The title for the sequel already has us debating its many possible meanings. A "glass onion" can be slang for a monocle, and one of those appears in the name announcement trailer. "Glass Onion" is also the title of a famously mysterious Beatles song, the lyrics of which have been debated for decades.
On 22 Aug., director Rian Johnson settled speculation and told Netflix's Tudum that the Beatles song was the inspiration for the title. He explained, "I'm always fishing for something fun that Blanc can grab onto as an overwrought metaphor that he can beat to death. This is all in plain sight from the very start. So, the idea of glass came to me, something that's clear. I'll be very honest. I literally got out my iPhone and searched my music library with the word 'glass.' There's got to be some good glass songs. I was like, 'Oh, is it a glass fortress? Is it a glass castle? Is it a glass man?' The first thing that came up, because I'm a huge Beatles fan, is 'Glass Onion.'"
The Beatles' "Glass Onion" Lyrics
I told you about strawberry fields
You know the place where nothing is real
Well here's another place you can go
Where everything flows
Looking through the bent-backed tulips
To see how the other half live
Looking through a glass onion
I told you about the walrus and me, man
You know we're as close as can be, man
Well here's another clue for you all
The walrus was Paul
Standing on the cast iron shore, yeah
Lady Madonna trying to make ends meet, yeah
Looking through the glass onion
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Looking through the glass onion
I told you about the fool on the hill
I tell you man he's living there still
Well here's another place you can be
Listen to me
Fixing a hole in the ocean
Trying to make a dove-tail joint, yeah
Looking through a glass onion