The song U2 ‘stole back from Charles Manson’
Charles Manson, the murderous leader of The Manson Family, had a burning desire to be famous at any cost. Manson, who was associated with members of The Beach Boys, was a well-known figure in the Los Angeles music scene in the 1960s before gaining notoriety after forming a cult that carried out brutal murders on his demands.
After he grew close with Dennis Wilson from The Beach Boys, Wilson’s band even recorded a version of one of Manson’s songs. However, their relationship turned sour after Manson turned on Wilson after the musician attempted to secure a record deal for his friend, which ultimately failed to materialise. While Manson sent bullets in the post to his former confidante, thankfully, he was physically unharmed.
This incident alone provides a chilling glimpse into the psyche of Manson. He was prepared to throw people to the curb if they couldn’t provide him with a service. He had a messiah complex, believing the world revolved around him to the extent that he thought songs by The Beatles spoke directly to him.
‘Helter Skelter’, taken from The White Album, was also the name he gave to the plan which resulted in the murder of Hollywood star Sharon Tate. The song’s title was written in blood on the walls of her home, changing the meaning of The Beatles track in the eyes of many.
In 2018, Paul McCartney said to NME of Manson’s adoption of ‘Helter Skelter’: “Well, that put me off doing it forever. I thought, I’m not doing [‘Helter Skelter’], you know, because it was too close to that event, and immediately it would have seemed like I was, either I didn’t care about all the carnage that had gone on or whatever, so I kept away from it for a long time.”
It took until 2004 for McCartney to introduce ‘Helter Skelter’ into his solo sets, but many years before, U2 had already attempted to reclaim the song from Manson’s ownership.
On their cover of the track, recorded in Denver and featured on 1988’s Rattle and Hum, Bono introduced the song to the Colorado crowd by saying: “This is the song Charles Manson stole from The Beatles; we’re stealing it back”.
Understandably, due to the nature of Manson’s behaviour, many felt Bono’s comments trivialised his antics. During an interview with Hot Press in 1988, he said of his remarks: “It was a totally off-the-cuff remark, but it was meant in an irreverent kind of way.”
The Irish singer continued: “I don’t want to seem to be defending myself – I don’t see why I have to defend myself – but rock’n’roll has always bad a little bit of irreverence. At the same time, I’m more reverent than anyone about music, about the spirit of it, about what’s at the heart of rock’n’roll.”
While Bono’s comments were slightly naive, the intention came from the right place, and U2 wanted to play their part in stopping the association of ‘Helter Skelter’ with Manson. Although time can heal many wounds, unfortunately, the two remain intrinsically linked.
