The Beatles‘ “Now and Then” has many fans and critics raving. It’s not just good: it’s the best final single that a Beatlemaniac could dream of and part of that is in its subtext. Here’s a look at why “Now and Then” works as a love song and as a meditation on The Beatles’ place in the world of music.
The Beatles’ ‘Now and Then’ could be about love, fans, or the Fab Four’s friendship
The lyrics of “Now and Then” are so layered. In the 1970s, “Now and Then” might have felt like a love song. Today, when fans have kept The Beatles’ memory alive for over 50 after they broke up, the track could seem directed at the fans, with John Lennon singing that his legacy lives on because of them.
Of course, much modern media about The Beatles emphasizes the friendships between John, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The tune’s music video certainly emphasizes that. How perfect that the track could apply to anyone, while also having specific meanings for the band and their listeners.
The song’s title merges the glory days of The Beatles with the technically advanced present
On the surface, “Now and Then” has a simple, unremarkable title. Now. And. Then. There doesn’t seem to but much to it initially, and there probably wasn’t when John wrote the song. However, it currently seems metatextual. The tune is part now (meaning 2023) and part then (meaning The Beatles’ glory years).
The nostalgic parts of the song are obvious. “Now and Then” features some of John’s trademark dark lyrics, the gentle sentimentality of the Fab Four’s best work, and an “I Am the Walrus”-style string arrangement. According to a 2023 interview posted to The Beatles’ YouTube channel, Paul used a newly-developed machine to clean up vocals from John’s “Now and Then” demo and complete the track. This use of technology puts the tune firmly in the now.
What Paul McCartney and Sean Ono Lennon had to say about ‘Now and Then’
In the interview, John’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, also discussed how “Now and Then” was finished. “[John] was always making demos and I do remember him recording into these tape cassette recorders. Mum had these handful of songs that my dad hadn’t finished. And she gave them to the other Beatles.”
Paul discussed how the song finally came together. “We listened to the track,” he said. “There’s John in his apartment in New York City, banging away at his piano, doing a little demo. Is it something we shouldn’t do? Every time I thought, like that, I thought ‘Wait a minute.’ Let’s say I had a chance to ask John. ‘Hey John, would you like us to finish this last song of yours?’ I’m telling you, I know the answer would have been ‘Yeah.’ He would have loved that.”
Sean concurred. “My dad would have loved that, because he was never shy to experiment with recording technology,” he said. “I think it’s really beautiful.”
The Beatles’ “Now and Then” is a grand finale for the band on multiple levels and even John’s son loved it.
