In his book The Life and Times of Charles Manson, Jeff Guinn notes that, while the White Album was generally positively received, many listeners could not find a theme to the album. However:

"Charlie [Manson] wasn't confused at all. He gathered the family around at the Gresham Street rental house and had them listen to the White Album over and over. He demanded that they pay special attention to the songs 'Piggies,' 'Blackbird,' 'Revolution 1,' 'Revolution 9,' and 'Helter Skelter..' Though each tune on the record held prophetic significance, Charlie explained, these songs were musical road maps to the immediate future. 'Piggies' described the disgusting entitlement enjoyed by the very rich and powerful, and concluded that they needed a 'damn good whacking.' 'Blackbird' predicted an uprising of the downtrodden blacks -- this was the moment for them to arise. 'Revolution 1' was a call to arms. 'Revolution 9,' a pastiche of electronic effects and sound bites including the clatter of machine guns and human screams, was the soundtrack of the coming fury, and 'Helter Skelter' provided a name for the chaos soon to come. In the best Dale Carnegie tradition, Charlie made certain that his followers felt these interpretations were theirs as well as his; he gravely asked everyone for comments about the songs, then wove whatever they said into a larger context. Everyone should feel incredibly proud, Charlie declared -- not only was the White Album about the Beatles' collective call to arms, it was specifically directed toward Charlie and the Family. Sometime in 1969, the Family would return to Barker Ranch in Death Valley and the Beatles would join them there."