Let’s say Oh Fortuna! is a statistically probabilistic phenomena.
That means most days will be a blend of good and bad, yielding a tepid and flavorless day.
Some days will be weighed heavily toward Fortuna Buena, but unfortunately those days will be marred by suspicions of undeserved happiness.
And then there are the bad days (defined by a good:bad ratio less then 35:65).
In times of trouble, we turn to Mother Mary, or at least the wisdom of the Beatles. Today’s buffer against the fortuna mala[1] will be the Beatles Come Together, from their Abbey Road album.
1] “Fortuna mala” can refer to Fortuna Mala, a specific aspect of the Roman goddess of fate and luck, or to the Spanish phrase “mala fortuna,” which translates to “bad fortune” or “ill fortune”. The concept of Fortuna Mala represents the goddess’s capacity to bring about a series of unlucky events, embodying the worst aspects of fate.
– Gemini
We learned several interesting things about Come Together. We didn’t know the whispered chorus was saying “Shoot me.” Also, we always thought the lyric “he got walrus gumboot” was actually “he got walrus gumbo” – an exotic fusion of New Orleans and Inuit cuisines.
We also thought that “He got muddy water, he one mojo filter” would provide some insight to the fortuna mala, but we haven’t been able to decipher it as nyet.
Come Together - The Beatles
Shoot me (etc.)
Here come old flat-top, he come groovin' up slowly
He got ju-ju eyeball, he one holy roller
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker, he just do what he please
Shoot me (etc.)
He wear no shoeshine, he got toe-jam football
He got monkey finger, he shoot Coca-Cola
He say, "I know you, you know me"
One thing I can tell you is you got to be free
Come together, right now
Over me
Shoot me (etc.)
He bag production, he got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard, he one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knee
Hold you in his armchair, you can feel his disease
Come together, right now
Over me
Shoot me
Right!
Come, come, come, come, come
He roller-coaster, he got early warnin'
He got muddy water, he one mojo filter
He say, "One and one and one is three"
Got to be good-lookin' 'cause he's so hard to see
Come together, right now
Over me
Shoot me (etc.)
A Nastygram Most Foul
Yesterday I was trying to illustrate lyrics from my Spotify listening pleasure, which included Neil Young’s Helpless.
Helpless / Neil Young
There is a town in north Ontario,
With dream comfort memory to spare,
And in my mind I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless
Baby can you hear me now?
The chains are locked and tied across the door,
Baby, sing with me somehow.
Fortuna loves her little surprises.
This image, based on the verbatim prompt, got me booted off NightCafe for 3 days, and screwed up my 330 day streak:
References
My interpretation of the lyrics is that they are a fantastic example of what John Lennon excelled at: creating a powerful mood and a vivid character through a collage of surreal, nonsensical, and blues-inspired imagery. The lyrics don’t tell a linear story; they paint a picture.
Here’s a breakdown of what I make of them:
1. The Origin: A Political Slogan
The song’s origin is key to understanding the title. Lennon originally wrote a more straightforward, upbeat version for Timothy Leary’s 1969 campaign for governor of California. Leary’s campaign slogan was “Come together, join the party.” When Leary was arrested for marijuana possession and his campaign ended, Lennon decided to rework the idea for The Beatles. He slowed it down, gave it that famous, swampy bassline, and filled it with his own brand of “goobledygook,” as he often called it.
2. The Character: A Shamanistic Figure
The verses are essentially a series of bizarre descriptions of a single, cryptic character. This person isn’t real; he’s a mythical, almost shaman-like figure. Each verse introduces more strange attributes:
- “Here come old flat-top, he come groovin’ up slowly”: This line was famously lifted from Chuck Berry’s 1956 song “You Can’t Catch Me” (“Here come a flat-top, he was movin’ up with me”). This later resulted in a lawsuit. The character is introduced as cool and deliberate.
- “He got joo-joo eyeball, he one holy roller”: “Joo-joo eyeball” sounds like voodoo or black magic imagery. A “holy roller” is a term for a fervent, ecstatic religious worshipper. This immediately paints the character as a mystic.
- “He got hair down to his knee”: A classic piece of hippie imagery and surreal exaggeration.
- “He bag production, he got walrus gumboot, he got Ono sideboard”: These are pure Lennonisms. “Bag production” was a term Lennon and Yoko Ono used for their conceptual art. “Walrus gumboot” is a self-reference to “I Am the Walrus.” “Ono sideboard” is a direct, personal nod to his wife.
- “He got feet down below his knee / Hold you in his armchair, you can feel his disease”: This is quintessential lyrical absurdity. The line about “disease” is particularly potent; it suggests this character has a strange, almost contagious power or charisma that is unsettling yet captivating.
3. The Chorus: An Ambiguous Command
The line “Come together, right now, over me” is the anchor of the song.
- Initially a call for political unity for Leary, it becomes something much more primal and mysterious in this context.
- The addition of “over me” changes everything. It’s no longer just a general plea for unity. It becomes a personal, almost ritualistic command. Is it a sexual invitation? A call for followers to gather around him as a guru? A demand for the band to unify musically over his composition?
Its strength lies in this ambiguity. It’s a powerful, rhythmic chant that can mean whatever the listener wants it to.
Conclusion
Ultimately, “Come Together” is a lyrical Rorschach test. Lennon throws a series of brilliant, disconnected phrases at the listener, all grounded by one of the most unforgettable basslines and drum beats in rock history. He isn’t telling you a story; he’s creating an atmosphere. He’s building a myth. The song is less about what the words mean and more about how they feel: cryptic, groovy, dangerous, and impossibly cool. It’s a masterpiece of lyrical collage.
Gemini
Chuck Berry’s rendition:
