Harrison composition.
Strange that its an instrumental...
- In Spite of All the Danger - the only McCartney/Harrison
composition, which Paul has said for years was just George
doing the solo. Strange, but I think I hear George singing on
that track.
- George's own admission in his first song, Don't Bother Me:
"I know I'll never be the same..."
- "I Call Your Name, but YOU'RE NOT THERE. Was I to blame?"
- The fact that George used to sing more. He sang lead on at least
four songs at the Decca sessions, then he was reduced to backing
vocals and one song an album.
- Song titles like Do You Want to Know a Secret and I Want to Tell
You
- from I'm Happy Just to Dance with You "If somebody tries to take
my place, lets pretend we just can't see his face. In this world,
there's nothing I would rather do."
- Electric Feedback at the beginning of I FEEL FINE
- "I'm a Loser, and I've lost someone who's near to me."
- from Think For Yourself "I left you far behind."
- from I'm Looking Through You "You don't look different, but you
have changed."
- In the movie A Hard Day's Night! George bumps into an amp, turns and looks at
it. This is during a take of IF I FELL
- "Think for Yourself, cause I WON"T BE THERE for you..."
- Love to You "A lifetime is so short. A NEW ONE CAN BE BOUGHT."
- While my Guitar... "I don't know how someone controlled you.
They bought and sold you."
- I'll Get You "It's not like me to pretend..."
- Banned Songs and Lyrics
- "Not Guilty for leading you astray..."
- While my Guitar Gently Weeps "I look from the wings at the
play you are staging"
- Dr Robert was supposedly Dr. Robert Mackenzie, the plastic surgeon
who treated George.
- from Dr. Robert "You're a new and better man..."
- In the movie Yellow Submarine, George recieves an electric shock
playing with the console.
- Sgt Pepper's Inner Groove in the background, almost subliminally,
a voice says "Paul... not George" further proof the PID hoax
was perpetuated by the Beatles.
- "Life flows on Within You, and WITHOUT YOU"
- Eleanor Rigby "Father Mackenzie wiping the dirt from his hands
as he walks from the grave."
- Supposedly the whole "Paul is Dead" rumor was concocted by
George Harrison...
- In the movie Let It Be, George gets an electric shock. Paul
says "That boy dies, and you're gonna cop it."
...And the clues don't stop there. Here are only a few from
George's solo career.
- " All Things Must Pass away..."
- Only George could write a song called the "Art of Dying"
- from Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) "Give me life,
Give me life..."
- It is rumored that Crackerbox Palace depicts events from
"George's" past at an orphanage.
- Heading for the Light
There you have it. Don't believe me, look over the evidence yourself. For those of you who are rolling their eyes at this, just think of how believable the Paul is Dead rumor was, and look at it now with this new evidence. It was nothing more that an attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of an unsuspecting public, and a good publicity scheme. :)