John Lennon reaches Across the Universe…
Recent news reports have noted that the best selling book at Amazon is currently George Orwell’s classic novel of dystopian horror, 1984. Given our national circumstances, I suppose this could be seen as a positive, an effort on the part of at least some of the populace to educate themselves, even if a significant number of others in the populace (including me) wish that this sudden urge toward historical and cultural literacy had occurred before a certain November event.
Such, such is life, as the poet says. We seem only to want to listen to our poets and sages in times of distress.
There are some who, in the face of what certainly feels like imminent disaster, keep telling us that, to quote the mystic, “All shall be well.” It is difficult to the level of impossibility, however, to emulate the purity and power of a Julian of Norwich’s faith which is roughly the level of faith needed these days. What are we of little faith to do?
Well, we can listen to “Across the Universe.”
Lennon once said that he likes the lyrics of “Across the Universe” perhaps the best of all the songs he wrote with The Beatles. As I have noted in a recent piece about “the smart Beatle,” Lennon’s work is always searching:
“In My Life,” “Nowhere Man,” Strawberry Fields,” “All You Need is Love,” “Revolution,” “Come Together,” “Instant Karma” – these are the works of a man looking backward, looking forward, looking inward, looking outward, looking for answers, looking for the truth. “Across the Universe” might be the song in which John looks outward the furthest.
By: Jim Booth
Source: Scholars and Rogues
