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Released in 1969

Mean Mr. Mustard

Written by Lennon - McCartney

Last updated on May 14, 2021


Album This song officially appears on the Abbey Road LP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1969

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Other Beatles songs referencing Queen Elizabeth II

Related articles

From Wikipedia:

“Mean Mr. Mustard” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. Written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it is the third track of the album’s B-side medley. It was recorded with “Sun King” in one continuous piece.

Composition

The song was written during the Beatles’ stay in India; Lennon said that it was inspired by a newspaper story about a miser who concealed his cash wherever he could in order to prevent people from forcing him to spend it. On reflection, Lennon did not think highly of the composition, dismissing it in Anthology as “a bit of crap I wrote in India.”

A demo version of the song was recorded in May 1968 at Kinfauns, George Harrison’s home in Esher. It appears on Anthology 3. In this version, Mustard’s sister is named Shirley. Lennon changed it to Pam when he saw the opportunity to ease the segue into the song “Polythene Pam“, which follows “Mean Mr. Mustard” on the album. According to Lennon, “In ‘Mean Mr. Mustard’, I said ‘his sister Pam’—originally it was ‘his sister Shirley’ in the lyric. I changed it to Pam to make it sound like it had something to do with it.”

As eventually recorded, “Mustard” originally was to end in the chord of D major—this would have led into the next track in the climactic medley, “Her Majesty“. However, since the latter song was moved to the end of the album, “Mustard” instead hard-edits into “Polythene Pam“, and thus the final note of “Mustard” would open “Her Majesty” as a stand-alone track at the album’s conclusion. The complete version of “Mustard” (with its original clean ending) can be heard on The Beatles: Rock Band video game, as well as Abbey Road‘s 2019 Super Deluxe Edition.

Origin

A newspaper article from the 1960s with the headline “Scotsman’s Meanness was Legendary” has been retrieved which features a man called John Mustard, who lived in Enfield, Middlesex. It has been suggested that Lennon based the song on this. […]

From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:

[a] stereo 14 Aug 1969. crossfaded 14,21 Aug 1969.
UK: Apple PCS 7088 Abbey Road 1969.
US: Apple SO-383 Abbey Road 1969.
CD: EMI CDP 7 46446 2 Abbey Road 1987.

[Sun King / Mean Mr. Mustard] were recorded straight through. The first crossfade joined this to the following item, Polythene Pam / She Came in through the Bathroom Window. The second joined that combined tape to You Never Give Me Your Money.


Lyrics

Mean Mr. Mustard sleeps in the park

Shaves in the dark, trying to save paper


Sleeps in a hole in the road

Saving up to buy some clothes

Keeps a ten-bob note up his nose


Such a mean old man

Such a mean old man


His sister Pam works in a shop

She never stops, she's a go-getter


Takes him out to look at the Queen

Only place that he's ever been

Always shouts out something obscene


Such a dirty old man

Dirty old man

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Mean Mr. Mustard

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.


Going further

Solid State: The Story of "Abbey Road" and the End of the Beatles

Acclaimed Beatles historian Kenneth Womack offers the most definitive account yet of the writing, recording, mixing, and reception of Abbey Road. In February 1969, the Beatles began working on what became their final album together. Abbey Road introduced a number of new techniques and technologies to the Beatles' sound, and included "Come Together," "Something," and "Here Comes the Sun," which all emerged as classics.

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