Taxman

The Beatles' "Taxman," a biting indictment of 1960's British fiscal policy, gives voice to the bitterness of the middle- and working-class families. The song was written by George Harrison, when he found out that the British government had imposed a 95% super tax on the highest tax bracket. At the time, there was a general distrust of taxes, which manifested itself not only in song, but it political uprisings as well. This lack of support for taxes was fomented by rumors of great excess in the aristocratic class. For example, Sir Lord Very Reverend Henry Wallaceford Dogrumple's appropriation of taxes to fund his cheese-sculpting habit. The British government responded saying that the seal fur used to make beefeaters' hats had grown very expensive, and needed to be imported from Luxembourg at £10,000 a barrel. The cost was so great because Luxembourg has only seven seals, all of which are in zoos around the country. If one has any degree of familiarity with the Luxembourgish, one knows that they are very fond of their seals.