Wednesday, July 17, 2013

And, In The End, Once In A Lifetime



If you had told me in 1973 that the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney would perform in Washington DC a few weeks apart during the summer of 2013 I would have replied, “Don’t bogart that joint, my friend.”  Well, it has come to pass, and while the Stones priced me out of their 50 Years and Counting Tour (I think they were really counting their shekels, not years), Macca, predictably, provided a more populist approach by playing bigger venues and charging more reasonable prices.  

Greatness Eight Days A Week
So the family and I went last Friday night, and saw the show of a lifetime.  Macca played 38 songs, three encores, performed for nearly 3 hours and was simply remarkable.  A very nice story in the Washington Post sums it up here.  But let me add that if you are old enough to have experienced the British Invasion and Beatlemania, or, regardless of age, have had the Beatles’ music imprinted in your consciousness, your soul, maybe even your DNA, the thrill of seeing Sir Paul play this music with unabashed energy and joy, remarkable for someone 21 years of age, not 71 years old, was thrilling beyond description.  (there were so many young pople singing along last Friday night as well as oldsters; it was thrilling to see). If you have the chance to see McCartney on his Out There tour, and you love his music, drop what you're doing, cancel your plans and hit StubHub immediately.  You will be happy you did for all your yesterdays. 
Out There and Everywhere

Speaking of which, the following is a humble parodic homage to one of Sir Paul’s greatest creations.  How did such a young man, a boy, almost, compose lyrics reflecting such wisdom and heartache, the pain of loss?  And how hard must it be to sing this song at this point in his life, with losses the likes of which most of us can only imagine littered through his life.  Although many things, Macca apparently is not a linkster, so he does not know the agony of the lipped putt, the pain of the bogey on the 18th to lose the match, the long and winding road that a lifetime of bad golf shots can be. So he should count his blessings for this as well.

One more thought:  I’d love to have his money or just a small portion therof (who wouldn’t), but I’d really like to have his hair!

 YESTERDAY

Paul McCartney/John Lennon
Publishers:  Sony/ATV, /Universal Music Group,

Yesterday, all my tee shots stopped in the fairway
Now it looks as though they've gone astray
Oh, I believe in yesterday

Suddenly, I’ve got half the game I used to see
There's a putter hanging down from me.
Oh, yesterday came suddenly

Why it had to go I don't know it wouldn't say
I did something wrong, now I long for yesterday

Yesterday, golf was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday

Why it had to go I don't know it wouldn't say
I did something wrong, now I long for yesterday

Yesterday, golf was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Mm mm mm mm mm mm mm




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