Magical Mystery Tour HMM by Harry McGregor https://www.flickr.com/photos/nine2ninetyslx/309146903501
The Beatles sang “All You Need is Love,” a song that has simple words yet complex music.
The simple chorus relies on the counterpoint of the musical message. I would say that the demonstration of love is supported by intricacy, so that what seems simple is grounded in the elaborate.
Lennon, a revolutionary artist – wanted to move people through this song. The music is radical, innovative, even rebellious. During the soundtrack, the beginning influences are French; during the elongated phaseout we hear what is classical (J.S. Bach), Big Band USA (“In the Mood”), and the Beatles’ own hit “She Loves You.”
The Beatles employ asymmetrical time signatures and make compound changes in the recording. With Lennon as lead singer, McCartney sang backup, played bass, and double bass, adding his influence over other instruments. Ringo Starr played drums and percussion. Harrison played a guitar solo, violin and sang backup; Keith Moon, brush drums; George Martin, piano and more; David Mason, piccolo trumpet.
The Beatles were also supported by a studio orchestra conducted by Mike Vickers with hand clappers, and friends the likes of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Keith Moon, Graham Nash, among others, Wikipedia(R), 2013. The Beatles get by with a little help from their friends. Creating love is an effort of many chords, many people, eventually, a critical mass of energy…
Even though Lennon focused on world love and peace, it is our individual, small acts of kindness, which create the foundation for worldwide change. This is the complexity that underlies the simplicity of love. The multifaceted composition of “All You Need is Love” respects and follows this statement.
Lennon had his pulse on where he wanted to move us, and he was spot on when he declared that love is everything. I have found from personal experience that much work is necessary to achieve loving myself and others. This is my life-long pursuit, in my daily interactions: to demonstrate love to others so that, truly, love is all there is…
The Lennon-McCartney team used lyric; and music, the universal language, to urge us to love each other in a local and global sense. Now, that’s saying something…
This essay is a slightly edited reissue of the blogpost dated 9.30.13 – “Simplicity…Counterpoint,”
which is part of my free e-book: “Compassion in My Own Words.” https:www.smashwords.com/books/view/446617
Wishing you Peace & Love,
Speak to you on March 30th
Linda
