Get Back, Beethoven!

As Beethoven’s birthday approaches, I must admit I’ve not been thinking about him too much this month. Instead, I’ve been Beatles obsessed. Beatles, which I met as a school girl, long before I knew of Beethoven. Beatles, first together, then solo acts, were the sound track of my growing up. Beatles, that have comforted me in times of trouble as much as Beethoven. Don’t make me choose. They all sum up passion for life, and what human artistic achievement exemplifies. And why now am I thinking so much about the Beatles? Simply this amazing, three-part documentary.

Wouldn’t it have been fantastic if we had live video of Beethoven? I’m guessing if we did, we’d also see him with greasy hair, hyper-focused on his music, slouchy clothes surrounded by dirty dishes. Temperamental and touchy. Light-hearted and joyful. Composing in a fury with missed deadlines while frustrated colleagues worry and stew about the business side of music. It is messy, and it is genius, this creative process. And it is absolutely fascinating for those of us who are creators.

Both Beethoven and the Beatles brought in massive changes and innovation to the music of their time. They were both seen as larger than life, controversial, and over-the-top outrageous. They were super-stars with a love/hate relationship with London and Vienna. They took control of their own publishing and productions, instead of being “owned” by rich benefactors or corporations. It turns out I’m not the only one who see lots of similarities with Beethoven and the Beatles. This young German conductor has been extra-hyped about the Beatles documentary as well, and made a video about the similarities that I mentioned, along with much more musical insight. Turns out I showed up very late to the Beatles/Beethoven party. There is a Vanderbilt University professor who has taught an entire course on this subject. Even Leonard Bernstein was a Beatles fan. In this vintage video he discusses what he likes about the Beatles music. And according to his daughter, he was considering setting to music the poetry of John Lennon and had a back stage get-together with them before a Beatles concert.

Did you know that the song “Because” was inspired by Yoko Ono’s playing of Moonlight Sonata? Supposedly John asked her to play the opening chords backwards and that is how this song came to be.

There is much to discover, but what to do with all this? Beyond just enjoying the music, it is a study in creativity. That is the kernel at the center of all this. What inspires? What does this process look like? What makes this art long-lasting? And for me, what can I learn to increase my own creativity.

Writing the songs and recording the album “Let It Be” is the focus of the “Get Back” documentary, so let’s focus on the song, “Let It Be.” I’ve heard many times that this song came to Paul McCartney in his dream. His mother, whose name was Mary, died when he was a young boy of 14. As a young man McCartney dreamed of her, and in this dream she consoled him, saying “It will be alright, just let it be.” This was not the only song that was dream inspired by McCartney. The entire tune for “Yesterday” came to him entirely in his dream. For months he was convinced that someone else must have written that tune, but it was entirely his dream creation. Sometimes it is hard to trust something that comes to you so completely. Famously, both Edgar Allan Poe and Samuel Taylor Coleridge had poems come to them in their dreams. (click on the links to see examples)

Here are the dream inspired lyrics that have been a life-long comfort to me. For anyone who has lost someone beloved, their visitation in a dream is a true consolation.

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken-hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

With great anticipation I look forward to reading this new double volume collection of Paul McCartney lyrics that contain “Let It Be” and decades more of his poetry that was set to music. Here is the lovely video that describes this publication.

For sure, McCartney is a tone poet, much like our own dear Beethoven.

Until next time we meet, enjoy music, dive into poetry, and Happy Birthday Beethoven!