Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Thirty Years Ago Today...

...John Lennon was murdered in front of his apartment building. I was in Grade 2, but I still remember my dad sitting in front of the TV in silence as if he'd lost a friend. My uncle told me he was driving along a highway when the news came on the radio and they began playing "So This Is Christmas." He had to pull the car off the highway and began crying.

Many people will be posting Imagine today, I'm sure, but I'm going to instead post my favourite Beatles song, one that I listened to so many times my dad finally got me my own copy of Sgt Pepper's.

6 comments:

Chris in NF said...

I rather vividly remember my grade two teacher breaking down in tears the next day in class.

Joan Crawford said...

I love this song! It started playing on the radio as I gave my first baby his first bath at home. I was quite emotional about the whole thing.

Gillian Whitfield said...

Even though I wasn't even ALIVE until 13 years later, it still is not a happy thing, remembering that one of your favourite people was murdered by a crazy psychopathic man. As for the song choice, I LOVE A Day in the Life. It's my favourite song. I posted "In My Life" from Rubber Soul on my blog.

Batcabbage said...

I have been listening to the White Album, Revolver, Sgt Pepper's, Let It Be and Abbey Road over and over since Sunday. I was only four when he died. I didn't really know what a huge loss to music and the world it was. I do now.

Sagacious Penguin said...

"So This Is Christmas" is so beautiful. There's such a bittersweet vibe to it that it gets me a little everytime I hear it.

Love Sgt. Pepper's too - my favorite of their albums.

Blam said...


I can't add say anything in remembrance of John Lennon that other haven't said far more eloquently. What continues to sting particularly is that it was not only tragic and senseless but both.

"A Day in the Life" is a heck of an accomplishment as songwriting, performing, and producing — a great example of latter-day Beatles — but it scared the hell out of me when I first heard it and it kind-of still does. Not only are there those ominous crescendoing strings and the devastating final chord, but there is actual death in the lyrics of the song and, as I first heard it [blog link], it followed a funeral procession (to "Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight") in the infamous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie starring Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees.

VW: diatypn — n. [dy uh ty pin] Usage of more than one keyboard simultanesouly.