Introduction

Dear readers,

Thank you for checking out our blog! We are a group of four undergraduate students currently studying rhetoric at the University of Maryland, College Park. While studying different movements of the 1960s, something that caught our interest was the use of music and the effect it could have on an entire generation. We decided to study two songs written by The Beatles that were released around the same time, but targeted two completely different social movements. The first song we chose, “Revolution” was released in 1968 and caught the attention of the anti-war movement. The second song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, was released in 1967 and really was interpreted as a song about drug use, being that it was released at a time The Hippie Movement was at its height. Together, these texts both convey a message to their audience and had major effects on society. As college students in the 21st century, we are very well aware that our society is hugely impacted by popular culture especially in the form of media and music. We felt that these texts showed the same impact many songs may have on our society today, and that there is much more meaning behind a song then just its title.

The two texts we have chosen may seem completely different but when we began to analyze the meaning behind the two, we found that they actually share some common meaning. Both of these songs had a strong appeal to pathos and kairos, and through these appeals, they were able to similarly affect their listeners. Our blog points out the connection that both songs promote peace and love and because they are both songs, they used similar tactics to do so. The 1960s were a time period full of changes and meaningful movements that had effects on society for years. During this time, it was a challenge for people to stand out amongst the many others trying to make a difference but, The Beatles didn't necessarily have this problem due to their huge popularity and credibility. By analyzing these texts, we were able to see the similarities between the two and how, although intended for different audiences, they generally had the same effect on those who listened.

As you read through our blog you’ll notice how the songs, although they were written in the 1960’s, are still relevant today. The idea of revolution is not a new concept and it’s still applicable today. War continues to plague our world, and the impacts of war in turn affect society. The whole population will never fully support a war because of all the negativity associated with it, therefore, The Beatles antiwar song “Revolution” will remain applicable to today’s society and the future. In regards to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, which was released during the hippie movement, the song was interpreted as a description of the effects of drug use on the mind.This song can relate to today because people still continue to use drugs and have similar experiences as to what is shown in the songs. Also, the movement towards the legalization of marijuana today can be associated with Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. After reading our blog we hope that reader have a better understanding of the 1960’s and how it parallels today's society, nearly 60 years later.

While their kairotic situation played a big part in the Beatles’ relevance, their talented writing style was what kept them so famous. The way that the Beatles craft their songs appeals to the emotion and imagination of its listeners. In “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds”, they use abstract language to challenge their listeners’ imagination. Whether the song is about the use of drugs or a child’s picture, people can make the lyrics their own using their personal experiences to influence their imagination. In “Revolution”, the words appeal to the emotions of people who are affected by the war. Their lyrics about peace and encouragements that everything will be okay are inspirational and strike a lot of emotion in those with a close connection to this issue. In both songs, pathos plays a key role in the song’s connection with its audience.

As English 101 students, we made sure that our blog, which is now a piece of literature, had some elements of rhetoric within it.  The logos of our blog was chosen methodically, so that we could relay the information, and our opinions, in the best way possible.  Our first few posts are about kairos and the major rhetorical arguments within the songs so that we establish a clear background of the era.  Then, we proceed to discuss pathos and ethos, to further develop our rhetorical analysis.  We finish with a few posts about the target audience so that we can come full circle about the atmosphere of the era.  Concluding our blog with a post that describes the audience allows our readers (you guys!) to come back to the idea of how important the time period was, and how the two songs fit into it.  From an aesthetic aspect, the majority of our posts all contain a GIF, a mini video, of The Beatles, or of something that pertains to the era.  These fun and colorful additions to our blog build upon the fact that The Beatles were fun-loving and radical.

Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy the blog!

The Beatles' "Revolution" Audience

By the time "Revolution" was released, the Beatles had already built themselves a solid fan base. They began releasing songs early in the 1960s, so by the time the 1968 anti-war song was released they had already attracted a lot of hippies and people with similar mindsets. "Revolution" opened a new range of listeners that broadened their audience. Along with their previous fans, anyone who felt negatively towards the war or had personal ties to the effects of the war started listening to the Beatles as well. The Beatles used this song to attract more people from different movements and to make a more political statement than they had before.

Logos; or the Complete Lack Thereof?

When writing "Revolution" John Lennon, wasn't focused on providing listeners with several facts and statistics on the war and why people should be against it, he wanted to voice his opinion on the issue of war and hoped that his listeners would agree. The Beatles had such a strong appeal to ethos with their audience, that focusing on logos was less important. Also, by focusing on several cold hard facts the song could actually have a lesser impact on the listeners. In an interview with Rolling Stone Lennon explained that while writing this song:

"I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India. I still had this 'God will save us' feeling about it, that it's going to be all right (even now I'm saying 'Hold on, John, it's going to be all right,' otherwise, I won't hold on) but that's why I did it, I wanted to talk, I wanted to say my piece about revolution. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say 'What do you say? This is what I say.'"

John Lennon wrote this song with the assumption that listeners would be familiar with the current kairotic moment of a time in which people were fighting for peace not war. The Beatles audience wanted to know what stance they should be taking during antiwar movement. Lennon is able to effectively create such a tenacious argument through this song without an appeal to logos, because he focuses primarily on pathos, ethos, and the popularity of the group along side their large following.
-Gina Cole

Logos and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Rebecca Tomilchik

Logos is the rhetorical term used to demonstrate the logic of a piece of literature.  Through reasoning, research, statistics, charts, etc., logos appeals to the logic of an audience.  In the case of the Beatles song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” it is challenging to pinpoint the logos, since it is basically about tripping on acid.  In my opinion, the best way to attempt to describe the logos of this song is to explain how there isn’t any; the lack of logos makes the song more logical.  “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is a piece of creative fiction, a song meant to make people smile and reflect on life.  For example, the lack of logos is exemplified by the stanza:

Newspaper taxis appear on the shore

Waiting to take you away

Climb in the back with your head in the clouds

And you're gone

Although there is no technical logic to this song, such as graphs or statistics, there is a certain element of organization that pertains to the era itself.  The nonsensical lyrics serve to demonstrate the free-spiritedness that The Beatles were attempting to emulate through “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”  The 1960’s were considered to be a hectic time of revolution and protest, and the only logos that was apparent was the need to change society.

Audience- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Rachel Stern 

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was released during a time when many people in society were falling under the influence of The Hippie Movement, and the fascination of experimenting with drugs. Even though The Beatles released many claims that this song had nothing to do with LSD or any drugs for that matter, the audience’s response was what led many to believe these speculations. An important part of 1967, noted as “The summer of love”, had a huge impact on the way this song was interpreted. During this summer, many young people were falling victim to popular culture and the glamour and lure of drug use. Many artists released music during this time and would preform at festivals where people gathered to bond and let loose. Many felt that they connected to this song and that the lyrics were representative of some of the effects of using LSD. Although The Beatles didn't deliberately write this song about drug use, the audience it was released to at the time played a huge role in the way the song was interpreted and would be remembered. 

Ethos in “Revolution”

Natania Lipp

Part of the Beatles’ fame comes from their ability to establish themselves as credible and likable. In “Revolution,” they establish ethos by building onto their already well known track record, and by maintaining a confident tone and vocabulary. However, they do not present themselves as more highly esteemed than their listeners. The song gives off the feel that everyone is in the same situation together. When they say “Well, you know we’re doing what we can” they make their personal intentions seem like a group effort. This language helps bring people together with a common sense of home for the future, and a renewed understanding of the importance of peace. The way that they use their words also maintains clear confidence in what they are saying. The Beatles' way of staying calm and confident throughout the song reinforces that words that they say.

Major Rhetorical Argument/Stasis for “Revolution”

Natania Lipp

In “Revolution” the Beatles challenge the importance of money, destruction and even government policies in their search for peace. They say, “you can count me out” to the idea of destruction, and instead claim that, “you have to wait”. They argue for passive strategy towards achieving peace by using evaluation/value. The Beatles question and discard the importance of money and destruction, and they put their value towards waiting for peace without taking physical action. They bring this concept to their listeners with a cool and confident tone so that their laid back words compliment their upbeat tune. Their use of stasis #3 is convincing because they bring people together in hope simply by changing the value that other people put on physical things.