Why "New" Makes Me Cry
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I'm not in love with New as much as some folks on here, but am very much in love with parts of it, and the song sequence that always gets to me is Early Days, followed by New. These 2 songs together always choke me up, and I'm starting to understand why. (This is going to be long. If you plan to read on, you might want to pour yourself a drink) I've posted on here before about how Paul and the Beatles helped me through my teen years. Younger folks on here may have trouble understanding what it felt like in 1970 to be 14 and starting to realize you might be gay --in an era when the culture gave you no validation whatever, no hint that you might be able to have a happy and normal life. But by the time I got to that point, I'd been emotionally vaccinated against despair. Two recurring themes in the Beatles' songs -- that it's ok to be different, you need to live your life in a way that feels right and you'll be okay, and that there is hope even when things look bleak -- had wormed their way into my consciousness so thoroughly that I simply could not be depressed or suicidal. I never doubted I was a worthy person, and I have John, Paul, George and Ringo to thank for that. So, about New... I love Early Days, but it makes me very sad because I can't help but think about Paul's mortality, and the fact that this man who literally helped save my life may not be around that much longer. Mortality is a fact of life, but it sucks. Then, after being immersed in the passage of time and the distance we've all traveled since I was listening to those Beatle records as a kid, on comes New and -- bang! -- we're back in 1967. And Paul is singing the exact same thoughts that got me through adolescence: I never knew what I could be What I could do Then we were new We can do what we want We can live as we choose And, more often than not, somewhere around the middle of the song, I just lose it. I literally start sobbing. On one level it's irrational -- it's a happy song, fer chrissakes -- but it's 50+ years of worry and doubt and struggle and gratefulness and joy all rushing to the surface, propelled by this gorgeous song. And the intensity of my reaction has helped me understand that it's not just that Paul and the Beatles helped me comprehend that it was okay to be different. They were in a sense an extra set of parents -- the parents you wish you had but never could have. That's not a knock against my real parents, who were wonderful in many ways: stable, kind, generous, rigorously fair. But they were very much products of the World War II era. The sort of scrubbed, respectable suburban normality of "Father Knows Best" and "Leave It to Beaver" weren't just their world, it was pretty much their idea of an ideal world. To oversimplify a bit, my parents taught me what was expected of me. The Beatles taught me that I didn't have to be limited by what was expected of me. And I will be grateful for that till the day I die. And that is why New will always make me cry.
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This is why genuine artists and performers do what they do.
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Wonderful post!
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Great stuff Bruce!
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Now I'm gonna cry Bruce! And also
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Bruce M, I?m a second generation fan ? got into them listening to my Mum?s records back in 79-80 ? but I can fully understand and relate to the affect these four guys and their music had/have on you. I got into them at a particularly extremely difficult time and threw myself into their music. It really helped. They were, and are, like old mates and family. It extends beyond just the music. They?ve certainly comforted me through the decades. And with you being a first generation fan, even moreso it must seem like the end of a cycle as Paul (and Ringo) get older. Now, I?ve done the math so presuming you were fourteen in 1970?. And presuming that avatar is a picture of yourself (and I?ll kick myself if I discover it is of some cultural icon I haven?t fallen across)? I gotta say the years have been kind. Looking young!
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It is indeed the human aspect that does it for me...mortality is a very good choice of wording there. The feeling is what it's all about, in my opinion. I can't describe all the thoughts and imagery that run through my mind during "Early Days". The 'inspiration' line gets me every. single. time. It's almost like Paul is giving his "o.k." (thumbs up) - that it is indeed going to be okay after he's gone. It makes me want to just write "thank you" with a smiley face on a little post-it note and send it off to Paul. lol.
...and then the "New" song comes rushing in and it feels like starting a new adventure all over again! -
Nancy R:
Now I'm gonna cry Bruce! And also
Don't cry, Nancy!!!!
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toris:
Bruce M, I?m a second generation fan ? got into them listening to my Mum?s records back in 79-80 ? but I can fully understand and relate to the affect these four guys and their music had/have on you. I got into them at a particularly extremely difficult time and threw myself into their music. It really helped. They were, and are, like old mates and family. It extends beyond just the music. They?ve certainly comforted me through the decades. And with you being a first generation fan, even moreso it must seem like the end of a cycle as Paul (and Ringo) get older. Now, I?ve done the math so presuming you were fourteen in 1970?. And presuming that avatar is a picture of yourself (and I?ll kick myself if I discover it is of some cultural icon I haven?t fallen across)? I gotta say the years have been kind. Looking young!
For the sake of truth in advertising, my picture is a little over 4 years old. It just happened to be the only decent shot I had that was the appropriate size, etc., for use here. But I like to think I'm not too badly worn since it was taken. One more thought on all this. The thought process I described in my original post also helped me understand why I was so totally destroyed when John was killed. No death of a celebrity -- even ones I was a huge fan of, like Groucho Marx -- ever had that sort of effect on me. It really was like losing family (and, of course, in the most shocking and horrible way).
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Bruce YOU ROCK!! Well said..
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I think that its absolutely incredible that us die-hard Paul fans can find even more insight through each other than ever possible. I never even registered the significance of 'Early Days' and 'New' being next to each other before. Now I see it, I can't believe I missed it! (ps I cry at 'Put It There'. 'Big Boys Bickering' and 'Too Much Rain')
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Bruce M.:
toris:
Bruce M, I?m a second generation fan ? got into them listening to my Mum?s records back in 79-80 ? but I can fully understand and relate to the affect these four guys and their music had/have on you. I got into them at a particularly extremely difficult time and threw myself into their music. It really helped. They were, and are, like old mates and family. It extends beyond just the music. They?ve certainly comforted me through the decades. And with you being a first generation fan, even moreso it must seem like the end of a cycle as Paul (and Ringo) get older. Now, I?ve done the math so presuming you were fourteen in 1970?. And presuming that avatar is a picture of yourself (and I?ll kick myself if I discover it is of some cultural icon I haven?t fallen across)? I gotta say the years have been kind. Looking young!
For the sake of truth in advertising, my picture is a little over 4 years old. It just happened to be the only decent shot I had that was the appropriate size, etc., for use here. But I like to think I'm not too badly worn since it was taken. One more thought on all this. The thought process I described in my original post also helped me understand why I was so totally destroyed when John was killed. No death of a celebrity -- even ones I was a huge fan of, like Groucho Marx -- ever had that sort of effect on me. It really was like losing family (and, of course, in the most shocking and horrible way).
I know exactly what you mean Bruce. I cried off & on for 2 weeks after that horrible day!
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Bruce M.:
toris:
Bruce M, I?m a second generation fan ? got into them listening to my Mum?s records back in 79-80 ? but I can fully understand and relate to the affect these four guys and their music had/have on you. I got into them at a particularly extremely difficult time and threw myself into their music. It really helped. They were, and are, like old mates and family. It extends beyond just the music. They?ve certainly comforted me through the decades. And with you being a first generation fan, even moreso it must seem like the end of a cycle as Paul (and Ringo) get older. Now, I?ve done the math so presuming you were fourteen in 1970?. And presuming that avatar is a picture of yourself (and I?ll kick myself if I discover it is of some cultural icon I haven?t fallen across)? I gotta say the years have been kind. Looking young!
For the sake of truth in advertising, my picture is a little over 4 years old. It just happened to be the only decent shot I had that was the appropriate size, etc., for use here. But I like to think I'm not too badly worn since it was taken. One more thought on all this. The thought process I described in my original post also helped me understand why I was so totally destroyed when John was killed. No death of a celebrity -- even ones I was a huge fan of, like Groucho Marx -- ever had that sort of effect on me. It really was like losing family (and, of course, in the most shocking and horrible way).
I hear you on John?. Am a huge Marx Brothers fan. Groucho?s death kinda got overshadowed by a fellow called Elvis that week.
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Bruce M.:
(This is going to be long. If you plan to read on, you might want to pour yourself a drink) Two recurring themes in the Beatles' songs -- that it's ok to be different, you need to live your life in a way that feels right and you'll be okay, and that there is hope even when things look bleak -- had wormed their way into my consciousness so thoroughly that I simply could not be Then, after being immersed in the passage of time and the distance we've all traveled since I was listening to those Beatle records as a kid, on comes New and -- bang! -- we're back in 1967. And Paul is singing the exact same thoughts that got me through adolescence: I never knew what I could be What I could do Then we were new We can do what we want We can live as we choose -- it's a happy song, fer chrissakes -- but it's 50+ years of worry and doubt and struggle and gratefulness and joy all rushing to the surface, propelled by this gorgeous song. To oversimplify a bit, my parents taught me what was expected of me. The Beatles taught me that I didn't have to be limited by what was expected of me. And I will be grateful for that till the day I die.
Bruce, it's 7a.m. ish, so I'll just stick with my coffee
Thanks, though. Paul/Beatles inspired/inspires hope, gratefulness, and joy, and it's ok to be who you are. I concur. Their music has saved me through plenty of bad times, too. Paul's got lots of good years left in him, I would imagine, and even if he never did another thing, which I doubt, we have so much to listen to as is. Thank you for putting these thoughts into words. I could give my own story about their music instilling hope into my young fifth grade life when everything else in my life looked hopeless. I got through that year, literally, by playing their albums and singing their songs, and have never felt hopeless since. -
Bruce M.:
I'm not in love with New as much as some folks on here, but am very much in love with parts of it, and the song sequence that always gets to me is Early Days, followed by New. These 2 songs together always choke me up, and I'm starting to understand why. (This is going to be long. If you plan to read on, you might want to pour yourself a drink) I've posted on here before about how Paul and the Beatles helped me through my teen years. Younger folks on here may have trouble understanding what it felt like in 1970 to be 14 and starting to realize you might be gay --in an era when the culture gave you no validation whatever, no hint that you might be able to have a happy and normal life. But by the time I got to that point, I'd been emotionally vaccinated against despair. Two recurring themes in the Beatles' songs -- that it's ok to be different, you need to live your life in a way that feels right and you'll be okay, and that there is hope even when things look bleak -- had wormed their way into my consciousness so thoroughly that I simply could not be depressed or suicidal. I never doubted I was a worthy person, and I have John, Paul, George and Ringo to thank for that. So, about New... I love Early Days, but it makes me very sad because I can't help but think about Paul's mortality, and the fact that this man who literally helped save my life may not be around that much longer. Mortality is a fact of life, but it sucks. Then, after being immersed in the passage of time and the distance we've all traveled since I was listening to those Beatle records as a kid, on comes New and -- bang! -- we're back in 1967. And Paul is singing the exact same thoughts that got me through adolescence: I never knew what I could be What I could do Then we were new We can do what we want We can live as we choose And, more often than not, somewhere around the middle of the song, I just lose it. I literally start sobbing. On one level it's irrational -- it's a happy song, fer chrissakes -- but it's 50+ years of worry and doubt and struggle and gratefulness and joy all rushing to the surface, propelled by this gorgeous song. And the intensity of my reaction has helped me understand that it's not just that Paul and the Beatles helped me comprehend that it was okay to be different. They were in a sense an extra set of parents -- the parents you wish you had but never could have. That's not a knock against my real parents, who were wonderful in many ways: stable, kind, generous, rigorously fair. But they were very much products of the World War II era. The sort of scrubbed, respectable suburban normality of "Father Knows Best" and "Leave It to Beaver" weren't just their world, it was pretty much their idea of an ideal world. To oversimplify a bit, my parents taught me what was expected of me. The Beatles taught me that I didn't have to be limited by what was expected of me. And I will be grateful for that till the day I die. And that is why New will always make me cry.
Thank you, Bruce. I can SO relate to everything you said. ALL OF IT and for all the same reasons. And at/during the same time/year/age. I grew up in Utah...a Mormon..in a small town...and coming to grips with my sexual orientation in that environment and family expectations was, well I didn't until years later, after I moved to Virginia. And Thank God for The Beatles for the same reasons! They "spoke" to me and helped me stay alive. "Too Much Rain" sent the tears flowing down my face. And the line about "may you find the inspiration" in "Early Days" gets me too. And then "New". I also think about what Paul sang "On The Day That I Die." I sort of take him at his word on that, which, oddly perhaps, comforts me. This life on earth is just the beginning. We "graduate" to better things and a better place. ("Here Comes The Sun" soooo did it for me in much the same way as "New".)
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wingsdgm:
http://clearchannelinternational.com/images/cache/b62358d5e2cc0f10bde2403ab261aec88b8686a2.jpg
OMG, that is so cool! Where is this?
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That, Sir, was beautiful. I applaud you for your honesty.
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Beatles4Ever&Ever:
Thank you, Bruce. I can SO relate to everything you said. ALL OF IT and for all the same reasons. And at/during the same time/year/age. I grew up in Utah...a Mormon..in a small town...and coming to grips with my sexual orientation in that environment and family expectations was, well I didn't until years later, after I moved to Virginia. And Thank God for The Beatles for the same reasons! They "spoke" to me and helped me stay alive. "Too Much Rain" sent the tears flowing down my face. And the line about "may you find the inspiration" in "Early Days" gets me too. And then "New". I also think about what Paul sang "On The Day That I Die." I sort of take him at his word on that, which, oddly perhaps, comforts me. This life on earth is just the beginning. We "graduate" to better things and a better place. ("Here Comes The Sun" soooo did it for me in much the same way as "New".)
Yeah, "Too Much Rain" is an other one that gets me sometimes. And I should mention -- having said on here a few times that I'm not nearly as much a "Ram" fan as lots of Paul fans -- that "Too Many People" is another tune I really related to: "Too many people preaching practices/Don't let 'em tell you what you want to be." Oh god yes.
