Chuck HinsonThe Beatles' Hidden Goodbyes
September 4th 2008 07:28
awww, you know it'a a shot of The Beatles gettin' ready for their famous Abbey Road crossing, don'tcha? (can't put one over on you Rockaholics!!)
Remember the pic over there on the left?? Of course, the finished product adorned the front of the Abbey Road LP jacket. It was their final ... and, some say, their best ... album as a band. But there were tunes on side "B" that actually were telling Beatlemaniacs around the world that "this was it":
YOU NEVER GIVE ME YOUR MONEY -- Remember the battle between Paul and the rest of the band concerning business managers (Paul wanted Lee Eastman, the others called for Allen Klein)? Well, this three-act song was a loose reference to that brouhaha. (See, it was this straw that broke the camel's back ... not Yoko's involvement, as ya might've been told!) The last part of the song (sometimes called One Sweet Dream) was a direct reference to their impending split.
But, if that song foretold their split, the four final tracks confirmed it:
LOVE YOU -- This was actually the proper name of the instrumental that came just after Weight. Here, the band was giving the fans a final, modified version of the rock they associated the Beatles with from the start. I said "modified" because they were also paying homage to the new bands gigging in 1968 (note Ringo's drum solo near the start; a light cover of Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vita solo)
THE END -- This was the band's final "blessing" to their fans (sorta like "words to remember them by"). It ended with a simple flourish that was still befitting the greatest rock band in the world. It was their final "goodbye".
Then the band between tracks was a millisecond longer than normal. Some say it signified John, George and Ringo "packing up".
HER MAJESTY -- Now, before the last song, you'll hear a deep, sharp chord, followed by Paul's acoustic tribute to The Queen. This signifies the other three (now former) Beatles "shutting the door" behind them, leaving Paul (who wanted to keep the band together, perhaps to perform in smaller venues as Ricky and The Rockets) with just an acoustic and mic. It's as if they were sayin' "Ya wanna keep doin' this? Right -- then yer on yer own, mate!"
DIDJA KNOW?: The very last song the Beatles recorded together as a band was I Want You -- She's So Heavy. If you'll listen to the Heavy part, you'll hear all their frustrations coming out at once.
Oh ... that other pic (the one to the right)? Well, remember the photo at the top, where they're gettin' ready to go back across Abbey Road? This is the official pic from that (notice, in this one, Paul's wearin' sandals!).
Well, that's it for this go-'round, yardbirds. Tune in tomorrow for more (and, man, we've got a lotta good stuff ahead!). Until then, remember:
Keep yer eyes on the skies, yer feet on the ground, yer heart with the music ...
and I'll see ya on the flip side!
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