Maybe We DO All Live in a Yellow Submarine…

/ roughwighting

pixabay, yello submarineWhen I saw him standing there, I was transported immediately to Yesterday.

Somewhere on Penny Lane where blackbirds sing, I fell in love with him.  I promised to be true, just as he asked, even though I was just 17 and not yet a paperback writer.

Now, in a vast concert hall where everyone was twisting and shouting, my best friend, Eleanor Rigby, began to scream.

“For cripe’s sake,” I yelled at her, my voice sucked into the void with thousands of other screamers. “We’re too old for this. Stop acting like a teenager.”

But Eleanor’s eyes gleamed, and by god, she looked exactly like a teen. “Paul,” she moaned. “In my life, it’s always only been you!”

“Here,” I suggested. “Let me hold your hand. You look like you’re going to faint.”pixabay, guitar

Paul jammed on his guitar, which gently wept.

A hundred people surrounding me gently moaned.

Including my daughter, but she wasn’t into Paul McCartney’s concert like Eleanor and I were. “Mom, you and Aunt Ellie are embarrassing me,” she muttered. But she seemed to be only mouthing the words. The din sounded like we all lived in a yellow submarine crashing against oceanic waves.

pixabay, paul mccartney“Love, love me do!” an old lady screamed near me. Wait. That was Eleanor. My daughter rolled her eyes so far back that just maybe, I was amazed at her lack of musical appreciation.

But then she saw someone she recognized. A guy. Her age. “Hey, Jude!” She noticed how enthusiastically he was clapping along with Paul and his 5,000 fans. So, like everyone else in the indoor stadium, she waved her arms toward the heavens, back and forth, back and forth.

I eyed her suspiciously.

“Mom, really. All you need is love.”

We smiled, hugged, and screamed in symphonic joy.

all you need is love, Beatles, Paul McCartney

117 thoughts on “Maybe We DO All Live in a Yellow Submarine…”

  2. Good morning, Pam. Well done–so clever: “even though I was just 17 and not yet a paperback writer.” But really, all you need is love.
    I hope you enjoyed the concert!
    I’m going to share this post with a friend of mine who loves Paul McCartney. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  12. This post is only possible because the words of the Beatles’ songs are so well known to everyone. What an impact they had on the world of music. You’ve done a great job of entertaining us with snippets of their lyrics. Well done!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Adorable is not usually a word I’d use to describe your posts, but this one fills the bill. Creative too, but you always are.

    It occurs to me that all together in a yellow submarine would mean close quarters. But, if we think of it as the planet we share, well, that’s another story altogether. I’m always delighted reading your posts and in awe of your creativity, Pam. Thank you!

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  20. How fun! My long time girlfriend (since I was born) and I went to a concert with her grown daughters, and all they did the whole time was roll their eyes at us as we sang, danced and swooned.

    I love the part where you said some old lady screamed “love me do” and it was your friend. Haha. We forget our age sometimes, don’t we? 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • I grew up with the Beatles, since I was in 6th grade when I was introduced to them on the Ed Sullivan show. Their songs (and maturing themes) grew along with me. What’s wonderful is that the tunes are just as fabulous now as they were “way back then.”

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  22. Very nicely done. Mind you I will not forgive Paul for Mull of Kintyre, admittedly post Beatles. And sadly he should never have tried to lead a singalong at the 2012 opening ceremony with his voice less melodic than my lawn mower. But his early days… so fab. Thanks for all those memories.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Now Pam, I Want to Tell You that it’s clear that this was a challenge where you really decided to Think for Yourself. What’s funny is I was at that concert, too! But I was with Michelle, and the Two of Us were screaming, too! If only I’d known – we could have Come Together! I better get moving because the rain has finally let up, and thankfully Here Comes the Sun. What an inspiration you are! 🙂

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  24. This is so clever, Pam. I saw Paul McCartney in concert two years ago at Desert Trip. He was very impressive. When he shared little anecdotes with the audience, it made me feel like I was chatting with him at a coffee shop (albeit a very large one)!

    Liked by 1 person

  29. What a fun post! I do love Yesterday and Hey, Jude and Let Me Hold Your Hand.

    I was in college during “the British Invasion.” It’s surprising to me now, but that time reminds me more of Joan Baez. She was very popular in my dormitory. I bought a baritone ukulele and learned to play folk songs. I only came to appreciate the Beatles and their songs later. I think in the beginning, they were more popular with younger teens, at least that’s the way their early crowds in the US looked.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Yes, I was in 6th grade when I watched the Ed Sullivan Show and first heard the single “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” I admit, it was love at first sound, and Beatles became the soundtrack of my teens, thus they took a strong hold on me my entire life.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Ah this is a good one. I was not a teenager when the Beetles arrived on the scene but I really like their music. And the good thing is that Paul McCartney is still going strong and his voice has remained strong as well. You were so fortunate to be able to see and hear an icon of the music world. I know you will not soon forget the experience of two and one half hours of joyous memories.

    Liked by 2 people

    • That 2 1/2 hours was like a bubble that surrounded all of us; perhaps as if we WERE in a yellow submarine laughing and cheering and forgetting the ugliness outside of the bright bubble. Not a bad way to spend an evening (plus, the joy stayed with us for days).

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Reblogged this on The Write Stuff and commented:
    A post sure to bring a smile (and maybe a tear) to those of a certain age (like myself) who remember every one of these songs, each from the day it hit the airwaves. Made me smile all over to read it, and after the ongoing drama of this past week, I need all the smiles I can get. How about you? Check it out and pass it along. After all, all you need is love! 😉

    Liked by 2 people

  33. Pingback: Strawberry Fields Forever | writing to freedom

  42. You got me smiling ear to ear at 4:30 in the morning! I love this piece — you’re so clever and creative. And how lucky for you to have gone to a few Paul McCartney concerts! I’d love to go to one of his concerts, even if it was held in a yellow submarine! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  45. How delightful and creative! I can’t get enough of “anything Beatles.” I’ve also seen Paul perform, but wish I could say I’d had other previous contacts before it was too late. I have Beatles photos (purchased at an authorized event) on my wall and other nods to their place in my heart placed strategically where I keep my vinyl records. This 66 year old is a teenager when it comes to the Beatles. LOL! Great fun, Pam!

    Liked by 1 person

  49. Very clever. I love doing this with songs. I hope you enjoyed the concert. Hard to believe he’s 76 or so, still performing and has a number one album..:) who would have thunk it fifty years ago..:)

    Liked by 1 person

  50. Well that was awesome fun!! So cool you go to go to that concert! I love Paul McCartney and my daughter used to completely enthralled with the Beatles and she started THAT journey listening to The Monkees, believe it or not! We were fortunate enough to see Davy Jones a few years before he passed and then we saw him with Peter and Mickey after that in St Louis. It was great fun!!

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