Was it all the music they created or was it everything else and more that came out of the music that made these four knights, plucked out of obscurity by Brian Epstein from a cellar full of noise, along with those with whom they chose to ride, become something like a real life Arthurian round table full of knights, different Guineveres, wizards and romance and everything shrouded in mystical mixed messages?
Of course, this is something that we, who grew up with their songs and might have been lucky enough to somehow get into the Court of Beatledom, will forever be thankful to John, George, Paul and Ringo- the Lords Of The Ringos, who, together with the two Merlins in their midst- Producer George Martin and the strategic brilliance of publicist extraordinaire Derek Taylor- took us on different magical mystery tours that filled us with inspiration, motivation and more importantly, happiness even in our darkest hour.
This is when they came together to give us hope that there would be sun, sun, sun because they knew the Sun King.
When thinking about the Beatles even today, there’s no time to catch one’s breath. It’s a helter skelter rush not unlike Paul singing about being in a hurry to get outta bed and needing to grab a bus, and which then slows down into John’s much deeper and darker look at a day in the life punctuated with that dramatic final chord.
We were happy to travel wherever they took us, whether down Strawberry Fields, up to Penny Lane and then maybe take a Yellow Submarine down to that Octopuses Garden.
Along the way, we met Mean Mister Mustard, that Paperback Writer, Lovely Rita, those ugly Piggies, the Fool On The Hill, Rocky Racoon, Billy Shears and that Nowhere Man, who’s suddenly everywhere and nowhere today more than when first introduced to us.
We didn’t realise back then just how much John’s Nowhere Man was more than a little you and me and lives in what’s known as social media.
We didn’t realise that Eleanor Rigby keeps her face in a jar by the door and is still there where all the lonely people congregate in all those deep pockets of the often anonymous online world.
We didn’t understand how the irony of John singing that happiness is a warm gun would haunt many of us years later just as believing how much Yesterday means today and that the gift to Imagine often helps us Get Back to where we belong.
Well, that’s part of their Magic- the magic of the Beatles, where through their music, we continue to see things from back then that take on greater and new meaning today. We’re always discovering something new about them...
We understand better characters like Sexy Sadie who are still selling goodness and wellness with a smile.
We understand why dear Prudence still refuses to come out to play.
We also now know where that long and winding road leads and when to just let it be.
Their love songs reminded us about the importance of romancing those special ladies who came into our lives and became different versions of Guinevere.
They weren’t without their flaws, but who is? They were four young lads who had to grow up quickly and whilst doing this changed the world- and many of us- forever.
Nothing lasts forever, but the Beatles and their music will. It’s magic.
Copyright © Hans Ebert 2022
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