Kurt Vonnegut, in chapter 1 of Timequake:
"I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did.'"
George Harrison was once asked to sum up the message of the Beatles' music, and he replied, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
The legend of how John met Yoko was that he went to her art exhibition, and there was a piece that required the viewer to climb up on a ladder and uncover the message written in small letters on the ceiling, and the message was "yes."
The Beatles' theme, "All You Need Is Love"--I can never stop myself from contrasting it with the Rolling Stones, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." Both are facets of the human condition. But which would you choose to be remembered by?
The Beatles had a tremendous opportunity--they were in the spotlight and the microphone was on. The whole world was watching and listening. They didn't waste the chance. They told us, She Loves You! I Wanna Hold Your Hand! "The love you take is equal to the love you make." I think Jesus wouldn't even mind if the Beatles were more popular than He was, during the 60's and 70's. They were doing His work, anyway.
The Word
Lennon/McCartney
Say the word and you’ll be free,
Say the word and be like me,
Say the word I’m thinking of,
Have you heard the word is love.
It’s so fine, it’s sunshine,
It’s the word love.
In the beginning I misunderstood,
But now I’ve got it the word is good.
Say the word and you’ll be free,
Say the word and be like me,
Say the word I’m thinking of,
Have you heard the word is love.
It’s so fine, it’s sunshine,
It’s the word love.
Everywhere I go I hear it said,
In the good and the bad books that I have read.
Say the word and you’ll be free,
Say the word and be like me,
Say the word I’m thinking of,
Have you heard the word is love.
It’s so fine, it’s sunshine,
It’s the word love.
Now that I know what I feel must be right,
I mean to show ev’rybody the light,
Give the word a chance to say,
That the word is just the way,
It’s the word I’m thinking of,
And the only word is love,
It’s so fine it’s sunshine,
It’s the word love.
Say the word love,
Say the word love,
Say the word love,
Say the word love.
4 comments:
I think the Beatles and the Rolling Stones are two sides of the same coin. They played off each other's image back in the day, the Beatles being the good guys and the Stones, the bad boys. But the Stones' lack of Satisfaction must have something to do with their longevity, no?
This kind of makes me like the Beatles...I've never been a fan, but I do have to say they have good messages and they are good for lifting spirits.
I didn't put it in here, but one of the Zeppelin links Joel had in his Zeptember kit bragged about LZ being voted the Second Greatest Rock Band of All Time, after the Beatles. I was going to respond to that: Why settle?
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