Personal Thoughts About the Beatles

By Dave Sharp, Nov. 18, 2007

Young John Lennon

I was eight years old when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in the winter of 1964. I watched them with excitement, but did not fully appreciate their music because their live sound wasn't quite as good as their studio sound, although it was not entirely their fault. Levels weren't quite right and of course the screaming fans made it difficult for them to perform. A few weeks later I began hearing I Want to Hold Your Hand on the radio and was quickly pulled into their new style of music. The sound of Lennon and McCartney's voices singing in perfect harmony put me in a trance, a momentary state of euphoria that would become familiar with the first listen of many Beatle songs recorded over the ensuing six years. It was a great time to be a child. I was too young to worry about being drafted and going to Vietnam, but old enough to enjoy the music explosion of the 60s.

I grew up listening to Beatle records, often crowding around a radio with my three brothers when a new Beatle album was just released. Many of their albums were released shortly before Christmas, which made great Christmas presents to exchange among my brothers. As we grew older, so did the Beatles. As we changed, so did they. As the Vietnam War intensified, so did their music. It was an eerie thing. John Lennon became my ultimate hero, although I sometimes got mad at him for being too political and not sticking to basic "yeah yeah yeah" themes. I realize now he was on a bigger mission than merely playing in a rock 'n' roll band. As he grew from boy to man before the eyes of the world, he became a man of peace.

I remember the morning after Lennon was shot as vividly as the first time I saw him on the Ed Sullivan Show, only I was 25 instead of eight. I was driving to work, turned on the radio and heard Nowhere Man playing. After it finished, the deejay nervously announced that John Lennon had been shot and killed the night before, on December 8th, 1980. After the initial shock and disbelief, I wept like a child. I took off work the next day because I became physically ill. I had been somewhat mad at Lennon for not being a Beatle anymore, but I realized that I loved him nevertheless and wanted him back more than anything. It's a humbling experience to love someone with millions of people on the planet, and to hurt and grieve with humanity when that person passes. That was the life and death of John Lennon in a nutshell.

Rather than grow bitter over the tragic manner in which Lennon died, I tried to focus on the positive aspects of his life, particularly his vision of living in a world where conflict can be resolved without war. I believe it is possible. Despite the tragedy of the Iraq War, I believe individuals can still make a difference. The world is getting smaller and humanity has not yet made the necessary adjustments. We have not yet learned to live in peace. Instead, mankind still nurtures the ancient custom of living in a perpetual state war, a tradition as old as recorded history. Hoping for a better world where people can learn to live together in peace and harmony is the true message of the Beatles, and the legacy of John Lennon. I feel honored to have witnessed their time in the sun.

Best regards.

Dave Sharp