The Beatles are really famous for their versatile music but that is not the only thing the Beatles would often speak against the injustice around the world. Well, many might not know but they would even create music against the injustices. Furthermore, the Beatles are really amazing band because they always get inspired and influenced by various things and artists and we can even see and listen to it in their music.
And one of the songs this band wrote and created seems to have been inspired by their manager Brian Samuel Epstein. So which song are we talking about here? the Beatles’ track You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away from their 1965 album Help! Often it is said that John Lennon wrote this song for their manager, this track was kind of like the injustice against gay people, in this context, their manager’s sexuality.
Even if you have not heard the Beatles before but have listened to Bob Dylan, you will immediately recognize that this track was inspired by Dylan, even Lennon himself admitted that he wrote the song when he was in his Dylan period. Although John did not state anything about their manager, many people speculate that the song was indeed written for their manager.
This song seems to be written with an understanding struggles of being gay back in the 1960s. One of the most popular music artists back in the 60s was the legendary musician Bob Dylan. He has inspired many artists including the Rolling Stones frontman and vocalist Mick Jagger.
John Lennon revealed his written track was Dylan inspired
Bob Dylan wrote many songs and he would often write songs from his own life experiences, and reports suggest that it was a very new and unique idea for the Beatles. However, John was always inspired by various artists and his surroundings so he implemented this new idea immediately.
When in an interview with David Sheff he talked about their track You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away back in 1980. And talking about the track he said, “That’s me in my Dylan period again, I am like a chameleon, influenced by whatever is going on. If Elvis can do it, I can do it. If the Everly Brothers can do it, me and Paul can. Same with Dylan.”
Furthermore, Lennon also talked about this track later and told, “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’ is my Dylan period. It’s one of those that you sing a bit sadly to yourself, Here I stand, head in hand… I’d started thinking about my own emotions. I don’t know when exactly it started, like I’m A Loser or Hide Your Love Away, those kind of things.”
He further said, “Instead of projecting myself into a situation, I would try to express what I felt about myself, which I’d done in my books. I think it was Dylan who helped me realise that — not by any discussion or anything, but by hearing his work.”
As mentioned Lennon never said that the track was inspired by or written for their manager Epstein however, because of the track’s title, lyrics, and the time this track was released many people strongly believe that Lennon indeed wrote this track for Epstein.
It is no surprise that back in the 60s gay people had it very rough and since the Beatles knew Epstein was gay and still supported him so it is natural for people to think that way. However, there were also many people who thought that Lennon and Epstein were in a romantic relationship, and especially after went on a holiday in Spain, people started believing this rumor more. Later Lennon talked about the rumor.
John Lennon told in an interview, “I was on holiday with Brian Epstein in Spain, Where the rumours went around that he and I were having a love affair. Well, it was almost a love affair, but not quite. It was never consummated. But it was a pretty intense relationship.” Lennon further explained, “It was my first experience with a homosexual that I was conscious was homosexual. He had admitted it to me. We had this holiday together because Cyn[thia Lennon] was pregnant, and I went to Spain and there were lots of funny stories. We used to sit in a cafe in Torremolinos looking at all the boys and I’d say, Do you like that one, do you like this one? I was rather enjoying the experience, thinking like a writer all the time: I am experiencing this, you know.”
Although people speculate various things about Lennon and his song, the truth is that Epstein was like a father to Lennon as well as to other members of the Beatles. Furthermore, John was really sympathetic to Epstein, and out of love (brotherly or fatherly), he wrote the song for him.
