Helter Skelter (Manson scenario)
Encyclopedia
The murders perpetrated by members of Charles Manson
's "Family" were inspired in part by Manson's prediction of Helter Skelter, an apocalyptic war he believed would arise from tension over racial relations between blacks and whites. This "chimerical vision" -- as it was termed by the court that heard Manson's appeal from his conviction for the Tate
/LaBianca killings -- involved reference to music of The Beatles
(particularly songs from The Beatles
, also known as The White Album) and to the New Testament
's Book of Revelation
.
1968. This took place at the Family's base at Myers Ranch, near California's Death Valley
.
In its final form, which was reached by mid-February 1969, the scenario had Manson as not only the war's ultimate beneficiary but its musical cause. He and the Family would create an album with songs whose messages concerning the war would be as subtle as those he had heard in songs of The Beatles
. More than merely foretell the conflict, this would trigger it; for, in instructing "the young love," America's white youth, to join the Family, it would draw the young, white female hippies out of San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury. Black men, thus deprived of the white women whom the political changes of the 1960s had made sexually available to them, would be without an outlet for their frustrations and would lash out in violent crimes against whites. A resultant murderous rampage against blacks by frightened whites would then be exploited by militant blacks to provoke an internecine war of near-extermination between racist and non-racist whites over blacks' treatment. Then the militant blacks would arise to sneakily finish off the few whites they would know to have survived; indeed, they would kill off all non-blacks.
In this holocaust, the members of the enlarged Family would have little to fear; they would wait out the war in a secret city that was underneath Death Valley
that they would reach through a hole in the ground. As the only actual remaining whites upon the race war's true conclusion, they would emerge from underground to rule the now-satisfied blacks, who, as the vision went, would be incapable of running the world; Manson "would scratch [the black man's] fuzzy head and kick him in the butt and tell him to go pick the cotton and go be a good nigger
...."
The term Helter Skelter was from the so-named Beatles song, which involved apparent reference to the British amusement-park ride of that name and was interpreted by Manson as concerned with the war. The song was on the so-called White Album (formal name, The Beatles
), first heard by Manson within a month or so of its November 1968 release:
Although Manson thought almost every song on the album had a meaning connected with the events he and, in his view, The Beatles
were foreseeing, he had to lay out the supposedly coded meanings for his followers. White Album songs specifically known to have been connected with the vision are:
Beatles songs that are not on The Beatles
but are also known to have a connection to Helter Skelter are "Blue Jay Way
" and "Yellow Submarine
."
area (their home territory) to Death Valley
when the days of violence would arrive. They pored over maps to plot a route that would bypass highways and get them to the desert safely. Indeed, Manson was convinced that the song "Helter Skelter" contained a coded statement of the route they should follow.
Manson had said the war would start in the summer of 1969. In late June of that year, months after he'd been frustrated in his efforts to get the album made, he told a male Family member that Helter Skelter was "ready to happen." "Blackie never did anything without whitey showin’ him how," he said. "It looks like we’re gonna have to show blackie how to do it."
On August 8, 1969, the day Manson instructed his followers to carry out the first of two sets of notorious murders, he told the Family, "Now is the time for Helter Skelter." When the murderers returned to Spahn Ranch
, the Family's Los Angeles area headquarters, after the crime, Manson asked Tex Watson, the sole man among them, whether it had been Helter Skelter. "Yeah, it was sure Helter Skelter," Watson replied.
At the conclusion of the second set of murders, the following night (August 9–10), one of the killers wrote "Healter [sic] Skelter" on the refrigerator of the house in which the murders took place. That, along with other references to Beatles songs, was written in blood.
While in the Death Valley
area after the New Year's Eve gathering at which Manson announced Helter Skelter, the Family played over and over The White Album's five following songs:
Ironically, Manson's interpretation of this song specifically wasn't far off. McCartney later explained that the song's intended meaning was indeed about racial struggle in the United States.
In his autobiography, Tex Watson tied the prophecy to one more White Album song, Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
, though he changed monkey to monkeys, plural. While on LSD
at a party in late March 1969, Watson explained, he and two Manson girls realized they themselves were "the monkeys,... just bright-eyed, free little animals, totally uninhibited." As they started "bouncing around the apartment, throwing food against the walls, and laughing hysterically," they were, in their own view (if not that of the others in attendance), "all love -- spontaneous, childlike love." It would seem Watson took the song's "me and my monkey[s]" to signify Manson and the Family, though he doesn't say it that way; he doesn't indicate whether the interpretation was brought to Manson's attention.
Manson himself invoked, too, "Yellow Submarine
," a Beatles song that was released in 1966 and that inspired an animated movie of the same title. The movie was released in November 1968, within a week or so of The White Album
. In the first months of 1969, after he had delivered the Helter Skelter prophecy around the New Year's Eve campfire near Death Valley
, Manson applied the name "Yellow Submarine" to a canary-yellow, Canoga Park house to which the Family repaired at his instruction. There, as they would prepare for Helter Skelter, they would be "submerged beneath the awareness of the outside world."
CHAPTER 7:
CHAPTER 21:
CHAPTER 22:
CHAPTER 16:
CHAPTER 10:
constituted a prologue to his focus on the White Album, there was also a kind of epilogue in the form of Family references to Abbey Road, the Beatle album that came after the White Album.
Abbey Road
was released in the United Kingdom
in late September 1969, after the murders. By that time, most of the Family was at the group's camp in the Death Valley
area, searching for the Bottomless Pit. Around October 1 (the U.S. release date), three Family members arrived at the camp with an advance copy of the album, which the group played on a battery-operated machine.
In the second week of October, the desert redoubts were raided by law officers who found the Family with stolen vehicles, including dune buggies; Manson and several others were arrested. By mid-November, when Manson had become a suspect in the Tate-LaBianca murders, Family members who had been released from jail had made their way back to Spahn Ranch. There, on November 25, 1969, LAPD
confiscated a door on which someone had written "Helter Scelter [sic] is coming down fast."
A photograph shows the confiscated door was also inscribed with "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 -- ALL GOOD CHILDREN (Go to Heaven?)" . This children's rhyme is heard in "You Never Give Me Your Money
," a song that appears on Abbey Road. In October 1970, the prosecution offered testimony about the door during Manson's trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders; but only the "Helter Skelter" inscription seems to have been noted.
In late September or early October 1969, before the arrests, Tex Watson had left the desert camp and gone on to separate himself from the Family. Late in the separation, he, too, bought a cassette
recording of Abbey Road. Walking for miles across the desert to rejoin the Family in late October, he played his tape continuously to see what The Beatles
might have to tell him. When, at the last moment, he turned back, an old prospector informed him the arrests had taken place. Watson returned to his native Texas
, where his own arrest, for the Tate-LaBianca murders, occurred a month later.
In late July 1970, while Manson was on trial, three persons were hacked, two fatally, on the beach near Santa Barbara
, California. One of the Manson girls spoke of this incident as "Maxwell's Silver Hammer
," an Abbey Road song that plainly is about homicidal madness.
1968
1969
On the late 1968 day he and Manson first heard the album, Watson separated himself from the Family, which he did not rejoin until the following March (1969). By that time, Manson’s prophecy had captured the group’s imagination; but Watson would be a while in grasping its details. In his 1978 autobiography (as told to Ray Hoekstra), he wrote as follows:
As has been noted, Bugliosi
led the prosecution in the Tate-LaBianca trials; at the time of the trials, he was a Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney
. Charles Watson is the above-mentioned Family member who took part in the murders. Watkins
was an above-mentioned Family member who was not involved in the murders.
Another source is The Family by Ed Sanders
(Thunder's Mouth Press, New York, 2002. ISBN 1-56025-396-7). Sanders covered Manson's trial for the Los Angeles Free Press; during the trial and in the period that led up to it, he spent time in the company of Family members. His book avoids much detail of the Beatle and Bible references, but it enables the reader to grasp Manson's vision of the Family as marauders wheeling through Helter Skelter's chaos. (When originally published, in 1971, the book was entitled The Family: The Story of Charles Manson's Dune Buggy Attack Battalion.)
See also the trial testimony of Gregg Jakobson
, who met Manson at the home of Beach Boy
Dennis Wilson
in May or early summer of 1968 and who arranged a recording session for Manson in August of that year. Jakobson indicated that Manson and he had talked about Manson’s "philosophy on life" in various settings "innumerable times" – "Maybe 100."
on Sunday, December 14, 1969, is the following:
As can be seen, the word helter-skelter, as it appears in that sentence, is neither capitalized nor in quotation marks. It is being used in its ordinary sense, to indicate that "'Death to All Pigs' – or something to that effect" was written helter-skelter, i.e., in confused, disorderly haste. There is no indication — no apparent awareness on the part of the author — that the word helter-skelter itself was written at the LaBianca house.
The newspaper article, a detailed account of the Tate-LaBianca murders, was entitled "Susan Atkins
' Story of 2 Nights of Murder." It was ghost-written
by Los Angeles Times reporter Jerry Cohen, whose main source was an audio recording of statements Atkins had made to her attorney on December 1. When police gave details of the LaBianca murders to the press, nothing was said about the "healter [sic] skelter" that had been written in blood on the refrigerator door; that detail was not made public. Accordingly, Cohen, in listening to the audio tape
, seems to have had no reason to think Atkins was using helter-skelter in an unusual way. He wrote what he heard: that the killers "wrote helter-skelter" — not that they "wrote 'Helter Skelter.'"
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
's "Family" were inspired in part by Manson's prediction of Helter Skelter, an apocalyptic war he believed would arise from tension over racial relations between blacks and whites. This "chimerical vision" -- as it was termed by the court that heard Manson's appeal from his conviction for the Tate
Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate was an American actress. During the 1960s she played small television roles before appearing in several films. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic performances, she was hailed as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for...
/LaBianca killings -- involved reference to music of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
(particularly songs from The Beatles
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
, also known as The White Album) and to the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
's Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
.
Background
Manson had been predicting racial war for some time before he used the term Helter Skelter. His first use of the term was at a gathering of the Family on New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1968. This took place at the Family's base at Myers Ranch, near California's Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
.
In its final form, which was reached by mid-February 1969, the scenario had Manson as not only the war's ultimate beneficiary but its musical cause. He and the Family would create an album with songs whose messages concerning the war would be as subtle as those he had heard in songs of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. More than merely foretell the conflict, this would trigger it; for, in instructing "the young love," America's white youth, to join the Family, it would draw the young, white female hippies out of San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury. Black men, thus deprived of the white women whom the political changes of the 1960s had made sexually available to them, would be without an outlet for their frustrations and would lash out in violent crimes against whites. A resultant murderous rampage against blacks by frightened whites would then be exploited by militant blacks to provoke an internecine war of near-extermination between racist and non-racist whites over blacks' treatment. Then the militant blacks would arise to sneakily finish off the few whites they would know to have survived; indeed, they would kill off all non-blacks.
In this holocaust, the members of the enlarged Family would have little to fear; they would wait out the war in a secret city that was underneath Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
that they would reach through a hole in the ground. As the only actual remaining whites upon the race war's true conclusion, they would emerge from underground to rule the now-satisfied blacks, who, as the vision went, would be incapable of running the world; Manson "would scratch [the black man's] fuzzy head and kick him in the butt and tell him to go pick the cotton and go be a good nigger
Nigger
Nigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...
...."
The term Helter Skelter was from the so-named Beatles song, which involved apparent reference to the British amusement-park ride of that name and was interpreted by Manson as concerned with the war. The song was on the so-called White Album (formal name, The Beatles
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
), first heard by Manson within a month or so of its November 1968 release:
- When the Beatles’ White Album came out, Charlie listened to it over and over and over and over again. He was quite certain that the Beatles had tapped in to his spirit, the truth — that everything was gonna come down and the black man was going to rise. It wasn’t that Charlie listened to the White Album and started following what he thought the Beatles were saying. It was the other way around. He thought that the Beatles were talking about what he had been expounding for years. Every single song on the White Album, he felt that they were singing about us. The song "Helter Skelter" — he was interpreting that to mean the blacks were gonna go up and the whites were gonna go down.
- — Former Manson follower Catherine ShareCatherine ShareCatherine Louise "Gypsy" Share is a former member of Charles Manson's "Family".-Early life:She was born in Paris to a Hungarian violinist father and a German mother. Her parents were both members of the French underground movement during World War II, and both committed suicide when their daughter...
, 2009 documentaryDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Manson, Cineflix Productions et al.
- — Former Manson follower Catherine Share
Although Manson thought almost every song on the album had a meaning connected with the events he and, in his view, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
were foreseeing, he had to lay out the supposedly coded meanings for his followers. White Album songs specifically known to have been connected with the vision are:
- I Will
- Honey PieHoney Pie"Honey Pie" is a song by the Beatles, from their 1968 eponymous album The Beatles, also known as The White Album. Although credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was composed solely by Paul McCartney.-Interpretation:...
- Don't Pass Me ByDon't Pass Me By"Don't Pass Me By" is a song by The Beatles from the double album The Beatles . Lead vocals were performed by Ringo Starr. It was Starr's first solo composition.-Origin:...
- Yer BluesYer Blues"Yer Blues" is a song by The Beatles, the second song on the third side of The Beatles, also known as The White Album. It is credited to Lennon–McCartney, but was written by John Lennon while in Rishikesh, India.-Lyrics:...
- Sexy SadieSexy Sadie (song)"Sexy Sadie" is the name of a song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon in India and credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Composition:Lennon originally wanted to title the song "Maharishi", but changed the title to "Sexy Sadie" at George Harrison's request...
- Rocky RaccoonRocky Raccoon"Rocky Raccoon" is a song by The Beatles from the double-disc album The Beatles . The song was primarily written by Paul McCartney, who was inspired while playing acoustic guitar with John Lennon and Donovan in India .-Composition:The song, a folk rock ballad, is titled from the character's name,...
- Happiness Is a Warm GunHappiness Is a Warm Gun"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" is a song by The Beatles, featured on the eponymous double-disc album The Beatles, also known as The White Album...
- BlackbirdBlackbird (song)"Blackbird" is a Beatles song from the double-disc album The Beatles . Blackbird was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Origins:...
- Helter Skelter
- PiggiesPiggies"Piggies" is a Beatles song from their double-disc album The Beatles . It was written by George Harrison as social commentary on class and corporate greed.-Instrumentation:...
- Revolution 1
- Revolution 9Revolution 9"Revolution 9" is a recorded composition that appeared on The Beatles' 1968 self-titled LP release . The sound collage, credited to Lennon–McCartney, was created primarily by John Lennon with assistance from George Harrison and Yoko Ono. Lennon said he was trying to paint a picture of a revolution...
- Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My MonkeyEverybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is a song written by John Lennon and performed by The Beatles on their 1968 album The Beatles, also known as "The White Album".-Origins:...
(connected to the prophecy by Family member Charles "Tex" Watson, not necessarily Manson)
Beatles songs that are not on The Beatles
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
but are also known to have a connection to Helter Skelter are "Blue Jay Way
Blue Jay Way
"Blue Jay Way" is a song written by George Harrison; it was first recorded and released by The Beatles on their Magical Mystery Tour album and EP in 1967.-Origins:...
" and "Yellow Submarine
Yellow Submarine (song)
"Yellow Submarine" is a 1966 song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney , with lead vocals by Ringo Starr. It was included on the Revolver album and issued as a single, coupled with "Eleanor Rigby". The single went to number 1 on every major British chart, remained at number 1 for four weeks...
."
Fulfillment
In the months before the murders were conceived, Manson and his followers began preparing for Helter Skelter, which they thought inevitable. In addition to working on songs for the hoped-for album, which would set off everything, they prepared vehicles and other items for their escape from the Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area (their home territory) to Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
when the days of violence would arrive. They pored over maps to plot a route that would bypass highways and get them to the desert safely. Indeed, Manson was convinced that the song "Helter Skelter" contained a coded statement of the route they should follow.
Manson had said the war would start in the summer of 1969. In late June of that year, months after he'd been frustrated in his efforts to get the album made, he told a male Family member that Helter Skelter was "ready to happen." "Blackie never did anything without whitey showin’ him how," he said. "It looks like we’re gonna have to show blackie how to do it."
On August 8, 1969, the day Manson instructed his followers to carry out the first of two sets of notorious murders, he told the Family, "Now is the time for Helter Skelter." When the murderers returned to Spahn Ranch
Spahn Ranch
Spahn Ranch, also known as the Spahn Movie Ranch, was a movie ranch used for filming generally Western-themed movies and television programs. With mountainous terrain, boulder-strewn scenery, and an 'old Western town' set, Spahn Ranch was a versatile filming site for many scripts...
, the Family's Los Angeles area headquarters, after the crime, Manson asked Tex Watson, the sole man among them, whether it had been Helter Skelter. "Yeah, it was sure Helter Skelter," Watson replied.
At the conclusion of the second set of murders, the following night (August 9–10), one of the killers wrote "Healter [sic] Skelter" on the refrigerator of the house in which the murders took place. That, along with other references to Beatles songs, was written in blood.
Beatles lyrics, as interpreted by Manson
- I Will
-
- Lyric: And when at last I find you/ Your song will fill the air/ Sing it loud so I can hear you/ Make it easy to be near you
- Meaning: The Beatles are looking for Jesus Christ.
- Lyric: And when at last I find you/ Your song will fill the air/ Sing it loud so I can hear you/ Make it easy to be near you
- Honey PieHoney Pie"Honey Pie" is a song by the Beatles, from their 1968 eponymous album The Beatles, also known as The White Album. Although credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was composed solely by Paul McCartney.-Interpretation:...
-
- Lyric: Oh, honey pie, my position is tragic/ Come and show me the magic/ Of your Hollywood song
- Meaning: The Beatles know Jesus Christ has returned to Earth and is in Los Angeles. They want Manson to create his "song," that is, his album that will set off Helter Skelter.
- Lyric: Oh, honey pie, you are driving me frantic/ Sail across the Atlantic/ To be where you belong
- Meaning: The Beatles want Jesus Christ to come to England
- Consequence: In early 1969, Manson and his female followers attempt to contact the Beatles by letter, telegram, and telephone; they are struggling to make clear to the Beatles that it is they, the Beatles, who are to come across the Atlantic, to join the family in Death ValleyDeath ValleyDeath Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
.
- Lyric: I'm in love, but I'm lazy
- Meaning: The Beatles love Jesus Christ but are too lazy to go looking for him They've worn themselves out in a trip to India to visit the Maharishi Mahesh YogiMaharishi Mahesh YogiMaharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
, whom they now regard as a false prophet.
- Meaning: The Beatles love Jesus Christ but are too lazy to go looking for him They've worn themselves out in a trip to India to visit the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
- Lyric: Oh, honey pie, my position is tragic/ Come and show me the magic/ Of your Hollywood song
- Don't Pass Me ByDon't Pass Me By"Don't Pass Me By" is a song by The Beatles from the double album The Beatles . Lead vocals were performed by Ringo Starr. It was Starr's first solo composition.-Origin:...
-
- Lyric: I Listen for your footsteps coming up the drive/ Listen for your footsteps, but they don't arrive/ Waiting for your knock dear on my old front door/ I don't hear it; does it mean you don't love me any more?/ I Hear the clock a-ticking on the mantle shelf/ See the hands a-moving, but I'm by myself/ I wonder where you are tonight and why I'm by myself/ I don't see you; does it mean you don't love me any more?
- Meaning: The Beatles are calling for Jesus Christ.
- Lyric: I Listen for your footsteps coming up the drive/ Listen for your footsteps, but they don't arrive/ Waiting for your knock dear on my old front door/ I don't hear it; does it mean you don't love me any more?/ I Hear the clock a-ticking on the mantle shelf/ See the hands a-moving, but I'm by myself/ I wonder where you are tonight and why I'm by myself/ I don't see you; does it mean you don't love me any more?
- Yer BluesYer Blues"Yer Blues" is a song by The Beatles, the second song on the third side of The Beatles, also known as The White Album. It is credited to Lennon–McCartney, but was written by John Lennon while in Rishikesh, India.-Lyrics:...
-
- Lyric: Yes, I'm lonely; wanna die/ Yes, I'm lonely; wanna die/ If I ain't dead already/ Girl, you know the reason why
- Meaning: The Beatles are calling for Jesus Christ.
- Lyric: Yes, I'm lonely; wanna die/ Yes, I'm lonely; wanna die/ If I ain't dead already/ Girl, you know the reason why
- Blue Jay WayBlue Jay Way"Blue Jay Way" is a song written by George Harrison; it was first recorded and released by The Beatles on their Magical Mystery Tour album and EP in 1967.-Origins:...
-
- Lyric: There's a fog upon L.A.Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
/ And my friends have lost their way/ They'll be over soon they said/ Now they've lost themselves instead/ Please don't be long/ Please don't you be very long/ Or I may be asleep.- Meaning: The Beatles are calling for Jesus Christ.
- This connects the Helter Skelter prophecy with a song from outside The BeatlesThe Beatles (album)The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
. "Blue Jay Way" appeared on Magical Mystery TourMagical Mystery Tour (album)The soundtrack was far more favourably received than the film. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for best album in 1968 and reached number 1 in the US for eight weeks...
, the 1967 album that preceded The Beatles and that had, itself, influenced Manson. The Family had come to call its roundabout journey from its place of origin, San Francisco, to its place of settlement, the Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area, the "Magical Mystery Tour." - The primary sources of information on Helter Skelter do not detail Manson's interpretation of the lyrics of this song. If the "friends" are imagined to be the Beatles, looking for Manson in Los Angeles, the lyrics retain their ordinary sense, in which someone is trying to get to a place in L.A.Los ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, not out of it. If, on the other hand, the "friends" are the Family, who, because of the "fog upon L.A.," have "lost their way" to the Beatles in England, the interpretation would seem to be consistent with Manson's view that the lyrics are a call to him ("Please don't you be very long") and that the Beatles want him to "sail across the Atlantic." (See Honey Pie, above.) - "Blue Jay Way" is the name of an actual Los Angeles street; the primary sources of information about Helter Skelter do not indicate whether Manson knew that. George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
was staying at a house on that street when he wrote the song.
- Lyric: There's a fog upon L.A.
- Sexy SadieSexy Sadie (song)"Sexy Sadie" is the name of a song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon in India and credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Composition:Lennon originally wanted to title the song "Maharishi", but changed the title to "Sexy Sadie" at George Harrison's request...
-
- Significance: Manson had renamed Family member Susan AtkinsSusan AtkinsSusan Denise Atkins was a convicted American murderer who was a member of the "Manson family", led by Charles Manson. Manson and his followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in California, over a period of five weeks in the summer of 1969...
"Sadie Mae Glutz" long before the release of The Beatles. This served to reinforce the mental connection Manson felt he had with The Beatles. - In San Francisco, where she met Manson, Atkins had been a topless dancer. Paul WatkinsPaul Watkins (Manson Family)Paul Alan Watkins was a member of Charles Manson’s "Family." In the period leading up to Manson’s trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders, Watkins provided the prosecution with information that clarified the Helter Skelter motive.-Background:By his own account, Paul Watkins lived "a pretty standard...
wrote that Atkins "thrived on sex," and he even seemed to suggest she had the nickname Sexy Sadie before the Family heard the song. Similarly, Tex Watson wrote that the words of "Sexy Sadie" fit Atkins so well "that it made us all sure [the Beatles] had to be singing directly to us." Watson specifically noted that the song's title character "came along to turn on everyone," "broke the rules," and "laid it down for all to see." Atkins, he said, "had broken all the rules, sexually, and liked to talk about her experience and lack of inhibitions."
- Significance: Manson had renamed Family member Susan Atkins
- Rocky RaccoonRocky Raccoon"Rocky Raccoon" is a song by The Beatles from the double-disc album The Beatles . The song was primarily written by Paul McCartney, who was inspired while playing acoustic guitar with John Lennon and Donovan in India .-Composition:The song, a folk rock ballad, is titled from the character's name,...
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- Significance: Rocky Raccoon means "coon," vulgar term for a black man
- Of all the Beatles songs known to have been connected with Helter Skelter, this is the only one that mentions the Bible. (It is possibly the only Beatles song at all that mentions the Bible.) A play on the Gideons InternationalGideons InternationalGideons International is an evangelical Christian organization dedicated to distributing copies of the Bible in over 94 languages and 194 countries of the world, most famously in hotel and motel rooms. The organization was founded in 1899 in Janesville, Wisconsin, as an early American parachurch...
practice of leaving Bibles in hotel rooms, the references are to a Bible left in the room of the title character by a "Gideon":- So one day [Rocky Raccoon] walked into town/ Booked himself a room in the local saloon/ Rocky Raccoon/ Checked into his room/ Only to find Gideon's Bible... Now Rocky Raccoon/ He fell back in his room/ Only to find Gideon's Bible/ Gideon checked out/ And he left it no doubt/ To help with good Rocky's revival.
- Manson made the connection. In the period before his trial, he was visited at the Los Angeles County Jail by David Dalton and David Felton, who were preparing a Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
story, about him, that appeared in the magazine in June 1970. In an article in the October 1998 issue of the periodical GadflyGadfly OnlineGadfly Magazine was a periodical that was created in February 1997 and launched as a full-size print publication in January 1998. At the Utne Reader's Eleventh Annual Alternative Press Awards, in 1999, it won for best Cultural Coverage....
, Dalton, recounting the visit to Manson, relayed the remarks Manson made to Felton and him about "Rocky Raccoon":- "Coon," said Charlie. "You know that's a word they use for black people. You know the line, 'Gideon checked out/ And left no doubt/ To help good Rocky's revival.' Rocky's revival -- re-vival. It means coming back to life. The black man is going to come into power again. 'Gideon checks out' means that it's all written out there in the New Testament, in the Book of Revelations [sic]."
- Happiness Is a Warm GunHappiness Is a Warm Gun"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" is a song by The Beatles, featured on the eponymous double-disc album The Beatles, also known as The White Album...
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- Significance: The Beatles are telling blacks to get guns and fight whites
- Sample lyric: When I hold you in my arms/ And I feel my finger on your trigger/ I know no one can do me no harm/ Because happiness is a warm gun/ (Bang bang, shoot shoot)
While in the Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
area after the New Year's Eve gathering at which Manson announced Helter Skelter, the Family played over and over The White Album's five following songs:
- BlackbirdBlackbird (song)"Blackbird" is a Beatles song from the double-disc album The Beatles . Blackbird was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Origins:...
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- Lyric: Blackbird singing in the dead of night/ Take these broken wings and learn to fly/ All your life/ You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
- Meaning: The black man is going to arise and overthrow the white man. The Beatles are programming blacks to rise.
- In detailing Helter Skelter in his autobiography, Tex Watson invoked this lyric obliquely:
- [The white establishmentThe EstablishmentThe Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
] would slaughter thousands of blacks, but actually only manage to eliminate all the Uncle TomUncle TomUncle Tom is a derogatory term for a person who perceives themselves to be of low status, and is excessively subservient to perceived authority figures; particularly a black person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people....
s, since the "true black race" (sometimes Charlie thought they were the Black MuslimsNation of IslamThe Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
, sometimes the PanthersBlack Panther PartyThe Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
) would have hidden, waiting for their moment. (Emphasis added)
- [The white establishment
- Lyric: Blackbird singing in the dead of night/ Take these broken wings and learn to fly/ All your life/ You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Ironically, Manson's interpretation of this song specifically wasn't far off. McCartney later explained that the song's intended meaning was indeed about racial struggle in the United States.
- Helter Skelter
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- Lyric: When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide/ Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
- Significance: A reference to the Family's emergence from "the Bottomless Pit," the underground Death Valley hideaway where the group will escape the violence of Helter Skelter
- In British EnglishBritish EnglishBritish English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
, helter-skelter not only has its meanings of "confused" or "confusedly" but is the name of an amusement park slide, which this portion of the lyrics suggests is one of the term's surface denotationsDenotation (semiotics)In semiotics, denotation is the surface or literal meaning encoded to a signifier, and the definition most likely to appear in a dictionary.-Discussion :Drawing from the original word or definition proposed by Saussure , a sign has two parts:...
in the song. There is nothing to indicate Manson was aware of this meaning.
- Lyric: Look out... Helter Skelter... She's coming down fast... Yes she is.
- Meaning:The upcoming explosion of race-based violence is imminent. These are the "last few months, weeks, perhaps days, of the old order."
- Even to someone unaware that helter-skelter is the name of a slide, the song's mention of a slide might have indicated that the "she" in this part of the lyrics is someone who, literally or otherwise, is riding on a slide and "coming down fast" (i.e., "helter-skelter", or "out of control"). In My Life with Charles Manson, Paul WatkinsPaul Watkins (Manson Family)Paul Alan Watkins was a member of Charles Manson’s "Family." In the period leading up to Manson’s trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders, Watkins provided the prosecution with information that clarified the Helter Skelter motive.-Background:By his own account, Paul Watkins lived "a pretty standard...
makes clear Manson construed "she" as a reference to the words "helter skelter" themselves. It is Helter Skelter -- which, in America, at least, can be the nounNounIn linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition .Lexical categories are defined in terms of how their members combine with other kinds of...
"confusion" -- that is coming down fast, i.e., is imminent. - In trial testimony, Gregg JakobsonGregg JakobsonGregg Jakobson was an acquaintance of Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. Together they wrote "Baby Blue" along with Karen Lamm, "Celebrate the News", "Forever" and "San Miguel" for The Beach Boys...
, who first met Manson at the home of Beach BoyThe Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
Dennis WilsonDennis WilsonDennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
in May or early summer of 1968, described a mural he had eventually seen at the Spahn RanchSpahn RanchSpahn Ranch, also known as the Spahn Movie Ranch, was a movie ranch used for filming generally Western-themed movies and television programs. With mountainous terrain, boulder-strewn scenery, and an 'old Western town' set, Spahn Ranch was a versatile filming site for many scripts...
, where Manson and most of the Family were residing at the time of the murders:
- Lyric: When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide/ Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
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- Jakobson: There was a room called — it was an old saloon in one of the [ranch’s] old [movie] sets.
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- Prosecutor Vincent BugliosiVincent BugliosiVincent Bugliosi is an American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders. His most recent books are Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy , The Prosecution of George W...
: Among the front buildings at the ranch?
- Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi
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- Jakobson: Right.
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- Bugliosi: Right off Santa Susana Road there?
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- Jakobson: Yes. And there was a big mural in day-glo colors. It glowed with blue light. It depicted Helter Skelter, and it was written.
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- Bugliosi: The words [Helter Skelter] were written?
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- Jakobson. Yes. And there was a picture of the mountains and the desert and Goler Wash, and so on, and Helter Skelter coming down out of the sky.
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- Bugliosi: Something like a map?
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- Jakobson: It was more like a mural that covered the whole wall. It was rather impressive.
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- Manson also hears the Beatles whispering to him to call them in London. (See Honey Pie, above.)
- PiggiesPiggies"Piggies" is a Beatles song from their double-disc album The Beatles . It was written by George Harrison as social commentary on class and corporate greed.-Instrumentation:...
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- Lyric: What they need's a damned good whacking
- Significance: Blacks are going to give "the piggies" -- i.e., the establishmentThe EstablishmentThe Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
-- a damned good whacking. This phrase Manson particularly liked.
- Significance: Blacks are going to give "the piggies" -- i.e., the establishment
- Lyric: Everywhere there's lots of piggies/ Living piggy lives/ You can see them out for dinner/ With their piggy wives/ Clutching forks and knives/ To eat their bacon.
- In Helter Skelter -- The True Story of the Manson MurdersHelter Skelter (book)Helter Skelter is a true crime book by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry. The subject of the book is the 1969 Manson Family murders and Bugliosi's own prosecution of Charles Manson and his followers....
, which he wrote with Curt Gentry, Vincent BugliosiVincent BugliosiVincent Bugliosi is an American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders. His most recent books are Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy , The Prosecution of George W...
, who prosecuted Manson and the others accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders, draws attention to this. He notes that Leno LaBianca was left with a knife in his throat and a fork in his stomach. (Bugliosi has to make the point somewhat indirectly in the text because George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, who wrote the song, refused the book authors' permission to quote the lyrics.)
- In Helter Skelter -- The True Story of the Manson Murders
- Lyric: What they need's a damned good whacking
- Revolution 1
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- Lyric: You say you want a revolution/ Well you know/ We all want to change the world.../ But when you talk about destruction/ Don't you know that you can count me out (in)
- Significance: The singing of "in" after the word "out," even though "in" doesn't appear in the lyrics as they were presented on the printed sheet enclosed with the album, indicates that the Beatles had been undecided but now favor revolution. Though they are no longer on a "peace-and-love trip," they can't admit as much to the establishmentThe EstablishmentThe Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
.
- Significance: The singing of "in" after the word "out," even though "in" doesn't appear in the lyrics as they were presented on the printed sheet enclosed with the album, indicates that the Beatles had been undecided but now favor revolution. Though they are no longer on a "peace-and-love trip," they can't admit as much to the establishment
- Lyric: You say you got a real solution/ Well you know/ We'd all love to see the plan
- Meaning: The Beatles want Manson to tell them how to escape the horrors of Helter Skelter. They are ready for the violence; they want Manson to create his album that will tell them what to do. Its songs will be "the plan" whose subtle messages will be aimed at the various parts of society that will be involved in Helter Skelter.
- Lyric: You say you want a revolution/ Well you know/ We all want to change the world.../ But when you talk about destruction/ Don't you know that you can count me out (in)
- Revolution 9Revolution 9"Revolution 9" is a recorded composition that appeared on The Beatles' 1968 self-titled LP release . The sound collage, credited to Lennon–McCartney, was created primarily by John Lennon with assistance from George Harrison and Yoko Ono. Lennon said he was trying to paint a picture of a revolution...
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- This is the White AlbumThe Beatles (album)The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
piece Manson spoke about the most, the one he deemed most significant. An audio collage more than eight minutes long, it has no lyrics. - Significance: Manson hears machine-gun fire, the oinking of pigs, and the word "Rise." The piece is audio representation of the coming conflict; the repeated utterance "Number 9" is reference to Chapter 9 of the Book of Revelation. Revolution 9 is prophecy, paralleling Revelation 9. "Revolution 9" = Revelation 9.
- "Rise" is "one of [Manson's] big words"; the black man is going to "rise" up against the white man. While playing "Revolution 9," Manson screams "Rise! Rise! Rise!" (From 2:33 to 2:50 of the recording, a voice that could be that of John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
does, in fact, repeat what is possibly the word "Right," not "Rise." About twenty-five seconds before that word is first heard, a voice says something that seems to include the words "lots of stab wounds"; but Bugliosi and Gentry, who mention this in Helter SkelterHelter Skelter (book)Helter Skelter is a true crime book by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry. The subject of the book is the 1969 Manson Family murders and Bugliosi's own prosecution of Charles Manson and his followers....
, do not indicate whether Manson or any of the Family members heard it.) - Manson also hears the Beatles whispering: "Charlie, Charlie, send us a telegram." (See Honey Pie, above.) At approximately 3:45 of the recording, a voice that could be that of George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
does, in fact, seem to be saying something about a telegram.
- This is the White Album
In his autobiography, Tex Watson tied the prophecy to one more White Album song, Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is a song written by John Lennon and performed by The Beatles on their 1968 album The Beatles, also known as "The White Album".-Origins:...
, though he changed monkey to monkeys, plural. While on LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
at a party in late March 1969, Watson explained, he and two Manson girls realized they themselves were "the monkeys,... just bright-eyed, free little animals, totally uninhibited." As they started "bouncing around the apartment, throwing food against the walls, and laughing hysterically," they were, in their own view (if not that of the others in attendance), "all love -- spontaneous, childlike love." It would seem Watson took the song's "me and my monkey[s]" to signify Manson and the Family, though he doesn't say it that way; he doesn't indicate whether the interpretation was brought to Manson's attention.
Manson himself invoked, too, "Yellow Submarine
Yellow Submarine (song)
"Yellow Submarine" is a 1966 song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney , with lead vocals by Ringo Starr. It was included on the Revolver album and issued as a single, coupled with "Eleanor Rigby". The single went to number 1 on every major British chart, remained at number 1 for four weeks...
," a Beatles song that was released in 1966 and that inspired an animated movie of the same title. The movie was released in November 1968, within a week or so of The White Album
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
. In the first months of 1969, after he had delivered the Helter Skelter prophecy around the New Year's Eve campfire near Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
, Manson applied the name "Yellow Submarine" to a canary-yellow, Canoga Park house to which the Family repaired at his instruction. There, as they would prepare for Helter Skelter, they would be "submerged beneath the awareness of the outside world."
Book of Revelation, as interpreted by Manson
CHAPTER 9:- Verses 2-3: And he opened the bottomless pit.... And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth; and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
- locusts = Beatles
- as the scorpions of the earth have power = the power of scorpion, that is, Manson, a ScorpioScorpio (astrology)|Infobox align="right" style="border:3px solid white;"||style="text-align: center;"|Scorpio is the eighth astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 210th and 239th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between 24 October and...
, will prevail - bottomless pit = as noted above, the underground city in which the Family will ride out the ravages of Helter Skelter. The Family would be lowered into this by means of a gold rope; accordingly, Manson bought expensive gold rope at a Santa MonicaSanta MônicaSanta Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
sporting-goods store.
- Verses 7-8: ... [A]nd [the locusts'] faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women....
- the Beatles are men with long hair
- Verse 17: And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinthJacinthJacinth is a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone. Jacinth is also a flower of a reddish blue or deep purple , and hence a precious stone of that colour ....
, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.- breastplates of fire = the Beatles' electric guitars
- fire and smoke and brimstone out of their mouths = the Beatles' powerful lyrics, the power of their music to ignite Helter Skelter
- Verse 7: And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle
- things that are shaped like unto horses prepared unto battle = the dune buggies the Family will be riding during Helter Skelter
- In Manson's view, dune buggies were the ideal vehicles of the apocalypse; they would enable the Family to outrun police in the Bottomless Pit and were light enough that a few of the girls could carry them. During the war, the Family would be making forays from the Bottomless Pit. Accordingly, the dune buggies the Family acquired, licitly and otherwise, were fitted, on Manson's inspiration, with machine gun mounts; while the men would drive, the girls would operate the guns.
- Fitted next to the steering wheel of Manson's personal buggy was a metal scabbard. It held a sword with which, in July, 1969, Manson slashed the ear of Family acquaintance Gary Hinman. On the buggy's front was a winch that Manson envisioned using to evade police, apparently in Helter Skelter. He would fling the winch's rope up into a tree and then winch himself up out of sight as pursuing officers would drive haplessly by.
- In an article published in Los Angeles magazineLos Angeles (magazine)Los Angeles magazine is a monthly regional magazine of national stature. Published by Emmis Communications and produced monthly since the spring of 1961, LA Magazine is a combination of award-winning feature writing, investigative reporting, service journalism, and design, the definitive resource...
in July 2009, as the fortieth anniversary of the Tate-LaBianca murders approached, former Manson associate Catherine ShareCatherine ShareCatherine Louise "Gypsy" Share is a former member of Charles Manson's "Family".-Early life:She was born in Paris to a Hungarian violinist father and a German mother. Her parents were both members of the French underground movement during World War II, and both committed suicide when their daughter...
was quoted as follows:- Charlie talked about Helter Skelter every night. … [W]e’d learn to live off the land. We’d live in the desert and come in on dune buggies and rescue the orphaned white babies. We’d be the saviors.
- Verse 15: And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men
- the four angels = The Beatles, prophets who are preparing the way for Jesus Christ, Manson, to lead the chosen people away to safety
- slay the third part of men = destroy the white race, that is (it would seem), one of the three races
- Verse 16: And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
- two hundred thousand thousand horsemen = motorcycle gang-members Manson is attempting to recruit into the Family, in advance of Helter Skelter
- The motorcyclists, whose attention Manson began cultivating when the Family moved to the Yellow Submarine, were to be the Family's "needed military wing." They and the Family would cruise through Helter Skelter in the manner of a flock of birds, all turning in one direction or another without even a sound from their leader. If the cyclists were to be worthy of surviving Helter Skelter alongside the Family, it was, of course, necessary they attain the Family's level of hippieHippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
enlightenment. Toward this end, Manson unleashed his girls as seductresses, to wean the gang members from predisposition to marriage as well as materialism and concern with time of day (the latter horrors jointly embodied in the wearing of wristwatches); with a passing exception or two, the cyclists remained bourgeois.
- Verse 4: And it was commanded [that the locusts] should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
- not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree = only humans, not nature, will be destroyed in Helter Skelter
- seal of God in their foreheads = a mark that would indicate whether someone was on Manson's side or not; in Helter Skelter, those without it would perish (Manson never described the mark, but he left no doubt he would be able to recognize it.)
- Verse 20: And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk....
- worship of idols of gold and silver and brass = the establishmentThe EstablishmentThe Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
's worship of automobiles, houses, and money
- worship of idols of gold and silver and brass = the establishment
- Verse 1: And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
- the fifth angel =
- according to Gregg JakobsonGregg JakobsonGregg Jakobson was an acquaintance of Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. Together they wrote "Baby Blue" along with Karen Lamm, "Celebrate the News", "Forever" and "San Miguel" for The Beach Boys...
, who arranged a recording session for Manson: Stu Sutcliffe, one of the original five, not four, Beatles - according to Family members such as Tex Watson and Paul WatkinsPaul Watkins (Manson Family)Paul Alan Watkins was a member of Charles Manson’s "Family." In the period leading up to Manson’s trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders, Watkins provided the prosecution with information that clarified the Helter Skelter motive.-Background:By his own account, Paul Watkins lived "a pretty standard...
: Manson
- according to Gregg Jakobson
- the fifth angel =
CHAPTER 7:
- Verse 4: And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
- One hundred forty-four thousand would be the membership of the Family when, in Helter Skelter's aftermath, it would emerge from "the bottomless pit" to rule. "It would be our world then. There would be no one else, except for us and the black servants."
- It is difficult to determine how the Family's number was to grow to one hundred forty-four thousand. In his autobiography, Charles Watson seems to think, with incredulity, that the growth was somehow simply to be a result of procreation; the trial testimony of Paul WatkinsPaul Watkins (Manson Family)Paul Alan Watkins was a member of Charles Manson’s "Family." In the period leading up to Manson’s trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders, Watkins provided the prosecution with information that clarified the Helter Skelter motive.-Background:By his own account, Paul Watkins lived "a pretty standard...
, on the other hand, seems to indicate the increase was to result from the release of the Family's album, which would draw "the young love" to the group. The Family would also acquire (rescue) babies made homeless in Helter Skelter. Several decades were to pass before the Family would at last depart the Bottomless Pit; the group would live there in miniaturized form.
CHAPTER 21:
- Verses 10 and 18: And [an angel] carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heavenHeavenHeaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
from God... and the city was pure goldGoldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, like unto clear glass. - Verse 21: And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
- Verse 23: And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
- The Family's Helter Skelter sanctuary under Death ValleyDeath ValleyDeath Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
would be a city of gold where there would be no sun and no moon.
- The Family's Helter Skelter sanctuary under Death Valley
CHAPTER 22:
- Verse 2: In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month....
- The city underneath Death Valley would have a tree that would bear twelve different kinds of fruit, a different kind each month. (The city was also expected to have chocolateChocolateChocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
fountains; but in that detail, it seems to have departed from the Biblical scheme.)
- The city underneath Death Valley would have a tree that would bear twelve different kinds of fruit, a different kind each month. (The city was also expected to have chocolate
CHAPTER 16:
- Verses 14 and 16: For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.... And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue ArmageddonArmageddonArmageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
.- In his autobiography, Watson seems to indicate that Manson spoke of Helter Skelter as Armageddon, a term that has come to stand for apocalyptic war. In Helter Skelter -- The True Story of the Manson MurdersHelter Skelter (book)Helter Skelter is a true crime book by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry. The subject of the book is the 1969 Manson Family murders and Bugliosi's own prosecution of Charles Manson and his followers....
, BugliosiVincent BugliosiVincent Bugliosi is an American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders. His most recent books are Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy , The Prosecution of George W...
seems to confirm this.
- In his autobiography, Watson seems to indicate that Manson spoke of Helter Skelter as Armageddon, a term that has come to stand for apocalyptic war. In Helter Skelter -- The True Story of the Manson Murders
CHAPTER 10:
- Verses 1 and 2: And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth....
- For about two weeks after their departure from the "Yellow Submarine," Family members moved into -- or broke into -- an unoccupied mansion that had recently been vacated by the rock group Iron ButterflyIron ButterflyIron Butterfly is a US psychedelic rock band best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".Their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated with various members. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the 31st best-selling album in the world, selling more than 25 million copies.-History:The...
. Overlooking the sea from the Mulholland Hills, the house met Manson's demand that "[the Family] have access to the sea and to the desert and that the two roads be joined." - With the help of three hundred dollars' worth of topographical mapsMAPSMaps is the plural of map, a visual representation of an area.As an acronym, MAPS may refer to:* Mail Abuse Prevention System, an organisation that provides anti-spam support...
, the Family laid out a complete and continuous Helter Skelter escape route that ran from Malibu beach (near this Iron Butterfly mansion), past the Family's headquarters at Spahn RanchSpahn RanchSpahn Ranch, also known as the Spahn Movie Ranch, was a movie ranch used for filming generally Western-themed movies and television programs. With mountainous terrain, boulder-strewn scenery, and an 'old Western town' set, Spahn Ranch was a versatile filming site for many scripts...
, and to Golar Wash, site of the Family's desert ranches near Death ValleyDeath ValleyDeath Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
. From Spahn, Manson, peering toward the heart of Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, really could have his right foot upon (toward) the sea and his left foot upon the earth. It was even rumored that Manson or a Family member stole and maybe ruined a half-trackHalf-trackA half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling...
supposedly used to clear a Spahn-area portion of the route. - The escape route was marked with locations for supply-caches, command posts, campsites. The Family's topographical maps were found buried in Death ValleyDeath ValleyDeath Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
.
- For about two weeks after their departure from the "Yellow Submarine," Family members moved into -- or broke into -- an unoccupied mansion that had recently been vacated by the rock group Iron Butterfly
Synthesis
To Manson, the synthesis of Beatles and Bible was hardly to be questioned:- Look at [the Beatles'] songs: songs sung all over the world by the young love; it ain’t nothin’ new.... It’s written in... Revelation, all about the four angels programming the holocaust…the four angels looking for the fifth angel to lead the people into the pit of fire…right out to Death Valley. ... It’s all in black and white, in The White Album — white, so there ain’t no mistakin’ the color....
Abbey Road epilogue
If Manson's interest in and references to Magical Mystery TourMagical Mystery Tour (album)
The soundtrack was far more favourably received than the film. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for best album in 1968 and reached number 1 in the US for eight weeks...
constituted a prologue to his focus on the White Album, there was also a kind of epilogue in the form of Family references to Abbey Road, the Beatle album that came after the White Album.
Abbey Road
Abbey Road (album)
Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album released by the English rock band The Beatles and their last recorded. Though Let It Be was the last album released before the band's dissolution in 1970, work on Abbey Road began in April 1969...
was released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in late September 1969, after the murders. By that time, most of the Family was at the group's camp in the Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
area, searching for the Bottomless Pit. Around October 1 (the U.S. release date), three Family members arrived at the camp with an advance copy of the album, which the group played on a battery-operated machine.
In the second week of October, the desert redoubts were raided by law officers who found the Family with stolen vehicles, including dune buggies; Manson and several others were arrested. By mid-November, when Manson had become a suspect in the Tate-LaBianca murders, Family members who had been released from jail had made their way back to Spahn Ranch. There, on November 25, 1969, LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
confiscated a door on which someone had written "Helter Scelter [sic] is coming down fast."
A photograph shows the confiscated door was also inscribed with "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 -- ALL GOOD CHILDREN (Go to Heaven?)" . This children's rhyme is heard in "You Never Give Me Your Money
You Never Give Me Your Money
"You Never Give Me Your Money" is a song by The Beatles that opens the climactic medley on side two of the album Abbey Road. It was written by Paul McCartney and is credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Structure:...
," a song that appears on Abbey Road. In October 1970, the prosecution offered testimony about the door during Manson's trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders; but only the "Helter Skelter" inscription seems to have been noted.
In late September or early October 1969, before the arrests, Tex Watson had left the desert camp and gone on to separate himself from the Family. Late in the separation, he, too, bought a cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
recording of Abbey Road. Walking for miles across the desert to rejoin the Family in late October, he played his tape continuously to see what The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
might have to tell him. When, at the last moment, he turned back, an old prospector informed him the arrests had taken place. Watson returned to his native Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where his own arrest, for the Tate-LaBianca murders, occurred a month later.
In late July 1970, while Manson was on trial, three persons were hacked, two fatally, on the beach near Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, California. One of the Manson girls spoke of this incident as "Maxwell's Silver Hammer
Maxwell's Silver Hammer
"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is a song by The Beatles, on their album, Abbey Road, sung by Paul McCartney. It was written by McCartney, though credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Background:...
," an Abbey Road song that plainly is about homicidal madness.
Timeline
1967- March 21 - Charles MansonCharles MansonCharles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
, aged 32, is released from Terminal IslandFederal Correctional Institution, Terminal IslandFederal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island is a low-security prison for men located on Reservation Point on Terminal Island and in San Pedro, Los Angeles. The other Federal prison in the Los Angeles area is the Metropolitan Detention Center in Downtown Los Angeles...
, San Pedro, California, after seven years' imprisonment for attempting to cash a forged government check. He is granted permission to move to San Francisco. - Summer - Manson and the first members of what will come to be known as his Family leave the San Francisco area in an old school bus they've modified in hippieHippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
style. (In an alternate account, some months of Manson travels and acquisition of Family members precede the group's departure from San Francisco in the school bus, around November 10.) - November 27 - The Beatles' album Magical Mystery TourMagical Mystery Tour (album)The soundtrack was far more favourably received than the film. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for best album in 1968 and reached number 1 in the US for eight weeks...
is released in the United States. The Family will come to call its geographical and psychological movement in the school bus "the Magical Mystery Tour."
1968
- April 4 - Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, is assassinated in MemphisMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. - Late spring - Having ended up in the Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area after months of roaming through the West Coast and the Southwest, Manson and the Family become associated with The Beach BoysThe Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
' Dennis WilsonDennis WilsonDennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
after Wilson picks up two female Family members hitchhiking in Malibu. Several Family members begin living in Wilson's Pacific Palisades home while, by midsummer, others will be living at the Spahn RanchSpahn RanchSpahn Ranch, also known as the Spahn Movie Ranch, was a movie ranch used for filming generally Western-themed movies and television programs. With mountainous terrain, boulder-strewn scenery, and an 'old Western town' set, Spahn Ranch was a versatile filming site for many scripts...
in (or near) ChatsworthChatsworth, Los Angeles, CaliforniaChatsworth is a district of Los Angeles, California, United States; in the northwestern San Fernando Valley. The district is bordered by the Santa Susana Mountains and unincorporated Los Angeles County lands to the north, Porter Ranch to the northeast, Northridge to the east, West Hills, Canoga...
. During the spring/summer of 1968, Dennis Wilson also introduces Manson to his friend Terry Melcher, a record producer who has worked not only with the Beach Boys, but also with The Byrds, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Mamas & The Papas, & many other L.A. based musical acts. - August 9 - Gregg JakobsonGregg JakobsonGregg Jakobson was an acquaintance of Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. Together they wrote "Baby Blue" along with Karen Lamm, "Celebrate the News", "Forever" and "San Miguel" for The Beach Boys...
, another music industry friend of Dennis Wilson, pays for studio time to record songs written and performed by Manson. - August - Three weeks before his lease on his house is to run out, Dennis Wilson has his manager evict the Family members from it.
- October 31 - Having been consolidated at the Spahn Ranch since the eviction from Dennis Wilson's house, the Family members set out in a new school bus (purchased September 1) toward Death ValleyDeath ValleyDeath Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
to set up an alternate base. - November 1 - The Family members arrive at the Death Valley area's Golar Wash, maybe one hundred twenty miles north of Los Angeles and ninety miles west of Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. They load themselves into the unused Myers Ranch, which is owned by the grandmother of a new Family member. - November 3 - When Manson and Family member Paul WatkinsPaul Watkins (Manson Family)Paul Alan Watkins was a member of Charles Manson’s "Family." In the period leading up to Manson’s trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders, Watkins provided the prosecution with information that clarified the Helter Skelter motive.-Background:By his own account, Paul Watkins lived "a pretty standard...
take a short trip from Golar Wash to visit "Ma Barker," owner of another unused (or little-used) ranch, not far from Myers, Manson presents himself and Watkins to her as musicians in need of a residence congenial to their work. When she agrees to let them stay at the ranch if they'll fix what needs fixing, Manson honors her with one of The Beach BoysThe Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
' gold records, several of which he'd been given by Dennis WilsonDennis WilsonDennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
. On the way back to Golar Wash, Watkins, who has seen a newspaper while they've been on their trek, mentions a police shooting of a young black in San Francisco; Manson replies that a black revolt has been building up for years. He says the killing of Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, is a "heavy number." - November 13 - Animated movie Yellow Submarine, based on the song of the same name by The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, is released in the United States. - November 25 - Release of the Beatles' White AlbumThe Beatles (album)The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
(formal name, The BeatlesThe Beatles (album)The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
) in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. (Release in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was November 22.) - Mid-December - Family member Paul Watkins and two female Family members go to Los Angeles for a few days. While they're there, they see Yellow Submarine.
- Before the end of December - While back at Spahn Ranch, Manson and Charles "Tex" Watson visit an acquaintance in nearby Topanga Canyon. When, in response to a question from the acquaintance, they tell him they haven't heard the new Beatles album, he plays it for them.
- New Year's Eve - Around a campfire on a bitter cold night at the Myers Ranch, the Family members listen as Manson lays out the prophecy of Helter Skelter.
1969
- ~January 10 - Word comes from Manson, who is in Los Angeles, that the Family is to move from the desert to a house he's found in Canoga Park. Because the canary-yellow house is a place where the Family, preparing for Helter Skelter, will be "submerged beneath the awareness of the outside world," Manson dubs it the Yellow Submarine.
- Mid-February - While riding in a car with Paul WatkinsPaul Watkins (Manson Family)Paul Alan Watkins was a member of Charles Manson’s "Family." In the period leading up to Manson’s trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders, Watkins provided the prosecution with information that clarified the Helter Skelter motive.-Background:By his own account, Paul Watkins lived "a pretty standard...
, Manson sees a white woman and a black man holding hands on the street. He explains to Watkins that that's why black men have not yet risen up in rebellion against whites: they're pacified by access to white women. - Before mid-March - In preparation for a visit they are for some reason expecting from Dennis Wilson's friend Terry MelcherTerry MelcherTerrence P. Melcher was an American musician and record producer, who was instrumental in shaping the sound of American West Coast rock music. His greatest contribution to the culture of the time was producing The Byrds' innovative hits "Mr Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and his...
, owner of a record company, Family members clean the Canoga Park house, set up their instruments, and prepare vegetables, lasagna, salad, French bread, freshly baked cookies, and marijuana. They are hoping Melcher will agree to record the music they've been preparing to trigger Helter Skelter; Melcher doesn't arrive. - March 23 - Entering uninvited upon 10050 Cielo Drive10050 Cielo DriveThe original home located at 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, California, has been occupied by many famous Hollywood figures, and was the scene of one of the Manson "family" murders. The house was designed by Robert Byrd in 1942 for French actress Michèle Morgan...
, which he has known as the residence of Terry Melcher, Manson gets a cool reception from a male friend of Sharon TateSharon TateSharon Marie Tate was an American actress. During the 1960s she played small television roles before appearing in several films. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic performances, she was hailed as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for...
, who, with her husband, Roman PolanskiRoman PolanskiRoman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
, is the new lessee; Tate looks on. Manson, who possibly knows Melcher no longer lives at the place, has come calling for someone and is told to check the guest house; after briefly going back to the guest house, he leaves. In the evening, when he enters the property again, Manson is received with an equal lack of enthusiasm, at the guest house, by landlord Rudi Altobelli, an entertainment-industry figure who had met him the previous summer through Dennis Wilson. Though Manson asks for Melcher, he prolongs the conversation with Altobelli and attempts to establish a connection with him. Altobelli, who will be going to Europe the next day, lies that he will be out of the United States for a year; he gives Manson incomplete information about Melcher's new location. In learning that Manson had been directed to the guest house by persons at the main house, Altobelli expresses his wish that Manson not disturb his tenants. Manson leaves; Tate later asks Altobelli whether "that creepy-looking guy" showed up at the guest house. - ~April 1 - The Family starts settling back into the Spahn Ranch, which they had quit after owner George Spahn, under pressure from police, had shut down an unlicensed nightclub they'd set up at the ranch to raise money for their preparations for Helter Skelter. They will not concern themselves with Spahn's objections; during Helter Skelter, they must be at Spahn, from which they'll have a "clear escape route to the desert."
- Mid-June - While Manson and Family member Paul Watkins are discussing Helter Skelter, Manson tells Watkins "it looks like we're gonna have to show blackie how to do it."
- July 27 - In a dispute over money, Family member Bobby BeausoleilBobby BeausoleilRobert Kenneth "Bobby" Beausoleil is a convicted American murderer and associate of the Charles Manson "Family" who is serving a life sentence. He killed music teacher and fellow associate Gary Hinman on July 27, 1969, and has been imprisoned since his arrest for that crime...
acts on Manson's instruction to murder Family acquaintance Gary Hinman. After stabbing Hinman to death, Beausoleil writes "Political piggy" on a wall in Hinman's blood. - August 6 - Beausoleil is arrested after he is caught driving Hinman's car; the knife he used to stab Hinman is found in the car's tire well.
- August 8 - In the afternoon, Manson tells the Family members, "Now is the time for Helter Skelter."
- August 9 - After midnight, acting on Manson's instruction, three Family members including Tex Watson slaughter Sharon TateSharon TateSharon Marie Tate was an American actress. During the 1960s she played small television roles before appearing in several films. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic performances, she was hailed as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for...
and four other persons on the premises of 10050 Cielo Drive10050 Cielo DriveThe original home located at 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, California, has been occupied by many famous Hollywood figures, and was the scene of one of the Manson "family" murders. The house was designed by Robert Byrd in 1942 for French actress Michèle Morgan...
. Susan AtkinsSusan AtkinsSusan Denise Atkins was a convicted American murderer who was a member of the "Manson family", led by Charles Manson. Manson and his followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in California, over a period of five weeks in the summer of 1969...
, one of the killers, writes "Pig" on the house's front door, in Sharon Tate's blood. When the killers and a fourth Family member, who accompanied them, return to Spahn Ranch, Watson assures Manson it was Helter Skelter. - August 10 - After midnight, three Family members acting on Manson's instruction slaughter Leno and Rosemary LaBianca at their Los Feliz home, next door to a house at which Manson and Family members had attended a party the previous year. Using LaBianca blood, one of the killers writes "Rise" and "Death to Pigs" on the living room walls. She writes "Healter [sic] Skelter" on the refrigerator.
Impact
Tex Watson, who, as noted above, was with Manson when Manson first heard the White Album, took part in both the Tate murders and the LaBianca murders. Indeed, in his own recounting of the crimes, he is the only killer to participate directly in every one of the seven homicides and is the sole killer of at least three of the victims. While awaiting trial, he told other Family members, “It seemed like I had to do everything.”On the late 1968 day he and Manson first heard the album, Watson separated himself from the Family, which he did not rejoin until the following March (1969). By that time, Manson’s prophecy had captured the group’s imagination; but Watson would be a while in grasping its details. In his 1978 autobiography (as told to Ray Hoekstra), he wrote as follows:
- Although I got it in bits and pieces, some from the women and some from Manson himself, it turned out to be a remarkably complicated yet consistent thing that he [Manson] had discovered and developed in the three months we'd been apart.
- It was exciting, amazing stuff Charlie was teaching, and we'd sit around him for hours as he told us about the land of milk and honey we'd find underneath the desert and enjoy while the world above us was soaked in blood.
Primary sources
Detail of Helter Skelter is found in the following:- Prosecution's closing argument in trial of Charles Manson and others for the Tate-LaBianca murders. This includes references to and excerpts from testimony of Paul Watkins.
- Helter SkelterHelter Skelter (book)Helter Skelter is a true crime book by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry. The subject of the book is the 1969 Manson Family murders and Bugliosi's own prosecution of Charles Manson and his followers....
-- The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent BugliosiVincent BugliosiVincent Bugliosi is an American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders. His most recent books are Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy , The Prosecution of George W...
with Curt Gentry - Will You Die for Me? by Charles Watson as told to Ray Hoekstra
- My Life with Charles Manson by Paul WatkinsPaul Watkins (Manson Family)Paul Alan Watkins was a member of Charles Manson’s "Family." In the period leading up to Manson’s trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders, Watkins provided the prosecution with information that clarified the Helter Skelter motive.-Background:By his own account, Paul Watkins lived "a pretty standard...
and Guillermo Soledad
As has been noted, Bugliosi
Vincent Bugliosi
Vincent Bugliosi is an American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders. His most recent books are Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy , The Prosecution of George W...
led the prosecution in the Tate-LaBianca trials; at the time of the trials, he was a Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
. Charles Watson is the above-mentioned Family member who took part in the murders. Watkins
Paul Watkins (Manson Family)
Paul Alan Watkins was a member of Charles Manson’s "Family." In the period leading up to Manson’s trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders, Watkins provided the prosecution with information that clarified the Helter Skelter motive.-Background:By his own account, Paul Watkins lived "a pretty standard...
was an above-mentioned Family member who was not involved in the murders.
Another source is The Family by Ed Sanders
Ed Sanders
Ed Sanders is an American poet, singer, social activist, environmentalist, author and publisher and has been a longtime member of the band The Fugs. He has been called a bridge between the Beat and Hippie generations.-Biography:...
(Thunder's Mouth Press, New York, 2002. ISBN 1-56025-396-7). Sanders covered Manson's trial for the Los Angeles Free Press; during the trial and in the period that led up to it, he spent time in the company of Family members. His book avoids much detail of the Beatle and Bible references, but it enables the reader to grasp Manson's vision of the Family as marauders wheeling through Helter Skelter's chaos. (When originally published, in 1971, the book was entitled The Family: The Story of Charles Manson's Dune Buggy Attack Battalion.)
See also the trial testimony of Gregg Jakobson
Gregg Jakobson
Gregg Jakobson was an acquaintance of Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. Together they wrote "Baby Blue" along with Karen Lamm, "Celebrate the News", "Forever" and "San Miguel" for The Beach Boys...
, who met Manson at the home of Beach Boy
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
in May or early summer of 1968 and who arranged a recording session for Manson in August of that year. Jakobson indicated that Manson and he had talked about Manson’s "philosophy on life" in various settings "innumerable times" – "Maybe 100."
Addendum: First public mention
What is apparently the earliest public mention of Helter Skelter seems to have been made unwittingly. In an article that appeared in the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
on Sunday, December 14, 1969, is the following:
- Then they [i.e., the killers in the LaBianca house] wrote helter-skelter in the people’s blood on the refrigerator: "Death to All Pigs" — or something to that effect.
As can be seen, the word helter-skelter, as it appears in that sentence, is neither capitalized nor in quotation marks. It is being used in its ordinary sense, to indicate that "'Death to All Pigs' – or something to that effect" was written helter-skelter, i.e., in confused, disorderly haste. There is no indication — no apparent awareness on the part of the author — that the word helter-skelter itself was written at the LaBianca house.
The newspaper article, a detailed account of the Tate-LaBianca murders, was entitled "Susan Atkins
Susan Atkins
Susan Denise Atkins was a convicted American murderer who was a member of the "Manson family", led by Charles Manson. Manson and his followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in California, over a period of five weeks in the summer of 1969...
' Story of 2 Nights of Murder." It was ghost-written
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
by Los Angeles Times reporter Jerry Cohen, whose main source was an audio recording of statements Atkins had made to her attorney on December 1. When police gave details of the LaBianca murders to the press, nothing was said about the "healter [sic] skelter" that had been written in blood on the refrigerator door; that detail was not made public. Accordingly, Cohen, in listening to the audio tape
Magnetic tape sound recording
The use of magnetic tape for sound recording originated around 1930. Magnetizable tape revolutionized both the radio broadcast and music recording industries. It did this by giving artists and producers the power to record and re-record audio with minimal loss in quality as well as edit and...
, seems to have had no reason to think Atkins was using helter-skelter in an unusual way. He wrote what he heard: that the killers "wrote helter-skelter" — not that they "wrote 'Helter Skelter.'"
External links
- Prosecution's closing argument in trial of Charles Manson 2Violent.com. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
- Prosecution's closing argument in trial of Charles Manson Trial Watch. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
- Testimony of Paul Watkins in the Charles Manson Trial Trial Watch. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
- Book of Revelation, Chapter 9, King James Version Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
- Will You Die for Me? Charles Watson autobiography as told to Ray Hoekstra, 1978. Watson Website. Retrieved May 1, 2007.
- Testimony of Gregg Jakobson in the Charles Manson trial truthontatelabianca.com. Retrieved July 1, 2009.