Context

This line was sung by the Beatles in the song "I Am the Walrus," written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, from the album Magical Mystery Tour (1967).

One of The Beatles' super secret talents was turning the strangest and seemingly inane lyrics into amazing pop rock songs. And the word salad of "I Am the Walrus" is the product of illegal substances, Alice in Wonderland, and John Lennon's vivid imagination.

But between lines about fishwives, getting sunburnt from rain in England, and references to Edgar Allan Poe, Lewis Carroll, and the Hare Krishna religion, there is the ol' faithful walrus. He is the constant in this "curious and curiouser" equation of a song.

But is John the walrus or the egg man? We'll likely never know, and music journalists, fans, and academics will continue to debate this important question until the end of time.

Long story short, "I Am the Walrus" is a very weird song.

Where you've heard it

This is a song whose lyrics you end up thinking about at the end of a dark night of the soul. Or it's just sandwiched between "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Strawberry Fields" on your Beatles road trip playlist.

Additional Notable References:

• Learn more than you ever wanted to know about "I Am the Walrus" in this essay by musicologist Alan Pollack.
• Maybe Bono is the walrus.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Unless you literally have two tusks and some blubber, quoting this lyric will lead to a long winded discussion and kill your dinner party's buzz.