A new word from their police escort, Sgt. Buddy Dresner
While watching television in Miami Beach on Monday evening, February 17, 1964, the Beatles learned a new word from their police escort, Sgt. Buddy Dresner, that John would later incorporate into a song. What was the word and what song did John use it in?
Bonus question: What television show were they watching at the time?
Bonus for the truly obsessive: What was the name of that night’s episode of the TV series?
While watching a science fiction television show with the Beatles, Sgt. Dresner marveled at a weapon used by an alien who had landed on Earth. Dresner commented, “If I had one of those guns, I could zap all the criminals.” The Beatles found the expression interesting as they were unfamiliar with the word “zap.” They wrote the word on a hotel picture at the Deauville. John later used it in his lyrics to “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill,” “So Captain Marvel zapped him right between the eyes.” The name of the TV series was “The Outer Limits.” The episode was titled “The Children of Spider County.”
