This post has nothing to do with Strong Words or Weak Words.
Phew, right?
My summer at-home movie watching. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you are a Beatles fan and haven’t watched The Beatles Anthology, a five DVD chronology of The Beatles’ career, you are missing out big time.
The opening montage in Disc One will make you smile through the tears, and the remaining the DVDs will make your heart sing (and if you are a sap like me, cry a little more).
I watched the series last summer and I started at the beginning again this summer as a lovely way to rest my fried brain after hours of editing my WIP. The videos, reminisces, and photos of our boys makes my heart ache and long for the day when musicians relied on talent, not overblown stage effects, outrageous costumes, and PR agents.
The pure joy John, Paul, George, and Ringo faces is a delight to watch. Their charming smiles are contagious and you know they were having a blast.
The first time around, I watched the first four DVDs in quick succession. I couldn’t bring myself to watch Disc Five for the longest time. If I didn’t watch the disc about the end of their career together, I thought I would stop The Beatles from breaking up. Too late, right?
Hey, you know what? This post has a lot to do with writing.
No one wrote a better line than George, who penned, “Something in the way she moves, attracts me like no other lover.”
Or, John and Paul’s line, “And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.”
Ahhh . . . lovely.
And, there are the nonsensical lines like “We all live in a yellow submarine” or ” I am the egg man.”
Huh?
What is your favorite poetic or crazy line from a Beatles song? Oh man. I can’t wait to read your comments.
If you want to say “I love Robin, yeah, yeah, yeah,” that is allowed.
All my lovin’ to you . . .
.
Robin Coyle 
I watch it at least once a year, and I believe standing in line for the music store to open so I could be first to buy it is the last time I have ever stood in line for concert tickets, movie tickets, sports tickets, etc. Just not worth it.
If you don’t like the Beatles, there is something wrong with you!
I agree!
I love that my girls are the next generation of fans and love them as much as we do.
I love them
Gosh, me too.
I LOVED the Beatles. My favourite line was and is: I wanna hold your hand.
On the other hand, John Lennon’s “Imagine” will always be amazing.
“Imagine” is one of my favorites. Have you seen the video with John and Yoko?
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Robin, DAMN. I just watched the entire first episode. SO loving it.
Watch for my Paul McCartney love fest series on my blog. Just joking, but I am going to FINALLY write a series of posts on him.
Lindsey
Isn’t it great? I could watch the series a million times.
Sorry I haven’t been around to check out your Paul love fest. My dad is in the hospital and I am having to set aside writing and reading blogs until he is out of the woods. I have today to get caught up on comments and I will circle around to your blog to see my beloved Paul!
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde and commented:
I can’t believe I haven’t watched it yet. Sigh.
I would say the white album is my favourite album (I always speak in albums first), but there is so much great material. I bought the re-issued albums a couple of years back just because the remastering job was so much better than the original cd issues (which always seemd a little flat).
“I am the walrus” is a big fave of mine. But then I also like the for example, the intro to “A day in the life” and the lyrics “And though the news was rather sad,
Well, I just had to laugh”. My wife’s fave songs are “Yesterday”, and “Blackbird”.
Have you seen the George Harrison documentary “Living in the material world”. I would imagine you would like that a lot.
I bought the George documentary and the John Lennon New York years DVD’s for my husband’s birthday. Both are fantastic. I also bought the remastered series the day it came out. Needless to say, I am a huge fan.
My Mum saw the Beatles perform at the Cavern before they were famous. She was on a lunch break, I think.
Oh my gosh! How cool is that. Your mom was so lucky to see them at the Cavern. What a talented lot!
I’ll admit it, I’m just old enough to remember the Beatles!
Oh me too.
Hi Robin 🙂
I’ve nominated you for an award, but please don’t feel obligated to accept.
You’ll find all the info here…
http://the-view-outside.com/2012/09/08/what-is-a-liebster-anyway/
Xx
Thank you Vikki! As you know, I have been otherwise occupied and waaaaaaaay behind on reading comments. Thank you for the award. A lovely present for me today.
I grew up with them and adore them ~ totally with you on this on Robin 🙂
My girlfriend saw them at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. She was in the front row because she knew someone. She said she spend the entire concert with her face smashed in her lap from all the screaming pushing girls behind her.
I adore the Beatles too.
I never owned a Beatles album, but my mom sure did. One of my favorite songs is The Fool on the Hill. Paul’s voice, flutes, slightly haunting tune, very nice.
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning round
I am going out to buy you a Beatles album immediately!
I grew up in the ’80s and for a while, went to a daycare center that was right next to a roller skating rink. We went there a lot, especially in the summer. They played The Beatles ALL THE TIME. I really thought they were current.
I love them, and it’s difficult to choose favorite poetic lines, because there are so many. “Here Comes the Sun” is one of my favorites, but so is Eleanor Rigby, with Father McKenzie writing the words to a sermon nobody will hear (sometimes I can relate, with an unpublished novel ; ). Of course, who can argue with “All you need is love”????
Great song line selections. How about “Paperback Writer?” That one aught to speak to all of us writers!
It does! So classic.
50+ years later, and the Beatles fandom hasn’t shrunk. Amazing music that takes me back to a different time.
I love that my daughters in their 20s love them as much as i do. We took them to see Paul in concert. I wanted them to see a Beatle live before they are all gone.
It’s amazing how much music affects us, and how much true genius can be found in a single line of a song.
Simple words of wisdom. Let it be.
I almost disowned my friend of 30+ years when she told me the song “Let It Be” bugs her.
I’VE GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS!!!! I think that was at the end of the song of Helter Skelter and it was Ringo who screamed it — wasn’t it?
There’s only certain Beatle songs I like; I wasn’t a die-hard fan, but I also liked George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord. Melody and his voice was beautiful in that tune.
Did you know that The Chiffons sued George for plagiarism for “My Sweet Lord’s” similarity to their song “He’s So Fine?” It was ruled that he did it subconsciously.
Love the Beatles, haven’t seen the anthology though, I’m now convinced I really must though! I can’t think of a favourite line right now.
I don’t know if you’ve seen this photo before, but it was taken just before the iconic Abbey Road photo, little did they know how famous the photo they were about to take would become whilst they stood there. I love the old lady standing there: http://www.dailydawdle.com/2010/12/rare-photo-moments-before-abbey-road.html
I know the photo well. In fact, I blogged about it here . . . be sure to read the comments. Hysterical. Especially Harper Faulkner’s about half way down.
https://robincoyle.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/a-visual-way-to-think-about-show-dont-tell/
Where do you start..”.all you need is love”.”.yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away”… how often have I not wept over that one, and even ” I wanna hold you hand”…. that seemed the height of bliss when I was young, before free love!
And you’re so right, their young sweet faces seem so innocent and joyful now … and what lovely hair they had, though I remember how shocking it was back then- so long! And the oldies thought they were so depraved!
You are right about the innocence of the line “I want to hold your hand.” When The Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan Show my dad said, “What is this world coming to.” Little did he know the world would later give us Lady Gaga, Pink, and rappers with explicit lyrics. Plus, the Fab Four wore suits, for Pete’s Sake.
For some reason my favourite line of ANY song has always been ‘The long and winding road that leads to your door’ I don’t know if its the words themselves or the music that makes it so haunting 🙂
That is a beautiful line. And you are right, the music is haunting. The rest of the first stanza is beautiful too.
The long and winding road that leads to your door
Will never disappear
I’ve seen that road before it always leads me here
Leads me to your door
I read the lyrics in their entirety just now. I’ve not paid attention to the poetry.
Oh yes, I absolutely loved it.
“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” – The End
I did a photo album for my husband’s birthday and included quotes about family, love, aging, etc. The last quote in the book on a page all by itself with a photo of my handsome husband wast the “And in the end . . . “
I have to go with “All you need is love…” Because duh, it’s beautiful. And of course “Here comes the sun” because my awesome dad jams to it on the guitar… and “In my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be…” because we both jam to it on the guitar. I also like “Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box, they tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe.” BOOM!
Oh my gosh! That is a great line from “Across the Universe.” Poetry.
Oh, so many to choose from, I’m not sure I have a favorite. Rumor has it, though, that when I was little, I went around the house singing “We all live in a yellow submarine.” I have no memory of it, but all my older siblings do!
Sesame Street had a segment with cartoon Beatles in their yellow submarine. I think I got exposed to it through that! Maybe you saw it there, too.
You young pups. I was exposed to The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show! Granted, I was only 7 or 8, but still. Sesame Street wasn’t invented then.
I hate to admit it, but I’m not a huge Beatles fanatic. Sure, I like their music, but I don’t listen to a lot of oldies. I like the new stuff, particularly alternative rock. I know, go ahead and throw something at me. But I do like “Paperback Writer” (of course), and I’ve always enjoyed “Lady Madonna.”
WHAT!?!?!?!? Not a Beatles fan?!?!?!? You heretic! And here all this time I thought you were a smart cookie. Oh well . . . I forgive you.
Phew! It’s not that I don’t like them–their music just isn’t something I seek out. 🙂
I still love you.