The Beatles return for one last tearful goodbye
Swan Song [Noun] [swaan·saang]
1. A song of great sweetness said to be sung by a dying swan.
2. A farewell appearance or final act or pronouncement.
The Beatles shined like a brilliant flame, holding the heart of the world hostage for eight dizzying years. Lighting that spark back in the dingy Cavern Club, Rubber Soul to Sgt. Peppers to Abbey Road, pushed and defined new sounds –all while slowly coming apart at the seams.
Although each member did hold their respective careers after falling out in 1970, the next decade would be fraught with upset and legal troubles, souring chances of a collaboration. In what would unfortunately be John Lennon’s early twilight years, that same spark almost relit itself. Lennon and McCartney had begun calling each other again and the possibility of reuniting as a band and as brothers seemed higher than ever.
Closing one particular phone call, Lennon remarked, “think of me every now and then, old friend.” It was their last phone call before Lennon’s murder in late 1980.
When the remaining Beatles regrouped in 1989 to develop their Anthology album series, they were gifted a unique opportunity from Yoko Ono. A cassette simply labelled “for Paul,” with four demos on it; “Grow Old With Me”, “Real Love”, “Now and Then”, and “Free As A Bird”, All demos recorded by Lennon in his Dakota residence in New York, a singular theme is shared between all of them – Love.
“Grow Old With Me” is a marriage song; “Free As A Bird” mourns for love lost; “Real Love” is yearning for true connection; “Now and Then” is thankful. As the Anthology project rolled on, “Grow Old With Me” was passed on to remain with Ono, and “Now and Then” was shelved for being too difficult to work on with its audio issues.
Until now. Combining new machine-learning audio tech that can pull selected audio from a given track, archived Anthology work from George Harrison, and the efforts of the now remaining two Beatles – Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr – “Now and Then” is given a supportive breath.
“Now and Then” was released November 2, bookended by a short mini-documentary and music video. The last Beatles song, ever. It’s fitting all the promotional imagery used a singular cassette with its title.
Press play. The swans begin to sing. Piano and guitar lay down the dirge and for the first time in forty years, John Lennon’s voice rings out. Suddenly, for one fleeting final moment, the Beatles have returned to the world. The years flow behind, harmonies picked from throughout their career star in the chorus, and then there’s the dedication to Harrison with a slide guitar.
It’s beautiful, like a gentle humming away into the night, a dedication to the missing half. With all the Beatles styling they’re known for; the strings pluck out serene minor chords. I cry in my chair, at once I’m in my apartment listening to it, and again I’m the tween freshly into high school that is reliving the discovery of the band behind “Paperback Writer”.
For a final track, I’d say it gives us one lovely goodbye. Each lyric seems to be simultaneously languishing in and being thankful for what could have been, what is now, and what was then because after everything, “I want you to be there for me, always to return to me.”
