I am a huge Fab Four fan, especially of John Lennon. What appeals to me most about the Beatles and I think most of their fans, is that they are very real. Even after all their fame and fortune, they were still at heart, four boys from working class families in Liverpool. They were quirky personalities with bad teeth who wrote their own songs with so much talent and genius it's mind-boggling.
Unlike many of the pop stars who achieve fame early today, they never tried to embody fake, bad boy personas just to be cool. Their songs often speak of their personal life experiences and ideals - they generally promote love and peace, none of that teenage angst. Ever so often, I'll play one of my Beatles or John Lennon albums and it makes me happy because the songs are geniune and remind me of a less complicated time in history.
I want to dedicate this one to all parents - John Lennon's Beautiful Boy. It's a tender ballad John wrote for his son with Yoko - Sean - and it encapsulates the protectiveness we all feel over our children. I particularly love this line in the song: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Isn't it true that sometimes we're so busy planning and worrying about life that we just forget to enjoy the moment? And more often than not, life never goes according to our plans - it just happens. This lyric is especially poignant and chilling since the song was one of the last John Lennon recorded before he was shot.
So parents, it's the weekend - go enjoy your kids and just let life happen. Here's a video of Beautiful Boy.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
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31 comments:
I know it shows my age but I love the Beatles too.They have songs that cover all my moods. I love the John Lennon Christmas song (for the life of me can't remember the title) but it starts off with 'And so this is Christmas..'. It's not a very traditional X'mas song but I love it and can listen to it over and over.
Thanks Adeline. It a very touching song and video.
I remember hearing about John Lennon's assassination over the radio when I came home from school one day. My dad and KC are fans of the Beatles and John Lennon was a truly gifted songwriter. And you are so right, the Beatles were four boys from working class Liverpool who had so much character in them!
Yes, am enjoying the kids today! I am supposed to bring them to the park today but its raining now. Will think of something. Maybe try out the recipes in your blog! :) Thanks for sharing again. You have a fun filled day ahead too!
Ann: Umm... I'm not Adeline :D But yes, John Lennon's death was such a loss to the world of music. Have fun with your kids today!
Eunice: The song you're talking about is Happy Xmas (War is Over), it's beautiful. I thought you and Lilian would especially love Beautiful Boy cos the last line is "Darling, darling, darling Sean". It's like written for both of you! :)
Aiyo.. so sorry, Monica. I must have still been sleeping when I wrote on your blog! Embarrassing.
Ooh yes, John Lennon. He has that weird psychedlic style that is so far out beautiful but spacey at the same time. Ahh memories. I don't know why I link them to the Bee Gees, but man, they were hot. So sad, Andy had to die young too.
Ad: Some of the super great musicians died tragically young, like Freddy Mercury. But then I guess with that reckless lifestyle...
Ooh, Freddie Mercury. I love Queen. What an amazing voice and style! Another One Bites the Dust. I guess he did, sigh.
"less complicated time in history." How true. Whatever happened to those days. Love this song & I'm a Beatles fan too.
Yay, I'm glad there're so many Beatles fans here!
Hmmm...so we are all in the same era eh? :)
Enjoy beatles and bee gees too, still remember how my brothers used to blast their precious sound system with the bee gees then...
Yes I believe in capturing the moments with the kids is more important, let tomorrow worry for itself... So pleased that I got my videocam replaced today after a few months of downtime....:D
qx
This is off topic...but a burning question I have since most of you here have boys..
Did you consciously train your boys to like things about transportation or did they just pick up and love on their own?
I am really amazed how some boys I know can be so fascinated by all kinds of transportation. My girl may love cars enough to draw them as a picture on its own but this is not extended to transportation in general. But her fave are animals, people from the drawings she produced...with no prompting from us... So I wonder if boys have a hard wiring in them on transportation and girls...people which can be linked to dolls? Are such tendencies nature or nurture?
qx
Thanks for the clip; I always thought Sean Lennon was so cute as a child. Love his name too :)
Big fan of The Beatles, used to wish I grew up during the Fab Four era, every time I watched black&white clips of their American invasion - clips of I want to hold your hand, Love, love me do etc. But my faves are We can work it out, Hey Jude, Yesterday...
Also love Simon & Garfunkel, their songs are so poignant.
QX: I believe in bringing up kids to be gender neutral, so I can say with certainty that my son's obsession with vehicles was entire in-born, it wasn't something we cultivated. My daughter, like yours, loves animals. But she hates dolls though! Barbie and Hello Kitty make her cringe.
Lilian: You're baaack!! Had a good time? Yeah, the songs back then have this effect of transporting you to another (more idyllic) world. Bee Gees, Abba... gosh don't we sound old??
Yes, had an excellent time, now that I think back about it haha! It's always like that lah with 4 fussy travellers/eaters, holidays can be stressful but the memories are always great. Hope to blog about our time in Tokyo soon.
Looking forward to reading your blog! I want to relive my memories of Tokyo :)
Hmmm, looks like those who are drawn to Monica's blog all come from the same era! I am also a fan of Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles and definitely the BeeGees... I remember at one stage when I was in secondary school (early 1980s), there was also a Barry Manilow craze. Of course, he is not quite in the same league as the musicians we are talking about here.
As I type this, I can almost hear their songs in my head!
LL
LL: Great minds think alike! Apparently great mums like the same songs, hehe :)
Hey LL, let's not downplay the genius of Barry Manilow. Some of his songs are pretty timeless. Not talking about Copacabana lah :) But songs like Mandy, I write the songs, I made it through the rain...good stuff.
Any of you ladies like Lobo? Me & You and a dog named Boo, How can I tell her, Stoney...I just love listening to his songs, so mellow and really tug at the heartstrings. He has a similar sound to Bread, don't you think? That's another group which I really like a lot.
Monica, I love the BEE GEES and ABBA too! So our ERA...!
Who sang "Scarborough Fair", pray tell? Was it Simon and Garfunkel? "Are you going to Scarborough Fair...? Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme...".
I like Bread! But not Lobo, sorry. And Ann, Scarborough Fair is Simon and Garfunkel too! I used to like Air Supply, until I realised that they're still holding concerts and watching the 2 old dudes trying to prance around on stage is just sad man...
The Rolling Stones! Legendary!
Actually hor, BEE GEES and ABBA etc not our era. By the time we were teenagers (1980s I presume?), these groups were already passe, and groups like Tears for fears, Aha, Culture Club, Duran Duran were at the top of their game. Just that songs by BeeGees, Abba, Beatles, etc are just so timeless, so later generations continue to connect with their songs/messages.
Talking about old dudes prancing around, Duran Duran performed at Princess D's memorial concert this year, yup, not a nice sight. Especially since their wrinkled faces and heavier frames remind us that we too have aged along with our former pin-up idols :(
Yes, not our era. We're still "the wrong side of thirty", right?? Yup, I think some of these guys dunno when to quit. Or maybe they ran out of money. I know everytime Elton John is declared bankrupt, he just goes on another world tour! But he's still GOT IT.
I remember when I was in sec school, all my friends were crazy over George Michael. Little did they know he was batting on the other team :D
hahaha, I was never into George Michael nor his 'partner' Andrew Ridgeley, though many of my friends were; I think my gaydar was pretty good!
Yes, Elton John definitely still has it. I'd pay money to see him perform.
I know Singapore showed Solid Gold, but did you all watch Top of the Pops? We didn't get this on Malaysian tv, but I rented videos (delivered to my house) every week. Just loved watching the show.
I'm afraid I wasn't very cool back then, was never into music till much later. I was too busy reading, playing the piano and trying to score As. Can you say GEEK???
What a good girl you were. I was the opposite lah...nuff said.
Monica: GEEK, no way! Look at you now! I can make out from your picture that you are very poised and groomed with nice long silky hair!
I can NEVER EVER HAVE hair like that:(.
Lilian: Both you and Monica are right. ABBA and BEE GEES were popular in the 70s and we were probably in primary school then.
Monica, Air Supply used to be one of my favourites too till the two of them started performing again. Aiyo! Can faint man!
Anyway, you would probably faint if I tell you all that I enjoy Anne Murray, Andy Williams and Engelbert Humperdink! Used to listen to them so much when I was 5-6yo cos Dad is a fan of them!
Ann: Don't let the photo fool you - free makeover lah, can achieve miracles! You think I look like that all the time meh?
Anne Murray, Andy WIlliams, Engelbert Humperdink - all cool people!! My mum used to listen to them all the time too, along with Connie Francis, Tom Jones... ah, the good ole days!
My dad was a big music fan, he had those black records you play on turntables. I remember he loved to sing Song Sung Blue whenever I wore a blue dress, I was about 5 maybe. And I loved stepping on his feet and dancing with him to songs *sniff*. He loved Elvis Presley, Everly Brothers, Engelbert Humperdink, Tom Jones, Connie Francis, Anne Murray, Paul Anka, so we were always listening to these in the car on the drive to school. I remember songs like Bye Bye Love, Living next door to Alice, Before the next teardrop falls, Where's your mama/papa gone (not sure if it's the title)...not sure who the singers are but these are songs that come to mind now.
We even had tapes with English songs by Frances Yip and Tracy Huang.
Wah, Lilian, sounds like you had an idyllic childhood! Dancing on dad's feet to songs, macam like Kodak ad like that! *envious*
Yup, my dad was the best lah. Very kind, generous, jovial, super funny...and I was obviously his favourite. I guess there had to be balance, cos my mum was quite the ogre. She's fantastic now lah, but back then...I tell her now what she did would count as abusive these days!
Monica: Am sure you look good all the time.
Lilian: Wow, Lilian. Your dad sounds like my dad and your mum sounds exactly like mine... she is quite the authoritarian lor. :)
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