In a recent interview about The Beatles’ Help! album, a radio show host asked me, “John was singing about his depression and struggles; Paul was singing about his problems with Jane Asher, and George was singing about squabbles with Pattie Boyd…but we never heard them saying those things, did we? How could we have missed this, Jude?”
I thought for a moment and said, “I guess we were too focused on ourselves. I mean, we happily sang along to serious songs like ‘Help!’ and ‘Tell Me What You See’ and ‘You Like Me Too Much’ without listening to the words, really. We danced. We snapped our fingers and smiled and laughed, but we didn’t really hear what The Beatles were saying. We were thinking of our own lives.”
It was the same when The Beatles broke up. I remember breaking down, throwing myself on the bedspread, and wailing, “How could they do this? How could they leave us? I never even got to see them in concert, and now I never will!!!! How could they just abandon us like this?”
It never occurred to me back then that John, Paul, George, and Ringo were the ones who were really hurting – that their friendships had crumbled; their spirits had been wounded. Over the years, as I researched and wrote about this era in their lives, the truth hit home. But about a month ago, as I was out running one day, I finally got it! My trusty iPod selected a Taylor Swift hit. And as the song played out, I finally heard not Taylor, but The Beatles speaking! In almost rock opera fashion, I heard them singing about the pain they’d endured when “The Fab Four” became just “the four.”
Who would’ve guessed that it would take Taylor Swift to make me aware of the anguish that John, Paul, George, and Ringo had experienced in the months and years that followed their “divorce”? Who would’ve imagined?
But now, when I hear “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” it’s a different song indeed! It’s a song about the loss of trust and companionship and brotherhood and love. And through Swift’s words, I hear the lads speak to me at last. It’s not about “me” anymore. It’s all about them.
Boys, I’m so very sorry.
Here they are “singing” Taylor Swift’s “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
John:
I remember when we broke up…the first time
Sayin’, “This is it! I’ve had enough!”
Paul:
‘Cause like we hadn’t seen each other in a month
When you said “you needed space!” WHAT???
John:
Then you come around again ’n say,
“Ba-beeee, I miss you, and I swear I’m gonna change! Trust me…”
Remember how that lasted for a day?
I say, “I hate you!”
We break up…you call me…I love you.
Paul:
Ooooohh… we called off again last night.
But oooooh, this time, I’m tellin’ you, I’m tellin’ you…
John, Paul, Ringo, and George:
We are never ever ever getting back together.
We are never ever ever getting back together!
Ringo:
You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me!
All:
But we are never ever, ever getting back together!
George: (disgusted)
I’m really gonna miss you pickin’ fights,
And me? Fallin’ for it, screaming that I’m right!
Paul:
And you? You hide away ’n find your peace of mind
With some Indie record that’s much cooler than mine!
John:
Ooooh, you called me up again tonight,
But oooooh, this time I’m tellin’ you, I’m tellin’ you…
John, Paul, George and Ringo:
We are never ever ever gettin’ back together.
We are never ever ever gettin’ back together!
You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me…
But we are never ever ever gettin’ back together!
George:
I used to think that we were forever, ever…
Paul:
And I used to say, “Never say never…”
John: (speaking bitterly)
Huh! He calls me up, and he’s like, “I still love you…”
And I’m like, I’m just…I mean, this is exhaustin’, y’know…
We are NEVER gettin’ back together…like ever!!!!!
All:
We are never ever ever gettin’ back together!
We are never ever ever gettin’ back together!
Ringo:
You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me
George:
But we are never ever ever getting’ back together.
All:
We….oooh, oooh…not back together!!!
We…oh…gettin’ back together…
You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me…
Paul: (quietly)
But we…are never ever ever gettin’ back together.
If you’re not familiar with Swift’s song, HEAD HERE to listen…
