I have recently had the opportunity to introduce a friend to The Beatles. No, this “friend” is not actually my 2-year-old niece or anything like that, though I know why you would think that considering the above statement.
No, this friend is 26 years old and as of last summer had “heard of” The Beatles and knew one of their songs “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.” I lamented this fact to two other friends, one of which freaked out at the same level I was freaking out, the other which said, “I don’t know but one of their songs either.” I’m trying to remember the song he knew; I believe it was “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” (but I could be wrong.) Two friends who don’t know The Beatles? I either need to help them or I need new friends.
I immediately started FTPing Beatles songs so my uninformed friend could see what he’d been missing all of his life. I quizzed him at every moment, thinking “Surely he knows the songs, he just doesn’t know he knows the songs.”
Me: “Do you know ‘Across The Universe?’”
Him: “That’s a movie, not a song, right?”
Me: “We have a lot of work to do.”
I didn’t overwhelm him with all of my Beatles music so I started with a few greatest hits albums, figured once he realized all that he’d been missing and begged for more I could send the rest. I waited for him to announce I was the greatest person in the world for introducing him to this huge piece of musical history he had been missing. (I won’t go into the fact that this friend previously called himself a “music expert” – I won’t go into that lest you get a side cramp from laughing so hard.)
So I sent him the music and I waited. And waited. And waited. Weeks later I checked the FTP – he had not even downloaded the music. I was devastated. I asked him about this; he blamed slow download speeds. Yet I knew he had been downloading his trance music like crazy; this was no excuse. I was so disappointed in my “music expert” friend.
On a recent hike when Jeff broke into song, entertaining us all with “Rocky Raccoon,” everyone but my friend was able to sing along. When I commented during a recent drive with said friend that I thought the street named “Strawberry Fields” sounded like an absolutely wonderful place to live, he had no understanding of why I was making that comment.
No, I don’t know which rock he grew up under or if they just didn’t have record players on his planet.
I am taken back to my own childhood of going through my parents’ records, giggling that my dad owned The Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel while Mom collected Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. The first gay man I ever knew was Elton John and I chased my sister around the house with his record because she wasn’t sure what to think of his rose-colored glasses. My family listened to Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane and The Doors. And of course, The Beatles.
The song legends of my parents’ generation gave me a childhood of color, of rock and roll, of love.
My friend finally downloaded the music from the FTP but I’m not sure he’s even bothered to listen to it. Maybe he’s just not meant to understand.
He visited a mutual friend of ours this week and she had heard of this “not knowing The Beatles” craziness, so she forced him to listen to them all night. “This is pretty good stuff!” he said at one point.
Yes, yes it is, my friend.
“I can’t imagine a life without it,” our mutual friend told me this morning, “As I sit here and listen to “Paperback Writer.”
I completely agree with her. Our friend has some catching up to do.
(Update: I didn’t just feel bad for said friend. Once I realized he wasn’t going to bother listening, another friend suggested I start messing with him. “‘Dark Side of the Moon’ is the best Beatles record ever!” he told me to say. I did tell him the Beatles sang “Uncle John’s Band,” which he believed. Is it safe to say he brought this on himself?)
Comments
22 responses to “Who are The Beatles?”
i have to admit to not being familiar with many of their songs either 🙁
Last blog post from Amy – Disney – General Thoughts
i have to admit to not being familiar with many of their songs either 🙁
Last blog post from Amy – Disney – General Thoughts
Your friend breaks my brain! I get not being a fan, but does he live under a rock?
Koo Koo Ka-choo. That’s all I’m sayin’.
Last blog post from Heather – April Fish!
Your friend breaks my brain! I get not being a fan, but does he live under a rock?
Koo Koo Ka-choo. That’s all I’m sayin’.
Last blog post from Heather – April Fish!
Musical Ignorance is Not Right. That said, I couldn’t name half of the stuff the “kids” listen to these days, so I’ve now become That Old Guy.
Still…the Beatles?!? *facepalm*
Last blog post from Elwood – Toy Story 52: Cease and Desist
Musical Ignorance is Not Right. That said, I couldn’t name half of the stuff the “kids” listen to these days, so I’ve now become That Old Guy.
Still…the Beatles?!? *facepalm*
Last blog post from Elwood – Toy Story 52: Cease and Desist
*eyes dart side to side*
This is preposterous! Who is this character?
*wink*
Last blog post from Chris – Trauma
*eyes dart side to side*
This is preposterous! Who is this character?
*wink*
Last blog post from Chris – Trauma
In a fit of complete and utter honesty I must admit that, with very few exceptions, The Beatles sound very dated to me. I know, heresy, but there it is. I recognize the importance of The Beatles in the history of rock music. I get that Lennon & McCartney were a wonderful songwriting duo, I really do get these things. But when I go for stuff to listen to on my iPod, I hardly ever select The Beatles anymore. They’re just… boring.
Last blog post from muttmutt – 25 Things about me from Facebook
In a fit of complete and utter honesty I must admit that, with very few exceptions, The Beatles sound very dated to me. I know, heresy, but there it is. I recognize the importance of The Beatles in the history of rock music. I get that Lennon & McCartney were a wonderful songwriting duo, I really do get these things. But when I go for stuff to listen to on my iPod, I hardly ever select The Beatles anymore. They’re just… boring.
Last blog post from muttmutt – 25 Things about me from Facebook
great, now I’ve got Rocky Raccoon stuck in my head.
I grew up on the same music you did and while not the Beatles’ biggest fan am a fan of a lot of music of 60s and 70s
great, now I’ve got Rocky Raccoon stuck in my head.
I grew up on the same music you did and while not the Beatles’ biggest fan am a fan of a lot of music of 60s and 70s
That pic of Elton John still freaks me out a little!!!
That pic of Elton John still freaks me out a little!!!
Does everybody really believe they grew up in the greatest musical era or is it really only true in our case? Don’t forget Otis Redding, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson etc.
Madonna?? Come on
Does everybody really believe they grew up in the greatest musical era or is it really only true in our case? Don’t forget Otis Redding, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson etc.
Madonna?? Come on
Dale (Dad) I would have to say that your generation did grow up in a great musical era. Maybe the greatest. By challenging the status quo, rock ’n’ roll was able to make great strides during that time.
Tha being said, my true love is punk rock…but even it finds roots in some of these bands.
Dale (Dad) I would have to say that your generation did grow up in a great musical era. Maybe the greatest. By challenging the status quo, rock ’n’ roll was able to make great strides during that time.
Tha being said, my true love is punk rock…but even it finds roots in some of these bands.
I so wish I grew up in the actual era The Beatles were performing. I mean I saw Paul in 2002, and while the show was great and he played a ton of Beatles songs, I am sure it didn’t even compare to a Beatles show say from The Cavern in the early ’60s.
I so wish I grew up in the actual era The Beatles were performing. I mean I saw Paul in 2002, and while the show was great and he played a ton of Beatles songs, I am sure it didn’t even compare to a Beatles show say from The Cavern in the early ’60s.
As a kid, I watched every Happy Days episode. I wanted to be the Fonz. I started spelling cool with a k.
Now I don’t think I could stomach 60 seconds of the show that invented the phrase “jumping the shark”.
25 years ago The Beatles were just about my favorite all-around band. Each year since, they have become less important to me. I am to the point now where five minutes of silence rivals listening to a Beatles song. Too bad the Beatles are too old and dead to stem the tide.
As a kid, I watched every Happy Days episode. I wanted to be the Fonz. I started spelling cool with a k.
Now I don’t think I could stomach 60 seconds of the show that invented the phrase “jumping the shark”.
25 years ago The Beatles were just about my favorite all-around band. Each year since, they have become less important to me. I am to the point now where five minutes of silence rivals listening to a Beatles song. Too bad the Beatles are too old and dead to stem the tide.