A Short Story -‘ Thank You John’ : An Open Letter to Heaven
The-Beatles
Here’s a joke I read on Internet sometime back-
In heaven, one can picture Buddy Holly apologizing to John Lennon and George Harrison for never having heard their music.
“No worries,” they’d reply, “We heard you very well.”
If history has taught us anything, it is that all good things come with an expiry date. Good times, good music and most importantly great people disappear, and often in most bizarre ways. Gandhi was shot by his own people, and more importantly misunderstood by the ones he fought for; MLK Jr met the same fate. John Lennon was shot by one of his fans (or as he claimed), which still remains one of the worst kind sin evils one would do to an art form. But all said and done, we should not let go this opportunity to celebrate his 72th anniversary.
The following is a small token of gratitude to John Lennon and more appropriately a small token of love we all owe to The Beatles.
Hey John,
I really wish you could read this, not for you haven’t had any less adulation than anyone could ever imagine but for the sake of someone who somehow feels the world is incomplete without you guys, for there is so much despair around the world now just as it was in 50’s, for it needs The Beatles once again, both for the music and peace.
Just for you to know, things have changed a hell lot of deal since your departure. People actually listen to songs without even caring about what’s written in it, and remember the disco music that appeared after you guys broke up and you said you liked it a lot, well that has taken its worst kind of form. And yes you were right, people actually like an artist more than his music, which is an insult to the artist in the first place. And there’s this new thing called Youtube where anyone can reach out to millions of songs all at a time, and all you need to make money through music is to get a VEVO certificate. Remember the Sitar that you George loved? Yeah well, people don’t listen to it now, neither me. Musicians have stopped using it, because you know they are evolving now, they use some kind of machines to record labels which auto-tunes the sound for them, making sure they don’t sound shit on the records.
Remember the old philosophy that one shouldn’t adulate an artist more than his art, for it is an insult to the existence of that artist in the first place. Well, the situation has got hell broke. No one believes in it now. What people have now begun caring for in a song is sexual content, or someone smoking marijuana or a one-liner that goes all through the lyrics as well as the video.
Well on a better note Ringo and Paul have been doing very well in their albums. I read some article on Playboy that Ringo is the richest alive drummer in the world (Seems he has finally got his due).
The world still misses you a great deal though. Just a few days back, they played Imagine at the Olympics’ Closing ceremony. The world sees shades of you in Paul’s and Ringo’s shows now, hoping you’re still there, somewhere watching all of this. Bob Dylan has recorded a song mentioning you in his new album (The old friendship, huh). Yesterday is still covered by many artists; many mention you and Paul in their interviews saying you inspired the sh*t out of them and things like that. They have been many more movies about you and your assassination. I wish you could see Chapter 27; it’s the story of the guy who shot you. It deals with his mental trauma that allegedly was caused by you being a millionaire artist and fighting for love and peace through your music at the same time. I punched a guy who said you would only be remembered as the dude who publicized marijuana.
Anyways, John, thank you for being with me in those sleepless cold nights, for teaching us how to love and most importantly how to make earth a lovely place, for one’s own sake and for others; for being a Rockstar who would always be a cute 21 years old loving John and would quit his career once for taking care of his child. Thank you for the melodies that would withstand all the times and for the ballads that reminisces us all of all the good things we once had in our life.
Oops, I forgot to ask, how have you been? They must have had a good place for you to rock n roll there. Despite of “Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company” clause, your company would still be a very good reason to go to heaven. And perhaps we can argue God to send you again, at least for all the love of people for music.
Anyways John, this couldn’t have been a long one, so I am finishing this letter with all the love the world owes you.
__END__
~ Someone who wasn’t fortunate enough to be a part of Beatlemania.
