The Beatles' 'Come Together:' Song Meaning, Lyrics, And History

The Beatles. Source: Wikimedia Commons

"Here come old flat-top" it begins, then describes a man with "ju-ju eyeball," "toe-jam football" and "monkey finger" -- "Come Together" contains lyrics that are bizarre even by Beatles standards. We'll probably never know the meaning of every single line, but the history of the song gives us some insight into John Lennon's state of mind.

When it comes to singles The Beatles are a band unmatched in quality. Year after year, album after album John, Paul, George, and Ringo put out non-stop bangers and “Come Together” is easily one of their most groovy tracks. Paul’s bass line doesn’t sound like anything else from their catalog, and the sludgy, funky chorus informed rock n roll throughout the 1970s.

This killer track from Abbey Road got its start as a quickie acoustic song written for Timothy Leary, but once Lennon brought it to the group “Come Together” took on an entirely new life. In spite of the lawsuits and covers that have stemmed from the track it’s still one of the all-time great Beatles tracks that sounds as fresh today as it did in 1969.