The old and the new

The iconic picture is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, located on the Pier Head Waterfront of Liverpool, England.

Some time ago in this column, we mentioned the popularity of the big bands of the 1940’s! We talked about the tremendous sound of thirty to forty instruments, and how fun it was dance to their music!

Last spring, we were privileged to hear the “Fab Four” perform on the state at the Northern Lights Event Center. We are very fortunate to have such a great venue as the NLEC so close to our little town! The lighting, sound and video system are second to none and we don’t have to travel to the big cities to see and hear top-notch entertainment! The “Fab Four” truly lives up to its name, as the group consists of four lads who put on two hours of fabulous entertainment consisting of songs made popular by the Beatles.

Unlike the popularity of the big bands during the 1940’s, there were only four guys, three with guitars and one with a set of drums, who nowadays are perhaps just as popular as the big band sound! Back in the 1960s, we could scratch the word, “perhaps” as far as the young ladies in those days were concerned, as girls during that era were truly psyched when they heard the Beatles!

We are all familiar with the success story of the Beatles! Women today in their early sixties especially know the story well! When they were young girls, they were at a fever pitch of excitement when George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon came onto a stage, a television screen, or even when they just heard their voices over the radio!

The four young lads from Liverpool, England, with their mop-top haircuts and their tailored, collarless, single-breasted suits caused a musical phenomemon called, “Beatlemania” when they recorded their very first song in the United States in 1954, ”I Want to Hold Your Hand.” For the next 16 years, Beatlemania dominated the music charts throughout the county with such wonderful, unforgettable songs such as, “Hey Jude,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “She Loves You,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Hard Day’s Night,” many others and especially the beautiful melody:

Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away

Now it looks as though they’re here to stay

Oh I believe in yesterday.

For several unfortunate reasons, the Beatles broke up in 1970. The strain of Beatlemania, the floundering of management, and Lennon’s relationship with his wife Yoko Ono were some of the reasons; however, ironically Yoko Ono was the reason one of their songs became an anthem of peace and tranquility throughout the entire world!

When she and Lennon put together the words and music, the beautiful song was selected by the Library of Congress as being, “culturally, historically and esthetically significant.” The song is played when the ball drops in Times Square on New Year’s Eve and has been selected as the theme song for the Olympic Games that are going on now.

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will be as one

We don’t have to picture in our minds nor remember the four lads from Liverpool in their mop-top haircuts and single-breasted suits to understand and appreciate the words of the song! Simply close your eyes, think of the words again, and imagine all the people in the world living life in peace-living in peace so the world will be as one! We can only imagine.

The views and opinions expressed in the “The old and the new” column belong solely to the author, and not The Pilot-Independent or an organization, committee or individual.