Suddenly, Beatles songs mean something else

How different might “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” sound if Mick Jagger revealed that the Rolling Stones’ classic was really about his failure to get a faulty toaster replaced under warranty?

What if it were just a missing contact lens that inspired Bono to write U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”?

Paul McCartney has done something like that for Beatles fans by saying in a recent interview that “Got to Get You Into My Life” is “directly about pot, ‘Day Tripper,’ that’s one about acid, and ‘Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,’ that’s pretty obvious.”

Will McCartney’s comments change “Got to Get You Into My Life” for those who have long enjoyed it simply as a bouncy, horn-drenched love song?

“You like more information if you can get it, but sometimes it does shatter illusions,” says Pete Howard, publisher of the record collectors’ magazine ICE and a specialist in Beatles lore.

“The Beatles gave so many interviews, and I don’t think I ever heard the lyrics for ‘Day Tripper’ described as coming from an acid trip. So there’s that feeling of disappointment on one side of the coin. But it is the creator of the music talking.”

Others note that the bad taste left in fans’ mouths by dubious extra-musical associations — such as the licensing of the Beatles’ “Revolution” to Nike for a 1987 shoe campaign — haven’t hurt those songs in the long run.

In some cases, knowing the origin of a song can even boost its appeal.

“When I found out reading George’s ‘I Me Mine’ that the song ‘Wah Wah’ is not about a guitar pedal, it’s about Paul giving him a headache, I liked it better,” says Chris Carter, host of the weekly “Breakfast With the Beatles” radio show on Los Angeles’ KLSX-FM.

“But the fact that ‘Yesterday’ started out as ‘Scrambled Eggs’ never did much for me,” he adds. “Sometimes the process isn’t as interesting as the end result.”

Because explanations can be perilous, some songwriters — Bob Dylan heading the list — steadfastly refuse to discuss the sources of inspiration for individual songs, or what particular lyrics may have meant, preferring that listeners impose their own interpretations.

There’s been a debate since McCartney’s interview came out over how much credence to give his comments, especially those that contradict previous explanations of such songs as “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.”

“John went to great lengths insisting that the song was not tied to LSD, that it was tied to a painting (his son) Julian made in school,” Beatles expert Howard says. “John’s explanation was very credible … and now for Paul, in the 21st century, to tie it to LSD, it’s like he’s talking out of school. I found myself a bit disappointed.”

And some have noted that McCartney’s interview also contradicts his own words about “Got to Get You Into My Life,” which he described in a 1966 interview as his tribute to Motown.

Few, however, expect that McCartney’s comments will rob Beatles songs of any of their magic.

“We’re talking about Beatles songs here,” says Rolling Stone deputy managing editor Joe Levy. “They exert their power independent of anyone’s explanation or analysis.

“I don’t think anybody ever listened to the Beatles through the filter of any critic’s interpretations, and I don’t think now they’ll listen through the filter of Paul’s explanation. … I think the songs are pretty safe.”