# Can anyone explain UNCLE ALBERT/ADMIRAL HALSEY to me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904 "2007-06-21T20:53:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/1 "2007-06-21T20:53:31Z")
OK, I like the song, mostly nostalgia I guess, but I like it. However, I listened closely to the lyrics today and I have no idea what is going on. Is it just a bunch of nonsense lyrics or is there a deeper meaning? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/2 "2007-06-21T21:02:11Z")
It celebrates the hippie lifestyle: rejection of traditional family systems (“We’re so sorry, Uncle Albert”), embracing laziness (“we haven’t done a bloody thing all day”), spiritual togetherness with other cultures (“Hands across the water”), aimless vagabondery (“live a little, be a gypsy, get around”) and free love (“the butter wouldn’t melt so they put it in the pie”). Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/3 "2007-06-21T21:07:42Z")
It means Paul McCartney didn’t have John Lennon around to inject some real world cynicism to offset his peppy, bubbly and sometimes surreal or non-sequitur lyrics to go along with the catchy melodies. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/4 "2007-06-21T21:30:32Z")
It’s typical of what he wrote in that part of his career. Some would say “in his entire solo career.” He’d write three or four unrelated riffs, and he’d duct-tape them together. Who cares if it makes no sense? People will buy what he cranks out. I personally think he’s doing more coherent work these days than _Uncle/Halsey_. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/5 "2007-06-21T21:32:49Z")
Intentionally nonsensical I think. McCartney loved taking random stuff and putting it to music- most famously was _Scrambled Eggs_ which he later changed for _Yesterday_. My guess (this is speculation, not anything I’ve read) is that he probably heard something about Bull Halsey or Prince Albert’s uncle or whatever and it stuck in his head for a moment and he inserted it into a song because it was the right meter; a moment later it might have been “so sorry Aunt Miranda” or “Señor Picasso notified me”). ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/6 "2007-06-21T21:48:08Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] It means Paul McCartney didn’t have John Lennon around to inject some real world cynicism to offset his peppy, bubbly and sometimes surreal or non-sequitur lyrics to go along with the catchy melodies. [/QUOTE] John Lennon was hardly a stranger to lyrical surrealism and non-sequitur, or to fragmented musical constructions. See “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” (yes, it’s nominally a Lennon-McCartney composition, but like most of the White Album material, it’s obviously all one man’s idea). ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/7 "2007-06-22T01:28:56Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] John Lennon was hardly a stranger to lyrical surrealism and non-sequitur, or to fragmented musical constructions. See “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” (yes, it’s nominally a Lennon-McCartney composition, but like most of the White Album material, it’s obviously all one man’s idea). [/QUOTE] True, but there is a definite dark streak underlying “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” and “I Am The Walrus” (“bang bang shoot shoot”, or “experts, experts, choking smokers, don’t you see the joker laughs at you”), versus Paul’s more lighthearted “hands across the water”. I actually do like his solo and Wings stuff, particularly _Baby I’m Amazed_ and _Band On The Run_, but am rather disappointed that his “surreal non-sequitur constructions” are based on mundane things without any satirical or sarcastic undertone. That’s not necessarily a knock, it’s just not his bag, you dig? Where someone like Dylan is singing about how “I ain’t goin’ to work on Maggie’s Farm no more”, or someone like Hendrix how “if 6 turned out to be 9, I don’t mind”, Sir Paul is going on about how “the kettle’s on the boil, and we’re so easily called away”. It’s a catchy earwig of a tune, but at the end of the day, one that feels kind of empty. (Hey, this is my 1000th post. _Happy 1K to me, happy 1K to me, I won’t pay a royalty, or any kind of fee._) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/8 "2007-06-22T01:43:51Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] It’s a catchy earwig of a tune, but at the end of the day, one that feels kind of empty. [/QUOTE] Maybe you’re just not smoking the right stuff. 🆒 If John gets credit for a dark streak for “bang bang shoot shoot,” does Paul get credit for a dark streak for “bang bang Maxwell’s silver hammer”? For what it’s worth, UA/AH has always been one of my favorite McCartney songs. I’m not sure I can explain why, except that I do love a good “suite”-type song, and I’ll take goofy, surreal, non-sequitur lyrics over banal, cliched, boring lyrics any day. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/9 "2007-06-22T01:58:14Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] He’d write three or four unrelated riffs, and he’d duct-tape them together._Uncle/Halsey_. [/QUOTE] I heard _“Dance Tonight”_ and immediately thought: “Someone’s knocking at the door…” ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/10 "2007-06-22T04:13:30Z")
In an interview, McCartney stated ‘Uncle Albert’ refers to a real life uncle who “used to quote the Bible to everyone when he got drunk”. Don’t really know if that helps explain the song, though. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/11 "2007-06-22T12:37:15Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] It means Paul McCartney didn’t have John Lennon around to inject some real world cynicism to offset his peppy, bubbly and sometimes surreal or non-sequitur lyrics to go along with the catchy melodies. [/QUOTE] I came in here to say "It was Paul trying to write _I Am The Walrus_ without John… but \*\*robardin \*\*said it better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/12 "2007-06-22T12:51:53Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] I actually do like his solo and Wings stuff, particularly _Baby I’m Amazed_ and _Band On The Run_… [/QUOTE] I agree - but isn’t it _ **Maybe** I’m Amazed_? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/13 "2007-06-22T14:14:38Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] - most famously was _Scrambled Eggs_ which he later changed for _Yesterday_ [/QUOTE] Pardon me? This sounds like an entry on one of those “make up a fib” threads. 🙂 Upon searching, apparently this is common knowledge. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/14 "2007-06-22T16:39:07Z")
[QUOTE=Martha] I agree - but isn’t it _ **Maybe** I’m Amazed_? [/QUOTE] **Martha** , my dear, you are correct. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/15 "2007-06-22T17:13:05Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Pardon me? This sounds like an entry on one of those “make up a fib” threads. 🙂 Upon searching, apparently this is common knowledge. Oops. [/QUOTE] No, it’s true. However my understanding that McCartney was using “Scrambled Eggs” as dummy lyrics to fit the tune around until he thought of something better. It’s a common practice. Songwriters frequently use nonsensical lyrics as placeholders until they find the right phrase to put in. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/16 "2007-06-22T17:16:54Z")
[QUOTE=NDP] No, it’s true. However my understanding that McCartney was using “Scrambled Eggs” as dummy lyrics to fit the tune around until he thought of something better. [/QUOTE] That’s how I heard the story. ‘Scrambled eggs… Oh baby how I love your legs…’ And there was a bit in the second verse about “Have an omlette with some Muenster cheese/Leave your dishes in the washbin please…” ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/17 "2007-06-22T17:41:59Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] **Martha** , my dear, you are correct. [/QUOTE] Life is very short, and there’s no time for fussing and fighting, my friend. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/18 "2007-06-22T17:46:07Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] ‘Scrambled eggs… Oh baby how I love your legs…’ [/QUOTE] Hey since when has one become a peg? My life’s a yolk. Sweet scrambled eggs!" ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/19 "2007-06-22T18:05:40Z")
What are they sorry for, exactly? A flaming bag of doo on the porch? Stealing his pension? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904/20 "2007-06-22T18:57:01Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] What are they sorry for, exactly? A flaming bag of doo on the porch? Stealing his pension? [/QUOTE] Oh come on. They’re sorry for not having done a thing all day, which apparently caused Uncle Albert pain. That much is pretty clear. Sounds like they were neglecting the poor old geezer. “We’re so easily called away…” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-uncle-albert-admiral-halsey-to-me/408904.md?page=2)