Let It Be

TerzaRima

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I first remember hearing the Beatles' Let It Be as a preschooler, and thinking that it must be a hymn, not only because of its stately pace but also because they were singing about "Mother Mary". Years later, I read that McCartney's mother, Mary, died when he was young and the Mary referred to in the lyric was his own mother.

So I was driving along today, after a bit of a challenging year, and Let It Be came on the radio. I always was slightly annoyed by some of the Beatles' later output, there is a slightly twee sensibility or something there, but I listened to the words and it hit me: It's a song about moving through loss, and how the people we lose never really leave us. Well, I almost had to pull off the road.

Am I the only slow on the uptake music fan out there?
 

Vito

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My older siblings (11, 10, and 8 years older than me) were big Beatles fans, and I can remember them playing "Let It Be" on their record player when I was a little kid. I also thought that the song was about the Virgin Mary, until several years later. Come to think of it, I've always associated almost all references to "Mary" in literature, music, or art with the V.M. -- due to my religious upbringing, no doubt.

As far as being "slow on the uptake", I also thought that Jimi Hendrix was singing "'Scuse me, while I kiss this guy" and that Creedence Clearwater Revival were singing "There's a bathroom on the right". ;)
 

Celia Cyanide

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When things were going bad for the Beatles, internal fighting, trouble at Apple, Paul had a dream that his mother, named Mary as you said, came to him to tell him that everything would be alright and not to worry. Let it Be. I love to listen to it when I'm down. It helps me stop worrying.
 

Ambri

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Yeah, it's a lovely song. I'd heard, early on, that it was about Paul's mom, and the Beatles' incipient breakup, and maybe a little of the eastern-philosophy vibes that were percolating through the air at the time.

Good song for the rough times . . .
 

benbradley

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I recall the song on the radio when I was 12 or 13 - I hadn't heard about the infighting, or I never noticed, but then one day some DJ was on the radio and said "Well, it's official, the Beatles are breaking up."

I never saw the movie but just about everything's on youtube thesedays. This is apparently a take from the movie, Yoko at John's side, the soulful Billy Preston on organ, and near the end Paul sings an alternate line, "there will be no sorrow, let it be"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cfHhAoj3P4
And then Paul missed the first piano chord of the outro, and I can hear his frustration in his banging on the bass note at the very end.

Here's a much earlier and rougher (both performance and mixwise) recording:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00PHNn9npbg

I SO like hearing alternate versions of the pop songs I've heard a million times, and a lot of the Beatles alternate takes have come out.
 

FredCharles

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I like Abbey Road much better, but I do love the Let it Be album. It's light and fun, which is weird considering what a pain it was for them to write and record it.
 

BenPanced

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My first exposure, that I can remember, was when we sang it at church in grade school to make the service more "hip" and "modern".
 

AlanF

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What a heart-stirring song. Thanks for the reminder. May many happy moments be in store for each of us as we continue this journey called life.
 

Celia Cyanide

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I never saw the movie but just about everything's on youtube thesedays. This is apparently a take from the movie, Yoko at John's side, the soulful Billy Preston on organ, and near the end Paul sings an alternate line, "there will be no sorrow, let it be"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cfHhAoj3P4
And then Paul missed the first piano chord of the outro, and I can hear his frustration in his banging on the bass note at the very end.


I LOVE that version! I think I first heard it in the movie. I had one on a Beatles collection, and another one on the actual Let It Be album. This one is my favorite. I'm also a sucker for alternate takes of songs I know and love.