draliman on life

Merbear over at Knocked Over by a Feather is having a competition! Thanks for the timely reminder about that today, Mer!

Merbear is a huge Beatles fan, and her challenge is to do a post based on one of several snippets of Beatles lyrics she has supplied. I have chosen this one, from “Across the Universe”. This song has now been stuck in my head all day!

Words are flowing out like
Endless rain into a paper cup
They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe.
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
Are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me

I thought I’d take you back in time, back to 1960s Liverpool to watch two of the Fab Four at work as they come up with these lyrics. Imagine Flower Power. Imagine free love, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and whacked out hippies. Let’s drop in on John and (not yet Sir) Paul and see what’s going on, shall we?

(Cue spooky music and swirly effect so we all know we’re going back in time…)

“I can’t think of a new song. The words keep slipping away from me, like all the way across the universe, man.”

“Hey, that’ll do for a title. ‘Across the Universe’. Profound. Take a toke on this and see if it helps.”

(Puff puff)

“So what do you see?”

“Wow. Colours. Lights. Rain falling into a paper cup.”

“Cool!”

“Yeah! And there’s words too. Slithering around the place.”

“We can work with that. What else?”

“There’s sorrow and joy in pools and waves, man.”

“Good, good…”

“My mind’s all, like, open, and it’s caressing me and all sorts…”

“Yes, yes, very sensual, I like it.”

“And then it’s all like ‘goo goo g’joob’.”

“Always with the walrus. What’s the matter with you?”

“Sorry, man.”

(Cue swirly effect again…)

And thus, “Across the Universe” was born. Thank you for your time.