The Beatles' Legacy: Two Songs That Resonate with Nostalgia
I have always regarded The Beatles as three different bands—pop-rock from Please Please Me to Beatles For Sale, rock and roll/psychedelic from Help! to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the 'four solo artists that work together' from the White Album to Let It Be. As such, it's incredibly challenging to narrow it down to just one. However, my personal musical heart is torn between Paper Back Writer and Hey Bulldog.
The Appeal of Paper Back Writer
Paper Back Writer is a fantastic song with a fast beat rsquo;and a cool guitar riff that's dripping with classic Ringo fills and a great groove. It features some excellent harmonies, and it even mixes in a few psychedelic elements. Besides its musical qualities, the song has a neat little story that stands out for being unique.
Memories Through Music
The song reminds me of my father, a huge Beatles fan. He had a run-in with them in an airport when he was an Army officer, a story he often repeated whenever they came on the radio. My dad was particularly fond of Paper Back Writer, which brought back memories of the early Beatles days when the band was still finding its footing—Please Please Me and Hard Days Night-like songs. My father was born in 1945, and those were his formative years with the Beatles.
Family Consonance
We had several Beatles albums on 8-track, and my family would listen to them when we commuted from southern New Hampshire to northern New Hampshire via Route 93, through the Frankonia Notch in Derry to Littleton in the mid to late 1970s. These songs brought a sense of nostalgia and community to our trips.
Alongside my musical influences, I was in a garage band when I was a kid. While I could 'guitar George' my way through many songs, I didn't want to make them 'cry or sing.' My bandmates were metalheads, but we played mostly 80s and late 70s metal tunes. We had an unconventional rule that each member of the band could pick two songs. I chose Paper Back Writer and Hey Bulldog. My bandmates were taken aback, but those two songs were cool, and I wanted to play the keyboard on one and metal them up a bit.
Hey Bulldog: The Last Real Beatles Song
Hey Bulldog is widely regarded as the last real Beatles song. It has a simple but emotional core that reminds me of the early days when they played in Cavern Club and Hamburg. It could fit seamlessly into the Help! album; it's the kind of song you can picture being played in a rock and roll backdrop. Both Paper Back Writer and Hey Bulldog stand out for me because of my personal stories and the nostalgic connections they evoke.
The Nostalgia Connection
When we played those two songs, they became our crowd favorites. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, especially when it's wrapped in the magic of The Beatles. It's about more than just the music—it's the stories, the memories, and the community they represent. No matter what era, The Beatles have something to offer everyone.
Conclusion
In the end, it's not just about the music; it's about the memories, the stories, and the connections. Both Paper Back Writer and Hey Bulldog hold a special place in my heart and in the hearts of many Beatles fans. Their continued relevance and the stories they tell continue to resonate with generations of music lovers.