Thursday, October 3, 2013

I will say the only words I know that you'll understand...


Tonight Chelsea and I watched the second Beatles episode of 'Glee'. She didn't know most of the songs featured, in either of the episodes, which shocked me a little. I mean, The Beatles broke up before I was born, too, so 'before her time' is not a good excuse!

But the big surprise came during the last song..."Let It Be".

Chelsea didn't know it.

I didn't believe it. I truly thought she was joking. She's twenty-one years old, and she doesn't know "Let It Be"?

I've sung that song to myself countless times, during the darkest hours of my life. I memorized the lyrics long ago, when I was eight years old and took my mom's folk/guitar book and never gave it back. Singing that song would ease an ache in my soul that I was too young then to recognize for what it was. It still helps me today.

I tried to bring my kid up right. We watched Star Trek. We watched UK basketball. We listened to Metallica. We listened to Dolly Parton. We watched Doctor Who. And I know, I know, I know that we listened to The Beatles.

Some things didn't stick, apparently. She won't even consider watching basketball now. She doesn't know a thing about Star Trek. The Beatles, I guess, were blocked right out of her mind.

This is what I would want someone who is open-minded, which is not my daughter right now, to know about The Beatles: 

  • The lyrics to "Across The Universe" are probably the most beautiful, evocative and bittersweet you could find in a song. And also...hallucinogenic.
  • The opening guitar sequence on "Revolution" is different from "I Saw Her Standing There", which is different from "I Want To Hold Your Hand". Every Beatles song is unique and instantly recognizable.
  • Lennon & McCartney became a songwriting machine and the undisputed champions of the world. No one else can touch them. Not even Eminem. ... And the less glamorous Harrison and Starr contributed, too, most notably with "Here Comes The Sun" and "With A Little Help From My Friends" (well, Ringo actually just sang that, but still!).
12 albums, 10 years. It doesn't matter if you 'don't like The Beatles'. They came together for a time and did a magical thing. :) 

Can you imagine if there had been no Beatles?

30 comments:

  1. I admit that I am not particularly familiar with their catalogue, but I definitely know at least half their biggest hits. ;)

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    1. LOL That's good!! Half of this post was a knee-jerk reaction to my daughter saying 'I don't like The Beatles', yet not knowing anything they sing. :)

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  2. One really likes the Beatles. I do think they were much better after 1966 or so than they had been before.

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    1. All of my favorites are from the later years. The Beatles are my mom's band, though, and she loves the earlier years more.

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  3. BY far the greatest band ever. My boss though insists they were overrated. How can anyone say that? LOL. Insanity.

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    1. You're right, insanity!! What is up with people?! LOL

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  4. I know some at least at my sea, let it be for sure

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  5. I'm beginning to think that maybe I'm a little unusual in my Beatles knowledge. I do tend to get obsessive about music, books, art...if I find something I like, I find out everything about it.
    But yeah, I thought everyone knew Let It Be.

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  6. The music world would be a sadly different place without the Beatles. I mean, Yesterday has to be one of the most beautiful songs in all of existence, and I Want to Hold Your Hand used to be my happy theme.

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    1. I love the story Paul tells about Yesterday. It is such a beautiful song.

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  7. This is sad, but in high school I had a classmate who was a John Lennon fanatic. The day he died she cried the whole school day. I really don't listen to the Beatles. Sorry. :(

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    1. Oh...that is sad. I kind of felt like that when Kurt Cobain died.

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  8. I've been a devoted fan since the day after 7th grade. And yes, I do know the exact day. 27 years later, they're still my favorite. My daughter loves them, too. I blog about them occasionally. A couple of posts you might enjoy:

    http://armchairsquid.blogspot.com/2011/06/30-songs-in-30-days-day-1-your-favorite.html

    http://armchairsquid.blogspot.com/2011/06/30-songs-in-30-days-day-11-song-from.html

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    1. Yes, I guess I have to accept that Chels may really just not like them...even though I don't get it. But I hope she opens her mind as she gets older.
      I'm going to visit these posts now!! :)

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    2. She may grow to appreciate them in time. It is the Beatles, after all.

      Small correction on your post: 12 albums in just over 7 years, actually - even more impressive. Please Please Me was released in March 1963, Let It Be in May 1970.

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    3. I knoooooow, I quibbled with myself over whether I should go with when they released their first album or when they officially got together... I knew someone else would quibble too, LOL!

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    4. See, to me it's just great to know someone who actually cares enough to quibble.

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    5. My buddy Mock's a big Beatles fan, too. He's a McCartney nut. George is more my speed these days. If you're not following his blog yet, you should be: http://cmock127.blogspot.com/.

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    6. Okay, I've followed him, thank you!

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    7. Can I assume from the songs you've focused on in your post that you lean towards Paul yourself?

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    8. I do lean towards Paul, though it may change someday. I've always been fascinated since he told the story of how he woke up one day with the melody for Yesterday in his head. Paul's my guy...:)

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  9. New follower here. I have not seen a single episode of Glee. I'm curious about the Beatles take though, so I guess I'll have to try and catch it. I look forward to visiting again.

    Sylvia
    http://www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/

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    1. Sylvia, thank you so much for the follow! I really enjoyed Glee's take on The Beatles but then I love Glee, my boyfriend doesn't really like it - he classifies it in the musical category which is bad, LOL.

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  10. Indeed, the Beatles did do a magical thing. I remember their work shined a bright, healthy light on a strange time.

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  11. My daughter and I were just talking about a friend of hers from the city we used to live in and she wanted to send him something in the mail. I suggested something from the EMP (Experience the Music Project) in Seattle. I said they have a really cool gift shop, reminding her of the 'Use The Force' bumper sticker and the Count Chocula figurine I got there when we visited last September. She says, 'And yeah, 'member that music box with 'Let it Be?' ' I didn't remember but I thought it was so cool that this was a detail that had stayed in her mind.

    Great post, Michelin.

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    1. Thank you Suze!

      And, oh, that is cool that she remembers that!

      I must visit this place if I ever go there, it sounds amazingly fabulous. I wanna 'Use The Force' bumper sticker! Of course, I don't drive, but I can still put it on my car!

      Chelsea brought home Count Chocula cereal the other day, which I loooove and of course can't eat anymore. I'm suffering badly, LOL.

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