Randoms by Rach

Now & Then

Now & Then
Lead vocalist: John




Lyrics ▼

One, two, three
I know it's true
It's all because of you
And if I make it through
It's all because of you
And now and then
If we must start again
Well, we will know for sure
That I will love you
Now and then
I miss you
Oh, now and then
I want you to be there for me
Always to return to me
I know it's true
It's all because of you
And if you go away
I know you'll never stay
Now and then
I miss you
Oh, now and then
I want you to be there for me
I know it's true
It's all because of you
And if I make it through
It's all because of you

This song is the perfect way to end this challenge. The last song ever to be played on by all four Beatles (though not, necessarily, at the same time). This song was released as a single in November 2023, and it went on to win a Grammy for Best Rock Performance in 2024. The perfect ending to an unprecedented career.

John recorded the original demo in 1977. Yoko Ono gave Paul two cassettes with three songs on that John had recorded years later. This song was one of them. In 1995, Paul, George and Ringo got together and recorded their parts for this song, but at the time, they didn’t have the technology to isolate John’s voice. The piano was too loud, and they couldn’t extricate his voice from it. So, they gave up. But then, Peter Jackson had some new-fangled machine that could isolate John’s vocals, and in 2021, Paul and Ringo finished recording harmonies and instrumentals for the song. So, it genuinely is the last song to be recorded by all four Beatles.

Just a quick note on the lyrics … I think they sound kind of wistful. Sad, a little. My first thought when I heard this song was it had to be about Paul. Giles Martin, George Martin’s son, said he believed this song was, “a love letter to Paul written by John” and that that was why Paul was so determined to finish it nearly fifty years after the original demo was born.