<p id=”par-1_49″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/the-beatles/?swcfpc=1″>The Beatles</a>‘ “Helter Skelter” is a famous song that will never shake <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/manson-familys-susan-atkins-said-the-beatles-piggies-captured-cults-mindset.html/”>its association with Charles Manson</a>. That raises a difficult question — is it tasteful for artists to continue to cover the song? Here’s a look at the song’s history and how other bands chose to reinterpret it.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-twofold-historical-importance-of-the-beatles-helter-skelter”>The twofold historical importance of The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’</h2>
<p id=”par-2_68″>The Beatles’ often-covered songs tended to be <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-beatles-yesterday-inspired-madison-beer-song.html/”>soft ballads like “Yesterday,”</a> “Michelle,” and “Here Comes the Sun.” One of The Beatles’ rare rockers that became a standard was “Helter Skelter.” There are two reasons why “Helter Skelter” was so famous. Firstly, it’s sometimes cited as the first heavy metal song or as a precursor to punk rock. Secondly, the tune played a pivotal role in the Manson murders.</p>
<p id=”par-3_36″>According to <a href=”https://www.vox.com/2019/8/7/20695284/charles-manson-family-what-is-helter-skelter-explained” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Vox</a>, Manson believed that “Helter Skelter” was about an apocalyptic race war. He ordered his followers to kill to start the war. Since then, “Helter Skelter” has been famous for all the wrong reasons.</p>
<p id=”par-4_44″>Some covers of “Helter Skelter” seem defensible. Mötley Crüe are not the most tasteful band, but their “Helter Skelter” cover could simply be an homage to the origins of their genre. On the other hand, maybe they covered the track just to look edgy.</p>
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<iframe title=”Helter Skelter (Remastered 2009)” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/vWW2SzoAXMo?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-u2-tried-to-steal-the-song-after-charles-manson-stole-it-from-the-fab-four”>U2 tried to ‘steal’ the song after Charles Manson ‘stole’ it from the Fab Four</h2>
<p id=”par-5_54″>When Marilyn Manson and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-beatles-helter-skelter-rob-zombie-marilyn-manson-covered-song-together.html/”>Rob Zombie recorded the track</a>, it was a meaningless provocation. The former named himself after Charles Manson, and the latter has made multiple movies inspired by <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/marilyn-manson-felt-inspired-guns-n-roses-cover-charles-manson-song.html/”>the Manson Family</a>. Everything about this cover is crying for attention in the worst way. Both singers appear to be glamorizing the Manson Family.</p>
<p id=”par-6_62″>When U2 recorded “Helter Skelter” <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/bono-said-u2s-rattle-and-hum-deeper-critics-thought-right.html/”>for <em>Rattle and Hum</em></a>, Bono prefaced the tune by saying, “This is the song Charles Manson stole from The Beatles; we’re stealing it back.” Maybe that sounds egotistical. However, nobody can deny Bono was trying to relieve the song of its dark past. Perhaps intent differentiates an acceptable cover of “Helter Skelter” from a needlessly provocative cover.</p>
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<iframe title=”Helter Skelter (Live)” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/InTBgzAZOLg?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/charles-manson-felt-the-beatles-honey-pie-message.html/”>
Why Charles Manson Felt The Beatles’ ‘Honey Pie’ Had a Message for Him </a>
</p>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-paul-mccartney-said-the-who-inspired-the-beatles-helter-skelter”>Paul McCartney said The Who inspired The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’</h2>
<p id=”par-7_61″>In the 1997 book <em><a href=”https://www.scribd.com/doc/136885893/Paul-McCartney-Many-Years-From-Now-by-Barry-Miles” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now</a></em>, Paul said he was inspired to write “Helter Skelter” when he read a review of The Who’s proto-metal song “I Can See for Miles.” “I was always trying to write something different, trying to not write in character, and I read this and I was inspired, ‘Oh, wow! Yeah!’” he said. </p>
<p id=”par-8_121″>“Just that one little paragraph was enough to inspire me, to make me make a move,” he added. “So I sat down and wrote ‘Helter Skelter’ to be the most raucous vocal, the loudest drums, etc., etc. I was using the symbol of a helter-skelter [corkscrew-shaped slide] as a ride from the top to the bottom, the rise and fall of <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-beatles-helter-skelter-roman-empire.html/”>the Roman Empire</a> and this was the fall, the demise, the going down. You could have thought of it as a rather cute title but it’s since taken on all sorts of ominous overtones because [Charles] Manson picked it up as an anthem, and since then, quite a few punk bands have done it because it is a raunchy rocker.”</p>
<p id=”par-9_19″>Regardless of the baggage that “Helter Skelter” carries, it remains one of the crowning achievements of The Beatles’ career.</p>