Log In
Register
Read the original blog post
5.06pm
31 March 2008
Offline
Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 8 October 1968
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Ken Scott
Released: 22 November 1968 (UK), 25 November 1968 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, acoustic guitar, organ
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
George Harrison: backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Ringo Starr: backing vocals, drums, tambourine
Yoko Ono: vocals, backing vocals
Chris Thomas: Mellotron
Various others,…
Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
12.58am
8 January 2015
Offline
A year and no one’s commented 
This is one of my favourites from the White Album . On the surface it’s a funny cartoonish singalong about a dumb hunter and his elephants. Based as it is on a real incident, it’s really about a mummy’s boy who does what he likes without consequences and little introspection. The excuse that it was kill or be killed with the tiger doesn’t explain the necessity of being in the tiger’s domain for example, and in any case Captain Marvel will swoop in and save the day. I didn’t know about the real Bill at first and mused for years that perhaps it was a general comment on American foreign policy or culture. Interesting too how this song continues the subject matter of shooting and killing on the album generally.
A related note: I’m not sure where the phrase “all the children sing” originates but I’m almost sure that Todd Rundgren, arch Beatle fan that he is, might have been influenced to name a song after that phrase because of Bungalow Bill. Mr Malloy sounds very Bill-like. 
The following people thank ewe2 for this post:
Ahhh Girl, I was the walrus, Beatlebug, WeepingAtlasCedars, vonbonteeI'm like Necko only I'm a bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin and also everyone. Or is everyone me? Now I'm a confused bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin everyone who is definitely not @Joe. This has been true for 2016 & 2017 
but I may have to get more specific in the future.
8.43am
22 July 2015
Offline This is one of those songs that get your head moving back and forth like a camp fire song. Classic piece of work.
10.22am
Moderators
Members
Reviewers
20 August 2013
Offline 
So, did Captain Marvel zap the tiger right between the eyes? All this time I’ve been trying to understand why CM zapped Bungalow Bill. All I could come up with was that the “zapping” magically removed him from the situation/teleported him to safety. I guess I thought if CM had zapped the tiger the lyric would say “it” instead of “him”.
Can buy Joe love! Amazon | iTunes
Check here for "how do I do this" guide to the forum. 
(2017) 
(2018)
10.34am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline If Captain Marvel did the zapping and killed the tiger why do the children sing asking Bungalow Bill what he killed? Unless Captain Marvel is Bungalow Bill, some kind of superhero synonym, but everyone would have to know. Maybe the children are actually mocking Bill because he killed nothing and his mother was protecting him.
Anyway, i’ve never cared for the song and would be one of the first to be thrown out if the album was trimmed to a single disc. The only part I like is the fade out when the whistling begins, folk clap, the mellotron meanders to a stop and John shouts “Hey Up!”, the rest is bordering on garbage.
The following people thank meanmistermustard for this post:
Beatlebug"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.22pm
28 March 2014
Offline I was the walrus said
This is one of those songs that get your head moving back and forth like a camp fire song. Classic piece of work.
I agree, I love this song! Not sure how any Beatles fan could hate it.
BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms! 
6.40pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Uninteresting vocals, uninteresting musicianship (until the end), dull uninteresting story. Falls flat for me.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.52pm
14 February 2016
Offline It’s an awful song, I’d rather listen to “Julia ” 20 times than listen to TCSOBB.
I am you as you are you as you are you and you are all together.
8.28pm
1 November 2013
Offline 
8.32pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline ([{BRACKETS!}])
New to Forumpool? You can introduce yourself here.
If you love The Beatles Bible, and you have adblock, don't forget to white-list this site! 
3.54am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Tough one for me; ‘Julia ‘ or ‘The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill ‘.
Julia is actually shorter in song length yet feels so long when listened to. Both are dull.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
4.13am
27 March 2015
Offline I prefer Julia over The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill , as well. I usually skip Bungalow Bill, to be honest.
The following people thank Mademoiselle Kitty >^..^< for this post:
BeatlebugFormerly Known As JPM-Fangirl --
2016
'Out There' - 07-06-2015 - Ziggo Dome Amsterdam -- 'One On One' - 12-06-2016 - Pinkpop Festival Landgraaf
2.58pm
5 November 2011
Offline I love The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill and would gladly play it on repeat for an hour
The following people thank Little Piggy Dragonguy for this post:
Shamrock WomlbsAll living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit
9.15pm
15 May 2015
Offline Many things I love about this song, but just three I’ll mention now:
1. Using Yoko to sing along, sounding like a cute little urchin.
2. The chord sequence for the chorus, “Hey, Bungalow Bill, what did you kill…” etc. especially at the end when it continues repeating until the end: Very interesting chord changes, traversing two levels, the second level sounding like a key change, and (here’s the kicker) when it goes back to the first level to repeat, it sounds like it’s ascending to a new key change — but ingeniously, it’s not!
3. The couple of times John calls out, “All the children sing!” — not only is his inflection nicely cheeky and snarky, but the rhythm in which he says it both times is very cool in being, or seeming, out of synch with the prevailing tempo — and the second time he subtly varies it such that the word “sing” lands right on the up beat (or the down beat).
The following people thank Pineapple Records for this post:
William Shears Campbell, Shamrock Womlbs, Beatlebug, WeepingAtlasCedars, pepperland, Von BonteeA ginger sling with a pineapple heart,
a coffee dessert, yes you know it's good news...
8.50am
8 January 2015
Offline Pineapple Records said
2. The chord sequence for the chorus, “Hey, Bungalow Bill, what did you kill…” etc. especially at the end when it continues repeating until the end: Very interesting chord changes, traversing two levels, the second level sounding like a key change, and (here’s the kicker) when it goes back to the first level to repeat, it sounds like it’s ascending to a new key change — but ingeniously, it’s not!
Well the two “levels” are sets of chords modulating between keys, so it IS a key change. What helps with that effect is that the bass backs up the way the melody tumbles down between the modulation and not following a classical harmony. Its the sort of thing I like about the Beatles music instincts.
The following people thank ewe2 for this post:
BeatlebugI'm like Necko only I'm a bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin and also everyone. Or is everyone me? Now I'm a confused bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin everyone who is definitely not @Joe. This has been true for 2016 & 2017 but I may have to get more specific in the future.
12.50am
15 May 2015
Offline ewe2 said
Pineapple Records said
2. The chord sequence for the chorus, “Hey, Bungalow Bill, what did you kill…” etc. especially at the end when it continues repeating until the end: Very interesting chord changes, traversing two levels, the second level sounding like a key change, and (here’s the kicker) when it goes back to the first level to repeat, it sounds like it’s ascending to a new key change — but ingeniously, it’s not!Well the two “levels” are sets of chords modulating between keys, so it IS a key change. What helps with that effect is that the bass backs up the way the melody tumbles down between the modulation and not following a classical harmony. Its the sort of thing I like about the Beatles music instincts.
Yes I know the second level is a key change from the first, but when it goes back to the first, it sounds like it’s going up to a new key change rather than looping back.
A ginger sling with a pineapple heart,
a coffee dessert, yes you know it's good news...
5.49pm
26 January 2017
Offline Does anybody know who plays the acoustic guitar riff at the beginning?
"The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles!"
-Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues
"We could ride and surf together while our love would grow"
-Brian Wilson, Surfer Girl
5.54pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline sir walter raleigh said
Does anybody know who plays the acoustic guitar riff at the beginning?
From Joe’s song entry
The Spanish guitar introduction, as noted by Mark Lewisohn in The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, was recorded separately and later edited onto the song. It is likely that this took place during The Beatles’ only 24-hour session, spread over 16 and 17 October, during which a number of edit pieces and crossfades for the White Album were finalised.
The guitar flourish was one of a number of seven-second instrument samples included on the Mellotron Mark II. The identity of the guitarist is said to have been Eric Cook, an Australian session musician, although this is unconfirmed.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
9.32pm
15 March 2017
Offline I don’t mind this song but I can see why some people might not like it. I like that it is playful and it sounds like they were having fun while recording it.
That being said I feel that this song was only released because it was on a double album and probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day if it was a single album.
And in the end the lunch you take is equal to the lunch you bake.
11.09am
1 December 2009
Online meanmistermustard said
If Captain Marvel did the zapping and killed the tiger why do the children sing asking Bungalow Bill what he killed? Unless Captain Marvel is Bungalow Bill, some kind of superhero synonym, but everyone would have to know.
To the extent that I’ve thought about it, I’ve always assumed that CM was indeed Bill himself, that the narrator is being contemptuous about how the cowardly Bill feels like a big man when he’s got his gun, and so the “Captain Marvel” appellation is sarcasm.
The following people thank vonbontee for this post:
Pablo Ramon, Zig, fornGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
1 Guest(s)