The Beatles Anthology ~ A Must See

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The Beatles, The Beatles Anthology, writers, writing

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 . . .

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A Visual Way To Think About “Show, Don’t Tell”

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Abbey Road, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Show Don't Tell, The Beatles, writers, writing

“Show, don’t tell.” You’ve heard it a million times.

You strive for it, sometimes achieve it, and if you are like me, most of the time wonder what all this showing-not-telling means.

This picture of the Beatles immediately before the photo shoot for the Abbey Road album cover is poignant. It “shows” the bond between two members of the band. Maybe Paul is teasing Ringo, or maybe he is adjusting his collar, but the photo captures an intimate moment.

An article accompanying the photo could read, “The Beatles were a tight-knit band.” Or, a writer could say, “Paul sensed Ringo’s anxiety and whispered a joke to lighten the moment.” The first sentence “tells” about the band’s relationship and the second “shows” us they cared about each other.

Another thing I love about this photo is that Paul is wearing sandals. Did he kick them off just before crossing Abbey Road? Also, what do you suppose the lady was saying to them? Get a haircut? I have all your albums? Don’t even THINK about breaking up?

P.S. Some feel the word “iconic” is overused and therefore diluted its meaning. I don’t believe that is the case when using it to describe the Abbey Road photo.