Polythene Pam (1:12)
1,044,464 plays (236,135 listeners)
Listening now: sarahgrace73, nedsferatu
The song was originally introduced during The White Album sessions; a demo from the Esher Sessions can be found on Anthology 3. Lennon would describe this song, along with “Mean Mr. Mustard”, in The Beatles Anthology as “a bit of crap I wrote in India”.
The name ‘Polythene Pam’ came from the nickname of an early Beatles’ fan from the Cavern Club days, named Pat Hodgett (now Dawson), who would often eat polythene. She became known as ‘Polythene Pat’. She said in an interview, “I used to eat polythene all the time. I’d tie it in knots and then eat it. Sometimes I even used to burn it and then eat it when it got cold.”
Structured as a limerick, the song is superficially about “a mythical Liverpool scrubber dressed up in her jackboots and kilt”, the kind of girl who “makes the News of the World”. The song is also sung in a very strong Liverpudlian “Scouse” accent. In actuality it was inspired by an evening that John spent with poet Royston Ellis and his girlfriend, Stephanie. The three wore bags made of “polythene”, a common British contraction of polyethylene, and slept in the same bed out of curiosity about kinky sex. Incidentally, John would later admit in the 1980 interview with Playboy that Ellis was the first person to introduce The Beatles to drugs when he showed them how to get high from the strips inside a Benzedrine inhaler. It was in this interview that John supplied the details of this event but refused to elaborate further.
The name ‘Polythene Pam’ came from the nickname of an early Beatles’ fan from the Cavern Club days, named Pat Hodgett (now Dawson), who would often eat polythene. She became known as ‘Polythene Pat’. She said in an interview, “I used to eat polythene all the time. I’d tie it in knots and then eat it. Sometimes I even used to burn it and then eat it when it got cold.”
Structured as a limerick, the song is superficially about “a mythical Liverpool scrubber dressed up in her jackboots and kilt”, the kind of girl who “makes the News of the World”. The song is also sung in a very strong Liverpudlian “Scouse” accent. In actuality it was inspired by an evening that John spent with poet Royston Ellis and his girlfriend, Stephanie. The three wore bags made of “polythene”, a common British contraction of polyethylene, and slept in the same bed out of curiosity about kinky sex. Incidentally, John would later admit in the 1980 interview with Playboy that Ellis was the first person to introduce The Beatles to drugs when he showed them how to get high from the strips inside a Benzedrine inhaler. It was in this interview that John supplied the details of this event but refused to elaborate further.
Video
Added by ShabbyRoad2
Shabby Road Music video. Shabby Road covering the Beatles songs : Mean Mister Mustard, Polythene Pam, and She Came In Through the Bathroom Window.
Share Video
Related Tracks
-
Mean Mr. Mustard
The Beatles -
Sun King
The Beatles -
My Sweet Lord
George Harrison -
Jealous Guy
John Lennon -
Imagine
John Lennon -
What Is Life
George Harrison
Albums featuring this track
-
Abbey Road
The BeatlesBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Anthology 3 (disc 1)
The BeatlesBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
The Alternate Abbey Road
The BeatlesBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
English Summer
The BeatlesBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Shouts
-
scarboro wrote:
It's sounds weird when you play it without the other songs around it. :p
-
DarkJeans wrote:
BEST part of the medley. [2]
-
Echilion wrote:
Haha, the anthology version
-
jsnruf wrote:
best part of the medley
-
LePlatypope wrote:
I'd do her.
-
besodeplata wrote:
yo también me compraría el rock band solo por este maravilloso medley <3
-
xTYLERisMETALx wrote:
i love the thick scouse accent in this [2] YEAH YEAH YEAH!
-
Jopzorz wrote:
i love the thick scouse accent in this
-
raysravens52 wrote:
I can't wait to play the medley in Rock Band!!
-
lopyou wrote:
speed up this song 2-3 times, and you will get good quality punkrock.
-
GeekZombie wrote:
Yes, you could say she was attractively built! :-D
-
Eythur wrote:
waitwat
-
spacefaceinfurs wrote:
those drums!!
-
Retro_Saiyan wrote:
This song is Masterpoxen.
-
surferrosa65 wrote:
it should be: " she´s good looking, yeah she looks like a man..."
-
surferrosa65 wrote:
nr. 1 in the drag kingdom!!!
-
Mr_Whirly wrote:
This song is so addictive
-
spacefaceinfurs wrote:
and the medley lifts off the roof with this one ...
-
Mr_Whirly wrote:
Love this one. The solo is amazing - incredibly tasteful and melodic. This tune gets stuck in my head regularily
-
MegStar52 wrote:
BEST part of the medley. It just always reminds me why The Beatles are the best.
Listeners
-
sarahgrace73
Listening now
-
nedsferatu
Listening now
-
Inrau
Listening now
-
dsendecki
Top Listener
-
fridaxtheband
Top Listener
-
vegnagun451
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
Athena920, Khashoggi, FourandARobot and 11 other people loved The Beatles – Polythene Pam. yesterday evening
-
Blakegt7 added Polythene Pam to Blakegt7’s library. Sunday evening
-
Blakegt7 added Polythene Pam to the playlist The Beatles. Sunday evening
-
Tomok1, iwasbored_, MrLynk and 3 other people loved The Beatles – Polythene Pam. Sunday morning
-
LastSoeri added Polythene Pam to LastSoeri’s library. Saturday afternoon
-
LastSoeri added Polythene Pam to the playlist Beatles. Saturday afternoon
-
SeansHaircut and chunkyman39 loved The Beatles – Polythene Pam. Saturday afternoon
-
jtruex3 and FARMusic added The Beatles – Polythene Pam to their libraries. Saturday morning
-
Lucindaaaaa, NorthernFusion, MusicMellee and 6 other people loved The Beatles – Polythene Pam. Friday evening
-
jcelko added Polythene Pam to jcelko’s library. Thursday evening
Related Journals
-
Song Of The Day - 09 Aug 2008: Get Back
by sablespecter |
15 Aug 2008 | 7 comments
-
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
by GreenPinga |
26 May 2008 | Add comment
-
The Jacket: (Addendum and Supplement)
by Darthemed |
2 Mar 2008 | Add comment
