Why We Love The Beatles 34 of 100

So, here we go. This is a tricky post; at the risk of raising the wrath, ire, shock and indignation of most Beatles fans and commentators, let me say up front: Yoko Ono did not break up the Beatles. The Beatles (in Dylan language) were a-breaking up, anyway.  So, you’d like to at least agree she was an accelerator/catalyst of the process? Nah-I don’t think so.

It’s the nature of us humans to look for a cause, a reason. A nice, big simple cause like ‘that frustrating woman’ Yoko Ono is an ideal one. But it doesn’t stack up. The Beatles broke up through 100% organic, natural causes: it’s known as growing up. Take a look at those first wonderful early pictures of the lads : you can hardly tell them apart. Matching cheeky grins on all of them.  They work as a group, think like a group and live as a group.  Fast forward a bit: different jackets, faces maturing. Fast forward again: different hair styles, partying separately. Fast forward once more:  different homes, lives, views: their own identities appearing. John was having a  slow but sure series of life crises, Paul had enough on his plate quite literally trying to keep the band on the road. George knew there was a deeper side to Life and Ringo wanted to enjoy his girl and his money.

No, Yoko didn’t break up the Beatles any more than Paul did; it may well have been Paul who got a couple more albums out of the -  by then - more than motley crew. The Beatles were evolving at light speed and a point came where lift-off was reached: they all wanted to go different ways. And for three of them that was not on the road. For Paul, that was the only place, he believed, where they could really be stretched. Yoko Ono probably saved Lennon from early burn up and self-destruction. Here he found another soul who thought as he did; who wasn’t with him just because he was a Beatle. No, there was no tragedy when John found Yoko and Yoko found John. No tragedy when the Beatles finally split: after all they have left us the most mind-boggling collection of gorgeous and incredible tracks. The only tragedy was when the world lost John a whole lot earlier than it need have done.

No: the incredible legacy is what's there to be remembered.

That's another reason we love The Beatles.