Last night I was listening to the Beatles and got to thinking about writing about them. I may have not been around when the Beatles were together, yet their musical legacy has impacted my own life as it probably has just about everyone else alive in the last six decades. In many ways the Beatles permeate our modern culture, like Star Wars, baseball games or supermarkets. In fact, many of my Beatles-related memories from childhood don’t actually feature the Beatles themselves, but instead people influenced by their legacy. For example, the first time I heard “Get by with a Little Help From My Friends” was the Joe Cocker version used for “The Wonder Years” theme music back in the 1980s. Then there was my grade school music teacher, who admiringly shared “When I’m Sixty Four” with the class. There was also a friend of mine who played “Let it Be” on the piano back when I was in high school visiting his house. Then there was my college roommate, who performed “Blackbird” on acoustic guitar at a house party I hosted. Finally, there is the fact that one of my strong musical influences, Billy Joel, was directly inspired by the Beatles to become a rock musician.
When as a worn out college student I needed a break from the insanity of crushing workaholism (and all-classical music studies), the Beatles were sort of the perfect band to turn to. I can remember how nice it was to play their songs at the house piano where I lived while I was still in New York. And when I came back to the Bay, I found myself playing through a Beatles songbook, catching their music in movies (generally performed by other artists: “American Beauty” and “I am Sam” come to mind), listening to their album “#1,” and contemplating the nearly universal scope of their reach.
No, I did not grow up with the Beatles while they were all together. And yet this may have been an advantage for me. You see, the Beatles occupied a sort of psychically neutral space in my mind that wasn’t tainted by personal pain or disappointment. I had never really suffered over them, had never really pondered their existence all that much really as one ponders a musical ambition, a girlfriend, or a chart-topping band of the moment. Instead, I felt the presence of their legacy all around. I can’t resist saying, because it is true: they were here, there, and everywhere.
This continues to be true. I married a woman who is a huge Beatles fan, and has numerous Beatles books, Beatles CDs (yes, those), Beatles paraphanelia, and even Beatles lunch boxes in our home. I am frequently teaching Beatles songs to my students, and also singing and playing them. My own songwriting style has been highly influenced by them. The group that taught me all you need is love continues to inspire and live with me as it does for so many others.