Although Danny Boyle's current movie Yesterday disappointed this Beatles geek, I recently flashed on it when my writers group asked me for a prompt. Boyle's film in mind, I suggested we all write about a favorite Beatles song. Imagine my dismay when I was asked to provide examples of songs!
The last time I experienced a shock as severe to my sensitive music-began-with-the-Beatles system was several years ago. On that fateful day, I began one of my music courses - wordlessly - by playing just the chord that opens A Hard Day's Night. Scanning the room of ostensible music enthusiasts, I was chastened to detect only a faint glimmer of recognition and not much enthusiasm. Did I learn a lesson when the shimmering chord that rocked my world did not appear to rock the world of my students? Apparently, I did not.
Which brings me back to the silver cloud of inspiration emerging from the disheartening realization that I was the sole Beatles fan in my writers group. Directly below are three brief paragraphs. Each contains only Beatles' song titles - with no filler words - concatenated to create a short but cohesive narrative. My first experiment with this model was in two posts entitled The Song Is You (Jerome Kern), published a year apart in June 2013 & 2014. In this third iteration, I've used only Beatles songs as a nod to Danny Boyle. His central premise in Yesterday - a world without the musical magic of the Beatles being unimaginable - is a sentiment at least he and I share. I'd welcome reading any attempt you might make at constructing a narrative using song titles. Mix them up like I did in 2013 & 2014. Or, use just the song titles of a favorite artist or band. Either way, you'll have some fun living inside music for a while.
I want to tell you something. I've got a feeling all you need is love. I will help.
Hold me tight because do you want to know a secret? Tomorrow never knows. Yesterday, the night before? Let it be. Things we said today? A day in the life; we can work it out.
I need you, what you're doing, in my life. Wait; it won't be long - every little thing getting better. Anytime at all, when I get home, I'm happy just to dance with you.
The End.
https://reflectionsfromthebellcurve.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-song-is-you.html
https://reflectionsfromthebellcurve.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-song-is-you-reprise.html
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
That was fun. You know, the first time I heard The Beatles was with you, in a tent, at a Boy Scouts camp out. You had heard them, so when I Want To Hold Your Hand came on my new small transistor radio, you said that's them. I was so blown away that this was an entirely different kind of music.
ReplyDeleteWhat a memory you have! Though I don't remember that boy scout camp moment, I'm so glad I played a small part in that part of your musical life. How I wish you'd been in either my writers group the other day or in that class a few years back when I played that Hard Day's Night chord. At least then, in both circumstances, I would have had a musical soulmate vs. looking at all those blank faces.
DeleteOK! Your mother should know, you never give me your money. We can work it out while my guitar gently weeps. I'll follow the sun with a little help from my friends. Get back, back in the USSR.
ReplyDeleteThis was not as easy as I thought it would be, but fun nonetheless. Thanks, Pat for the challenge.
Steve; Kudos for not using one filler word! And thanks for the effort you put in. By far, I like your first phrase the most, 3rd sentence next, closely followed by sentence #2 and #4. In one of my early drafts I used both With A Little Help From My Friends and Get Back but neither seemed to fit well with my narrative. Oh well. Good to see a comment from you; been a long time.
Deletefave post!
ReplyDeleteNot So Unknown; Thanks for reading and your encouragement.
DeleteSteve and Pat, very nice job! They sure give you enough songs to work with. Pat, that cord always stops me in my tracks. What is it? Like Elton John's cord for Benny.
ReplyDeleteEd; That chord is a called an 11th; it's Harrison (or Lennon) holding their (most likely) index finger across all six strings. I think it's at fret 5 (not 100% sure of that) and if I'm right that makes it a D11th spelled - A,D,G (that's the 11th),C,E,A.
DeleteOK, I'll give you a couple that quickly come to mind. Couldn't resist. I'm taking the Long And Winding Road back to Michelle to tell her I Want To Hold Your Hand. Because the Taxman is making me work 8 Days a Week in the Rain, I want to be a Paperback Writer. Help! That's all. I could keep going. Fun
ReplyDeleteEd; OK, you get an "A" for effort, a "B" for stringing them together (not quite an "A" because you used filler words), and an "A+" for the excellent story line. Very nice!
DeleteHey Pat,
DeleteThanks for the good grades. It only took a minute