Monday, November 16, 2009

'60s trip

the music by the beatles is now an integral part of the soundtrack to my life. from that very first time mr. thomas introduced me proper to the fab four, to the time my crush grabbed my hands and swung them around while singing "i wanna hold your hand" (before promptly going back to holding his girlfriend's hands), to my little beatlemania phase right now...there is no way i can possibly deny the influence those tunes have had on me.

there is a burnt cd of some of the beatles' more commercially successful songs sitting in my car for the last week. it has been a faithful companion during my drives between kl and seremban and i have enjoyed belting out my favourites while keeping an eye on the road. it helps that john lennon and paul mccartney have voices within my range (and then some) and that the guitar solos are too awesome to resist singing along to. just listen to george play that instantly recognisable solo to "let it be" and tell me if it isn't just screaming out to be vocalised!

anyway, i actually have alot more to say about this trip to the 60s i've been on. i'm inspired by the confidence that sir paul had even as a 20-something, the conviction that his songs will be standards one day among the ranks of buddy holly, elvis and frank sinatra. he was just so sure that he was on the right track. i could use some of that confidence at the moment.

i'm also blown away by the complexities underlying the deceivingly simple melodies and words. lennon and mccartney were transparent about their creative process, leaving no interpretation necessary. they weren't like amy tan, surprised at how far people have stretched her novels, seeing symbolism where she had not consciously intended. the songs of the beatles were deliberate and they said so.

there are some songs that i hit "repeat" on, just to get a second dose of how they make me feel. i'll write about them one day. man, what i would give to be one of those screaming girls in 1964.

lishun at 7:37 PM

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