Today (February 26, 2023) marks the anniversary of the date in 1970 when the Beatles released their Hey Jude album, the Beatles' longest running No. 1 hit in the US. Related to an incident online a couple of days ago it started a thought process searching what might be my four or five favorite songs of all time.
My favorite DJ on the facebook music page Ultimate 70s Fan Page played Eric Clapton’s Layla, credited to Derek and the Dominos, and I commented it was in my top three. Then today I tried to think of my top three and I couldn’t hold it at three, but maybe four: Add Jimmy Buffett’s A Pirate looks at 40 and Crosby Stills and Nash’s Southern Cross to the list and that’s as far as I went. I’m sure there will be at least a couple more.
So, back to Hey Jude. The first time I heard it was on the Smothers Brothers Comedy show. Almost immediately I understood the message, but it wasn’t until several years later that the full importance of it evolved. I was going through a divorce at the time and had joint custody of my son who at 11 or 12 was just beginning to show his interest in music. The Beatles were high among his favorites.
He
was experimenting with a number of instruments as well, including a keyboard I
had bought him. One night he asked me about the blues and what they were about.
I’m not sure now (about 20 years later) what exactly I told him, but I do
remember saying to play the blues you had to feel every note. He asked what
does that mean “feel every note?” I said something inane like it has to come
from deep inside you. He appeared still baffled and then it hit me. I got out
the Hey Jude CD (yes that long ago). I asked him to listen carefully to
the song, explaining that it was Paul McCartney writing to Julian Lennon during
the breakup of his parents’ marriage, something my own son was experiencing at
the time and use that feeling applied to his situation. Eventually we worked it out so he could play the basic melody on that keyboard,
I’m not sure how much that affected him, but a few years later when we saw Paul in Tacoma, Washington, and the song came up I put my arm around him with tears welling in my eyes and without looking at him felt our connection so strongly at that moment. I still can’t listen to that song without it drawing some emotion out of me.
In truth, each of those four songs draws some emotion and memories and maybe that's the test. There are plenty of songs I like and many I like to sing along with but only a few where I feel an emotional attatchment . Those are the ones that seem to rise to the top of my informal list. What are yours?
And, for good measure: