h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Superb article! Most of this was completely new to me.

One quibble though - you mention that on the cover of "Abbey Road", they are walking east to west. I'm fairly sure it's the other way round: they are walking away from Abbey Road studios (which is on the west side of the road), and you can see that the road behind them continues straight for a long distance - so the camera must be pointing north, since just south of that zebra crossing there's a roundabout and the road splits.

But I may be wrong. Now what about the disappearance of Glenn Miller?

I've never heard about a possible conspiracy about Paul, so this was huge news to me!

One question though, about backwards music. You hear it on competitions on the radio, and it just sounds like a jumbled mess to me. How can you plan something so accurately that you get a lentil soup recipe?! That seems bizarre to me.

Ah dear. Wonder whether it is him or not!

I agree -- great article. Very comprehensive -- I'd read lots of stuff like this before, but not with so many albums and lyrics analysed. But really, it's so unconvincing -- isn't it far more likely that they were just trying to have a little fun with us?

I found it unconvincing too, but there are a lot of people who take this whole thing very seriously.
The lentil soup thing was definately a joke - and was added on deliberately on, at first, the end music of the episode of the Simpsons in which the McCartneys appear (but you can get it on mp3, too).

As for the East-West thing - although I have been to Abbey Road, crossed the crossing etc - I wasn't actually sure which direction the road was. The books I have read all said they were crossing east-west - but, with all things, it's possible they were mistaken. If you are from the area and know that it isn't, I stand corrected.

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You really found these unconvincing?

I had never heard of or even considered the possibility that Paul might be dead. But this relentless torrent of strange and amazing 'coincidences' certainly got me thinking. Of course, my gullibility factor is very high, and I'm very susceptable to conspiracy theories. I don't know.

Well... there are enough songs with lyrics that, if you wanted, you could find whatever you wanted in them. Afterall, it's all down to the interpretation of the songs. A lot of it is coincidence, a lot is just unlikely, and some is just a wild imagination. There's no real evidence or facts, just song lyrics and pictures.

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A great story though isnt it? Loved it BB! Truely stupendous article!

And some of the evidence you gave did make me think it could have happend, but then, like Enzo I'm quite guillable, so that could have a lot to do with it!

I'm almost certain that they're walking west to east. I've driven along that section of Abbey Road far too many times to count and I know the view well enough, but I don't have a copy of the album to hand in order to be able to point out landmarks. It is true though that the road bends not too far to the south, and the long distance view in the picture wouldn't be possible if the camera was pointing in that direction

The photo I have of me walking across Abbey Road certainly doesn't look quite like that - but then it was taken from the pavement. The other difference was that when I was there the zebra crossing was all black from all the signatures of those who signed the white stripes of the crossing! Apparently they don't worry about getting run over.

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