Talk:Taxman

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[edit] New lyrics

According to this, Harrison added more lyrics to this song after The Beatles recorded it. (The video is of him and Eric Clapton, Live in Japan, 1991, so who knows when the lyrics were added.) Anyway, I figure the addition should be mentioned in the article. They also changed the names (Mr. Wilson and Mr. Heath) to something more current (I presume, as I'm not too familiar with UK officials, especially from back then).

The new lyrics, from what I can gather, are:

If I reduce it down, you'll see (Taxman/I promise, you'll see)

You'll get back more with the VAT (ah, ah, Mr. Bush)

'Cause I'm the taxman

Yeah, I'm the taxman

If you get a head, I'll tax your hat

If you get a pet, I'll tax your cat

If you wipe your feet, I'll tax the mat

If you hold the weight, I'll tax your fat

—Gordon P. Hemsley→✉ 08:37, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Batman

Since there is no doubt that the similarity between this song and the "Batman" TV series theme song are intented and obvious, I have restored the passage about this which Night Gyr removed for no apparent reason. --Sangild 20:42, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Show me a source and I'll believe you, otherwise it's just your own beliefs, which is original research. Night Gyr (talk/Oy) 20:44, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

The source is the song itself. It is a satirical musical quote that anyone can hear if they know the TV theme song. It is not an interpretation, not "my own beliefs", but rather a fact. If you want sources for all evident facts there would never be a Wikipedia. For whatever it is worth, look here or here. What do you want? A scholar stating in a peer reviewed article that the quote is in fact a quote? Or a specification the the very unusual chord and rhythm are identical and that the Batman theme was very popular and well known at the time and that George Harrison watched it? These are all facts, not beliefs. --Sangild 11:12, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Who played bass?

The recent "Harrison set the record straight ..." comment in the article appears to be a reaction to a change where I moved the bass credit from Harrison to McCartney. In the Crawdaddy article, Harrison does not say he played bass on "Taxman". He says he sometimes played bass—which we all knew—but his specific comment about "Taxman" says only that McCartney played the lead guitar. That's pretty well-known and not in dispute. (Ian MacDonald says McCartney played the solo, but gives credit to Harrison for lead guitar also, presumably for playing lead parts elsewhere in the song.)

MacDonald says that McCartney played bass on the song. (WP:OR warning: it sounds like Macca to me.) The Crawdaddy interview does not contradict that. Is there specific evidence that Harrison played bass? If not, the bass credit should be given to McCartney. I will do that, and cite MacDonald, subject to further discussion here.

John Cardinal 17:02, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

As soon as you mentioned Ian MacDonald, I went back and re-read the Crawdaddy piece. I agree with you, and I made the change in the text body and the "credits" section.

Vytal 05:57, 22 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Artist

Why is the artist in the sidebar thing listed as Leo K?

Shj95 (talk) 09:32, 10 May 2008 (UTC)