Does it really matter what your favorite author, songwriter, and publisher in permanent exile thinks about a pop song, especially when a genocide or an ethnic cleansing or a humanitarian catastrophe (choose your own terminology) is happening in “The Holy Land”? Perhaps not, but as a lifelong Beatleologist I felt compelled, for what it’s worth, to weigh in on the newly released track which has been dubbed “the last Beatles song.” In this episode of Guitar & Pen, after providing some background information on the Lennon demos which Yoko Ono gave to the surviving Beatles in the early 90s as they worked on the Anthology project, I therefore discuss and analyze “Now and Then” and, as is my wont, try to deduce aesthetic principles which might be of use or interest to songwriters, musicians, producers, fans, and casual listeners. I also rank “Now and Then” in relation to the other two Lennon demos which the Beatles completed and released as the Beatles: “Real Love” and “Free as a Bird.” (Since recording, I learned that there was actually a fourth song on the archival tapes Yoko gave the boys called “Grow Old with Me,” which Ringo covered in 2019.) Press play above to hear my complete breakdown of “Now and Then” and let me know what you think.
N.B. The title of today’s episode is a paraphrase of a quote by Picasso which I’m no longer able to locate.
"Not Every Song Can Be a Masterpiece" - The Beatles' "Now and Then"