To think The Beatles could have chosen something more uplifting for their swan song

[User568097846]

… than John Lennon’s ‘love letter’ to Paul McCartney:

https://people.com/the-beatles-announce-new-song-now-and-then-8382741

Everyone knows that John was at his lowest point when he wrote this song, imprisoned in the Dakota, depressed, isolated, heart-broken. I love The Beatles, but I don’t think they should end it on this note. It’s too sad.

I’ll probably reserve judgement until I hear it, but Lennon was definitely not crafting his best songs when he was murdered.

Judging by the recent documentary, The Beatles tended towards the maudlin and desolate towards the end, apart from Paul who seemed to be hitting another wave of creativity.

Let’s not think of it as the end, we can just reframe it as part of their varied catalogue.

It is sad but tying up loose ends is better than having regrets isn't it? I imagine Lennon had his fair share of those.

McCartney was the healthier guy mentally, and so I think it's clear why he decided to do this. Otherwise it would always be another "what if".

It’s a difficult one, isn’t it?

On the one hand, it’s an intensely personal song that has more to do with John and Paul than it does the Beatles. I suspect that’s why George refused to work on it in the 90s. On the other hand, it’s obvious that Paul is still working through his grief, 40 odd years later, and where else would an artist put their grief if not into their art? But I agree that it doesn’t seem very fitting as the Beatles swan song. I suppose time will tell.

George played guitar on it. He did work on it. I don’t know why you think it’s not a fitting song. I think it’s very fitting.

I think it’s a bittersweet ode to 60 years ago..love, friendship and lost youth. It’s hardly going to be an upbeat little number. It’s lovely.

Well it's not like they could write any new jolly bangers what with two of them being dead.

There were only 3 of John's songs that they all worked on in 1995, they released two but the quality of this new one wasn't great so they stopped working on it. It's only now the technology has been able to tidy up the vocals. And a bloody amazing job they did of it too if you've heard the original.

If you do want to hear new Beatle style songs check out the AI simulation ones online, insane, and wrong.

Yes, it turned out to be lovely, much better than I expected. But I understand where the OP was coming from - the demo is hauntingly sad and John Lennon was in a very dark place when he wrote it.

How could they have chosen something else? There was only one available to choose.

In The Lyrics interviews PMc said he still talks to John in his head all the time. I think that tells you everything about the grief he felt and still feels. John Lennon may have been dead for almost 43 years, but for Paul, he still has a relationship with him. It isn't over.

I’ve just made a comment about this on another thread, funnily enough. Paul was so badly misjudged for so many years because Yoko told the world that John hated him. Turns out that John loved him all along.

I always heard John’s original demo as an answer to Paul’s Dear Friend, where he asks, ‘Is it true?’ It’s the same tempo, the same tone and he starts by answering the question: ‘You know it’s true’.