I've never been afraid to acknowledge my total fangirl status for the Beatles. I mean seriously, if you don't like them, it's like you don't like dogs and I just don't trust you. I get that some of you like the Stones, the Kinks, or the Who more or maybe even think the Fab Four were a bit over-rated. I giggle at the latter because it's crap, but anyway...
The young one. The cigs did actually kill him.
There was a time when I was really young and dumb, like 10 and I would have told you that Paul was my favorite Beatle. My dad was a Paul guy, so it seemed natural to follow in his footsteps. Plus, how can you not like Paul? So marketable. So cute.
The quiet one.
Then it shifted and I was a John girl. He was political, he took Yoko's name, he was charismatic, he died tragically. He was the whole messy package that the teen version of me admired. But I got a little older and as much as I still loved so many things about John, my concept of misogyny suddenly had all these real-life applications and it was my first lesson in trying to separate the art from the artist. So John had the silver medal from then on.
I suppose this is the point where I need to apologize to Ringo. Sorry, bud, you were never my fav. I don't know why. You seem like a fun enough dude.
The older I got, the more I realized it was really George. They young one, the quiet one, whatever the press was calling him. He may have been overpowered by the personalities around him back back in the day, but he was really the one with a point of view. He understood he had a gift and a position in which he could do good in this world. Concert for Bangladesh, anyone?
Beatles songs he wrote "Taxman", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Here Comes the Sun," "Something," and "Within You Without You." I would make argument for either of the last two songs on that list being their best.
I'm thinking of George today because it's the anniversary of his death, It was 2001, so all sorts of weirdness was happening at that time. I heard the news, just like I'd heard about the first plane hitting the Twin Towers, while driving my Dodge Stratus. I had to pull over to cry when I heard about George, it was like hearing a friend died. I know it's silly because it's not like I knew him personally, but I knew him. He was part of the soundtrack to my childhood, he was the songs I heard my dad sing along to, he was heartbreak and joy, he was a master player, he was a beautiful smile. He was friends with Bob and Tom. What a life. I suppose all I can say is thanks for sharing. You made my world a more interesting place.
"And the time will come when you see we're all one and life flows on within you and without you."
Check the playlists on Apple Music--currently enjoying a Deep Cuts by the Beatles list.