My Fab Four - Sirius/XM; The Beatles Channel
Beatle Fan Krista
04/30/19
<Krista>
This is Beatle-fan Krista from Seattle, Washington, and these are My Fab Four on Sirius/XM; The Beatles Channel.
The first song I’m going to play is
Penny Lane, which is a little piece of Paul perfection.
Recently, I decided to post my ranking of the two hundred and four Beatles’ songs, in the order of how much I love them – which sounds insane…right; because it is.
But you know? In the midst of all this thinking, and writing, and revising, and re-thinking, and realizing how silly it was to try to rank the best music ever produced – I found that I had this amazingly warm and wonderful community of people to talk Beatles with.
And, that got me thinking of all the other warm and wonderful communities of Beatles fans that exist; some of them here on The Beatles Channel and elsewhere all around the world; which brings me to
Penny Lane, which I’ve chosen as my first song, because it’s a song about these people and places that never stop shaping and forming us.
It’s a reminder to me, of how lucky we are, when we’re part of a community – whether it’s online; through a radio station or anywhere else in the world.
<Penny Lane>
Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say "Hello"
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar,
And little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a mac
In the pouring rain, very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back
In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass,
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen
He likes to keep his fire engine clean,
It's a clean machine
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
A four of fish and finger pies
In summer. Meanwhile back
Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout
The pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she's in a play,
She is anyway
In Penny Lane the barber shaves another customer,
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim,
And then the fireman rushes in
From the pouring rain - very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
Penny Lane!
<Krista>
That was
Penny Lane; an endearing Paul reminiscence of growing up in Liverpool.
This is Krista from Seattle, Washington, and today, I am playing My Fab Four on Sirius/XM; the Beatles Channel.
The second song in my Fab Four is
Rain. A lot of people ask me who my favorite Beatle is…and, for Pete’s sake; it’s like asking a mother who her favorite child is. It’s crazy. They’re all my favorites.
But, if you ask me which Beatle I wish were more fully appreciated, then that would be Ringo. Maybe it’s the fact that he always seems to be having such wikkid fun. Or, maybe it’s that his humble graciousness makes him seem so approachable; so much like one of us. That cool heavy feel brain(?).
There was a lot to Paul’s incredible bass line, as well as some of the innovative recording techniques that the Beatles were always coming up with. But, I select this song primarily to highlight Ringo’s mastery, which is on full display here.
Even Ringo, himself, was impressed with his performance here; saying it, “blew him away”. And who am I to disagree with my favorite drummer of all-time?
Lookout…
It’s a Ringo showcase; here on The Beatles Channel.
<Rain>
If the rain comes they run and hide their heads
They might as well be dead
If the rain comes, if the rain comes
When the sun shines they slip into the shade
(when the sun shines down)
And sip their lemonade
(when the sun shines down)
When the sun shines, when the sun shines
Rain, I don't mind
Shine, the weather's fine
I can show you that when it starts to rain
(when the rain comes down)
Everything's the same
(when the rain comes down)
I can show you, I can show you
Rain, I don't mind
Shine, the weather's fine
Can you hear me, that when it rains and shines
(when it rains and shines)
It's just a state of mind?
(when it rains and shines)
Can you hear me, can you hear me?
Sdaeh rieht edih dna nur yeht semoc niar eht fI
(rain)
(rain)
<Krista>
That was
Rain; what I like to call a Ringo showcase.
I’m Krista from Seattle, Washington, and you’re listening to My Fab Four on The Beatles; on Sirius/XM.
My next song is
For No One. I chose this song because; while Paul is fabulous at turning out fictitious worlds that fascinate us, he can also perfectly capture genuine emotions - from real life situations - such as the end of a failed relationship. Paul pulls us even more personally into this story by singing in the second person, as if he is narrating our experience.
The stunning French horn solo might paint a littlecoat of hopefulness for a moment, but when it reappears over the vocal in the last verse, it’s as if one last memory of his great love appears and then fades away. Seemingly sad, but the reason I view this optimistically instead, is that it’s an amazing encapsulation of a part of life that’s both real and universal. It’s a song that allows us to say, sure this is hard -
(* track was cut and spliced here*) - but it’s a part of life we’ve all been strong enough to conquer; even Paul McCartney himself.
<For No One>
Your day breaks, your mind aches
You find that all the words of kindness linger on
When she no longer needs you
She wakes up, she makes up
She takes her time and doesn't feel she has to hurry
She no longer needs you
And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind her tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years
You want her, you need her
And yet you don't believe her when she says her love is dead
You think she needs you
And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind her tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years
You stay home, she goes out
She says that long ago she knew someone but now he's gone
She doesn't need him
Your day breaks, your mind aches
There will be times when all the things she said will fill your head
You won't forget her
And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind her tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years
<Krista>
I’m Krista; from Seattle, Washington, and I’ve been playing My Fab Four today on Sirius/XM’s Beatles Channel. This has been a blast! And, I thank you for listening.
My last song is
In My Life. And what John called a remembrance of friends and lovers of the past, forms a fitting bookend to Paul’s reminiscences and
Penny Lane, the first selection of My Fab Four.
I mentioned at the beginning my possibly – ah, ok…definitively insane - attempt to rank two hundred and four Beatles songs in order of my love for them. The people who read my posts during that time, began - I suppose inevitably - to guess what my top 10 might be; or which one would end up being my number one.
As a result – as a group – we decided to hold contests, with the winners being honored by donations to charitable organizations of their choosing. Finally, I revealed
In My Life as my number one favorite Beatles song. And so, my silly idea ended up resulting in funds being donated for things such as: fighting cancer; helping under-privileged children; and even in support of The George Harrison Foundation.
This song was initially my number one because of its unquestionable perfection; a song that I’ve listened to thousands of times, trying to find a single sound I would add or subtract; a tempo or meter change I would make; even a single pause I’d extend or contract.
I find it flawless every time, but now, I love this song even more because I associate it with those charitable donations; a reflection of all the good works that continue to be accomplished just because of all the inspiration that the Beatles provided to us and continue to provide to us to this day.
<In My Life>
There are places I'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more