Why the new Beatles song, "Now and Then" moves this Boomer so much.

I came of age in the heart of the Beatles ascendancy. Beginning In 1964 --second semester senior year in high school — I was writing down Beatles lyrics instead of paying attention in French class.  All My Lovin’  was playing in my head as I gazed longingly at my grand and unrequited crush in history class. That summer, I took up guitar because of the Beatles. Between 1964-68, every revelatory Beatles album release became indelible parts of my college soundtrack: Sophomore year, Rubber Soul, Junior year, Revolver, senior year, Sgt. Pepper. After college, while a teacher in the ‘70s, I pursued guitar playing, singing and songwriting at coffeehouses and colleges around New York and ultimately released a two part album on Folkways Records.

Now I live just blocks away from Strawberry Fields, and bring my guitar to an annual gathering there in honor of John’s October 9 birthday. Dozens of guitar players, bassists, singers, drummers, harmonica players and tourists come and go through the day and far into the night.

• Video by my daughter’s boyfriend Max (also a musician). I’m the guy with the white hat, which says “Vote — like your democracy depended on it.”

This is the background for my hearing Now and Then, the AI engineered re-creation of likely the final song the Beatles worked on together. As the Times reports:

Back in the studio, McCartney and Starr completed “Now and Then” using tracks from 1995, new parts recorded in 2022, a new string-orchestra arrangement and — from the Beatles’ session archives — backing vocals from “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Eleanor Rigby” and “Because”: “oohs” and “ahs” in harmony. 

…

“Now and Then” leans into nostalgia. Its existence matters more than its quality.

I disagree as to the quality. I think it’s brilliant — the minor verse, the major chorus, the addition of harmony and instruments as it progresses, most of all the plaintive, longing quality of the entire song.  But the nostalgia would be more than enough for me. I love that the song has “multi-decade” origins, while incorporating elements of  While My Guitar Gently Weeps, I am the Walrus, and Sgt. Pepper.

The Beatles were not just the soundtrack of college for Boomers, which we passed on to our children and grandchildren. They are a huge part of the spirit of the last sixty years, unifying generations and cultures throughout the world. And Now and Then joins and enhances that spirit.  Like the Strawberry Fields Lennon’s birthday events, Now and Then not only keeps that spirit alive, but resurrects it in a unique way for the present.

It represents hope — a desperately needed commodity these days.

Here it is:

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For the political version of hope,

• contribute to/ volunteer for these candidates in the Virginia elections through Simon Rosenberg’s Hopium Chronicles.

• contribute to or volunteer for The Civics Center, which helps create hundreds of high school voter registration drives.