The 1960's are thought of by many to be the most eventful and changing decade in the history of America. In this time period there was much excitement as well as turmoil in America caused by many factors, including the charismatic leadership of John F. Kennedy, black leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. protesting for civil rights and Malcolm X preaching black superiority and violence, Indians protesting, women petitioning for equal treatment, religion being taken out of public schools, the abortion issue burning, people protesting war, and many other events. The country was changing and doing so rapidly as a growing counterculture was rising among the largest group of adolescents America had ever seen. In this decade the music of "The Beatles" fueled and enhanced the fast-growing counterculture and came at a perfect time, when America needed them most.

When Kennedy was assassinated after the air of excitement he had caused, the country was shocked and somewhat depressed as rumors of war added to this sad time in America. The country needed an emotional lift and weeks later the Beatles showed up. They were upbeat, exciting, longhaired a

In the Beatles song "A Day In The Life", McCartney said he was merely reflecting on his youth, stating: I was just remembering what it was like to to run up the road to catch a bus to school, having a smoke and then going to class. I would have a Woodbine (a cheap unfiltered British cigarette) and someone would speak and I would go into a dream." In the song he sings of being late for the bus, smoking a cigarette, sleeping through school, and he also alludes to smoking marijuana, not exactly painting a picture of a parents dreamchild. Smoking marijuana was a huge part of the sixties counterculture. In "I Am The Walrus", a disjointed nature was used and displayed the use of acid that the Beatles were on when they wrote the song, making up words like "semolina pilchards" and "crabalocker."

All these songs topped the charts, not to mention other countercultural songs like "Tomorrow Never Knows" (Lennon's attempt to capture the LSD experience in sounds and words), "Piggies" (making fun of the middle classes), and "Happiness is Warm Gun" (enough said). They made exciting music about marijuana, LSD, and surrealism and by the mid-sixties became a voice for the rebelling teens of that time period. In 1967 the Beatles released "Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band," which reflected the Beatles' sixties experience with drugs and eastern mysticism, and was considered by many to be the Beatles finest work. By the time SPLHCB came out, the rarest thing in America was a teenager with hair g

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Approximate Word count = 1007
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)