John Lennon and Paul McCartney

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bobinfaith

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Hello brothers and sisters;

I intentionally posted this thread in Fellowship Time to share about a band that impacted my life from 1963 to 1970.

I remember when Dad and my late Mom played the radio in the house and car back in 1963. Back then it was AM radio and this was the first time I heard the Beatles.

The song A Hard Day's Night and All My Loving was played and as a 7 year old it sounded so good! When we lived in England we saw the movie A Hard Day's Night starring the Beatles. The movie was in black and white. We heard other songs like A Ticket To Ride, And I Love Her, I Should Have Known Better, one constant hit after another.

I always enjoyed how they would bow at the same time to their audience after every song they performed.

In 1967 I was given the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour album as a Christmas present and listened in 1968 to Hey Jude, in 1969 Come Together and in 1970 Get Back. There was a constant string of Beatle songs. One day in 1970 I'll always remember watching the news and it was announced the Beatles had broken up.

Later John Lennon and Paul McCartney would go on with solo careers and Paul's later band, Wings. I remember John's wife Yoko Ono and Paul's wife Linda McCartney would sing background in their songs. Both wives sounded off pitch and flat although Linda carried a note better than Yoko.

The Beatles' music was very creative, versatile and their lyrics was to me, pure, catchy, a good beat and inspired me to become a musician. As I got older I knew the Beatles made a negative impression with the public and by 1965 their song lyrics were becoming suggestive.

It stayed with me while growing as a guitar player, singer and composer. Little did I know that God would redirect my love for music to praise, worship and hymns and in 1974 my first ministry would be my service to God in the church.

I don't know if John Lennon and George Harrison were saved when they died, and I don't know if the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are believers. I do pray for their salvation and am thankful to God for the Beatles' musical gift. How they used their gift is between them and God.

Yet I can't help but remember these 4 lads from Liverpool and how they inspired me in music and eventually turn my music to worship of our God.

God bless you all and your families.
 
Yes, I remember listening to them. I liked much of their stuff. But I kind of soured on them when "My Sweet Lord" came out. George Harrison was not singing about our Lord Jesus, he was singing about Krishna! I began listening more to their words and decided that however I liked their sound, I was less impressed with their message!

The song "Imagine" is also about not believing in anything.
 
They got into TCM (transcendental meditation) in the 60s.
But before that, they were good and wildly popular. They came to NZ and nobody could hear them for the girls screaming.

Used to sing their songs in school - and they have been covered by everyone, including the Carpenters, Tiffany, Boyz II Men, etc.

Ringo Starr lent his voice to reading Thomas the Tank Engine stories.
 
The Beetles were much before my time like most I learnt more about them with many of their catchy tunes but upon a closer Christian interrogation much of their music was very suggestive and they played a big part in introducing western civilisation to oriental mysticism. The Sargent Pepper lonely hearts album even had Alister Crowley pictured amongst the many faces on its cover. The tainted legacy they left us when going their seperate ways were songs like Krishna my sweet lord George Harrison. Imagine John Lennon. Imagine No heaven above no hell below. John Lennon even called our Lord a Spanish salami eating bastard. So their outlook to Christianity was very hostile in many ways. Johns last residence with his wife before he was gunned down was at the Dakota building in New York where only elite people are allowed. It was also where Rosemary’s baby 1968 classic was also filmed, one of those extra curiosities
 
Most parents in the US during the Beatles rise in popularity wanted them to get a haircut.

Their melodies and instrumentation were iconic. I was only 4 years old when they broke up, but I got to listen to their music in the 80's when I listened to classic rock stations. Their music still sounds good today. Yes, their lyrics were not Christian, but few rock and rollers had decent lyrics. God still finds a way to use their music for good purposes in the long run, as Bob has testified. I have written some Christian songs for church performances, and I would also say that they have inspired me in my music as well.
 
Big Moose said:
Most parents in the US during the Beatles rise in popularity wanted them to get a haircut.

Their melodies and instrumentation were iconic. I was only 4 years old when they broke up, but I got to listen to their music in the 80's when I listened to classic rock stations. Their music still sounds good today. Yes, their lyrics were not Christian, but few rock and rollers had decent lyrics. God still finds a way to use their music for good purposes in the long run, as Bob has testified. I have written some Christian songs for church performances, and I would also say that they have inspired me in my music as well.
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I think from memory the church people in America were burning beetles records. John may have upset them by saying something nasty about Jesus again. Maybe along the lines that they were more popular than Jesus Christ himself
 
Big Moose said:
Most parents in the US during the Beatles rise in popularity wanted them to get a haircut.

Their melodies and instrumentation were iconic. I was only 4 years old when they broke up, but I got to listen to their music in the 80's when I listened to classic rock stations. Their music still sounds good today. Yes, their lyrics were not Christian, but few rock and rollers had decent lyrics. God still finds a way to use their music for good purposes in the long run, as Bob has testified. I have written some Christian songs for church performances, and I would also say that they have inspired me in my music as well.
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Prim90 said:
I think from memory the church people in America were burning beetles records. John may have upset them by saying something nasty about Jesus again. Maybe along the lines that they were more popular than Jesus Christ himself
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Hello Big Moose;

I think that's great! I didn't know you were in the music ministry. What instrument do you play or did you just write the music?

Hello Prim90;

That's correct. John Lennon's quote referring to being more popular than Jesus had two sides. People were vulnerable to the media in 1966 more than we are today and it got so twisted that many people in and out of the Church burned their albums.

On the other side John was using Jesus in the context of the Beatles being popular and in many of his interviews he regretted even comparing their fame to Jesus and apologized.

Unfortunately he was murdered in 1980 and he never gave a thought of faith in Jesus. Too bad.
 
Paul McCartney married about 3 times and became a vegetarian. He's very rich now because of the song royalties.

He got knighted by the Queen. So now he's a Sir.

Other than that I don't know that much about him. Their early songs were about teenagers in love or lust. Which was typical 50s and 60s music back then. Some of their songs don't make any sense to me 'We all live in a yellow submarine?'

Though Paperback Writer was funny. Apparently they were going to copy Buddy Holly's band the Crickets except they were a different kind of bug, but instead of being the Beetles, they were to be the Beatles with an 'A'.

Most rock and roll music was 4x4 beat or tempo. Easy to play and not that sophisticated.
 
bobinfaith said:
Hello Big Moose;

I think that's great! I didn't know you were in the music ministry. What instrument do you play or did you just write the music?
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I play guitar. I've done special music performances in church, and I usually fill in for our piano player for the congregation's songs when she is away. I have written three original songs that we have done in church services, one was me solo, one was for our men's quartet, and one became a regular song we would sing in church. The last one wasn't totally original, I found an old hymnal in our church basement that I looked through for a handful of songs that had lyrics which spoke to me to create a new song. I ignored the original music and fit the lyrics to new music God inspired me with.
The hymnal song is called "In Thee Do I Live". My version is called "In Jesus, I Live". The original lyrics in the chorus were:
Thy mercy sought me, Thy love has bought me, Thy grace has taught me to believe,
Then in believing, Thy peace receiving, Now in Thee only, do I live.
I updated them to:
Your mercy sought me, Your love has bought me, Your grace has taught me to believe,
Then in believing, Your peace receiving, Now in You, Jesus, I live.

When I meditated on those lyrics, a melody just jumped right out to me and the song pretty much wrote itself.
My sons are musically gifted, one plays upright and electric bass, the other is a drummer. We performed a few times now together at church. Once was for Christmas Eve service. We did a version of "Angel We Have Heard on High" and "O Holy Night". On O Holy Night, I found that "Joy to the World" lyrics fit into the second verse perfectly. Here is my version of "Angels We Have Heard On High" that I renamed "Angels Gloria". It's not a great recording, just me and my guitar and a cheap computer mic, but it is the Christmas Season:
 
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Hello Big Moose;

What an awesome worship song. I like the chord changes, for example blue-lighted;

Come to Bethlehem and sing, Him who birth the angels sing.

Come adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord the newborn King.

Drummers and bass players can be hard to find for the praise team. Its a blessing to have your sons worship with you.

God bless you and thank you for sharing!
 
i remember around Oct 73 my grandmother came over from Belgium (raised in England) to pay us a visit and to warn us of these 4 lads from England called the 'beatles' who had 'long hair' and were immoral.
Later I saw them on the Ed Sullivan show and thought 'not bad, but will they overtake the Beach Boys?'...the rest was history.
 
When I went on tour to the British Isles, did drop in to Liverpool. You can do the magical mystery tour if you want, but I didn't have time.
Liverpool is quite an interesting city, and has a rich literary culture. The Beatles hung out at a place called the Cavern Club.
 
'Yesterday' was quite a fun movie, imagining what life might be like had the Beatles never existed...

The other spoof I remember was an episode of the Simpsons where Marge was a big fan of Ringo Starr. She wrote him a fan letter and received a reply 30 years later.
 
Prim90 said:
I think from memory the church people in America were burning beetles records. John may have upset them by saying something nasty about Jesus again. Maybe along the lines that they were more popular than Jesus Christ himself
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I also heard that John Lennon said the Beatles will be more popular than Jesus.
I have come across some Christians who have said that it is because of this statement that caused John Lennon's early death. However, this is a speculation.
 
Faith First said:
I also heard that John Lennon said the Beatles will be more popular than Jesus.
I have come across some Christians who have said that it is because of this statement that caused John Lennon's early death. However, this is a speculation.
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Hello Faith First;

Yes, I agree. This is speculation. No one but God knows.

My brother and I were roommates and while watching Monday Night Football on TV the announcer reported John Lennon had been shot on December 8, 1980. We're were shocked and it was hard to continue watching the game.

God bless you, sister, and your family.
 
Faith First said:
I also heard that John Lennon said the Beatles will be more popular than Jesus.
I have come across some Christians who have said that it is because of this statement that caused John Lennon's early death. However, this is a speculation.
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Yes John did say many anti Christian things and did also participate in many dark rituals with his wife Yoko. This publication may help you some to verify a deeper perspective on his legacy. 916E8845-6714-4C94-873E-C9182FEDD6D7.jpeg
 
bobinfaith said:
Hello Faith First;

Yes, I agree. This is speculation. No one but God knows.

My brother and I were roommates and while watching Monday Night Football on TV the announcer reported John Lennon had been shot on December 8, 1980. We're were shocked and it was hard to continue watching the game.

God bless you, sister, and your family.
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I remember that too. I was 14 years old at the time and hadn't yet heard much of Lennon's or the Beatles' music. I do remember, though, how the announcers' demeanor had changed the rest of the game.
 
bobinfaith said:
Hello Big Moose;

What an awesome worship song. I like the chord changes, for example blue-lighted;

Come to Bethlehem and sing, Him who birth the angels sing.

Come adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord the newborn King.

Drummers and bass players can be hard to find for the praise team. Its a blessing to have your sons worship with you.

God bless you and thank you for sharing!
Click to expand...
Those lines start with a D chord, then the highlighted chords are D9 changing to a G. I play the D9 by muting the low "E" 6th string, fretting the 5th string at the 5th fret, mute the 4th string, then fret the last three at the 5th fret as well. This is an easy chord for me since I have thick fingers and can clamp down on those strings and mute the others naturally.
 
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