Victoria Noe

Award-winning Author, Speaker, Activist

My Excuse to Write About Paul McCartney and Friend Grief

Why I love black tshirts & jeans
My friends probably think I wrote this as a flimsy excuse to post a picture of my favorite Beatle, but that’s only partially true.
The media are all over his two concerts here at Wrigley Field (I’m going tonight). “McCartney Mania” has been running on my favorite radio station, playing his music from those ground-breaking Beatles days right through to the present. TV reporters were camped out in front of the ballpark, reporting on the concert and the crowds.
Today’s papers ran his play list from last night, and I saw that he continues a tradition he started some time ago: playing a song in honor of each of his late band mates, John Lennon and George Harrison.

For George, he played “Something”, the iconic love song, on a ukulele. A ukulele??
In the documentary, The Concert for George, the memorial benefit concert held on the first anniversary of George’s death, Paul had this to say about his choice:
“Sometimes if you’d go around to George’s house after you’d had dinner, the ukuleles would come out. One time, not so long ago, we were playing and I said, ‘There’s a song I do on the ukulele.’ I played it for him and I’ll play it to you now as a tribute to our beautiful friend.”
For John, he sang “Here Today”, which he wrote about Lennon. Last December, he performed it on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” with the following introduction:
“This song is like a conversation that we never had. I always say to people, if you want to say to someone that you love them, tell them now. Because there may come a point when it’s too late and you’ll think ‘I wish I’d said that.’”
So, Sir Paul, when I see you again tonight – without the band mates I saw you with 45 years ago this month – I’ll be thinking of not just you, but John and George (and Ringo), too.
Rock on, boys, rock on.

Copyright © Victoria Noe.

Created with Pub Site