Happiness is a Warm Gun Lyrics

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  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

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About

Genius Annotation

“Happiness is a Warm Gun” was another one which was banned on the radio – they said it was about shooting up drugs. But they were advertising guns and I thought it was so crazy that I made a song out of it. It wasn’t about ‘H’ at all.
- John Lennon, Anthology

The title “Happiness is a Warm Gun” was inspired by a headline on a gun magazine which producer George Martin had shown Lennon.

The song was extremely difficult for the band to record with its multiple tempo and style changes – it took 70 takes, all in all. However, Paul McCartney later went on to call it his favorite song of the White Album sessions. Lennon, too, was extremely proud of this song, especially the way it seemed to encompass several different styles of rock music at once.

In spite of Lennon’s denial, the song was recorded while Lennon was addicted to heroin, and many of the lines have been interpreted by fans as being allusions to this addiction.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did The Beatles say about "Happiness is a Warm Gun"?
Genius Answer

It was put together from bits of about three different songs and just seemed to run the gamut of many types of rock music. […] I consider it one of my best. It’s a beautiful song, and I really like all the things that are happening in it.

—John Lennon

I like it. It’s a favorite of mine. […] It’s just such a great line, “Happiness Is A Warm Gun,” that John sort of took that and used that as a chorus. And the rest of the words, I think they’re great words, you know. […] It’s just good poetry.

—Paul McCartney

Credits
Produced By
Tambourine By
Drums By
Electric Guitars
Hammond Organ By
Lead Vocals By
Recorded At
EMI Recording Studios, St. John's Wood, City of Westminster, Greater London, England (September 24-26, 1968)
Release Date
November 22, 1968
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