The Beatles

From JUOD

The Beatles were a British rock group who rose to fame in the 1960s. They are also known principally in JUOD circles as the second favorite band of JUOD founder Harley P. Mathewson (Mathewson ranks them a "distant second" to REO Speedwagon). It is thought that Mathewson, who knew the group members personally, helped influence the band's later sound.

Origins of Mathewson/Beatles Relationship

In fact, it is little known fact in Beatles history that Mathewson had an inadvertent hand in the band's name. When the group was known as the Quarrymen, and were looking for a new name, Mathewson presented them with a list of his suggestions. Most of them were rejected for their juvenile sexual puns.

• Long John and the Pirates
• Hide the Sausage
• The Hot Beef Injections
• The Pussy Fillers
• Penis

Upset that they were all rejecting his names, Mathewson noticed a bug on the ground next to them. "Well fine," he said, "if you don't like all my band names why don't you just call yourselves...the beetles or something." It stuck.

"Mean Mr. Mustard"

Many music scholars have postulated that the Beatles' song "Mean Mr. Mustard" was in fact about Mathewson. The lyrics to the song contain several possible references to Mathewson: including his habit, in the late 1960s, of sleeping in Hyde Park, and that Mathewson was frequently known shout obscenities.

Break-Up

Scholars have also postulated that Mathewson's anger over the impending break up of the group led to his dispute with his then-friend Jim Henson, and that caused a rift between the two during their game of Candyland in 1969.