A Love that Has No Past.


Forty-nine years ago today, The Beatles stepped onto the roof of the Apple building on Savile Row for their last ever live performance - which was remarkably strong considering the circumstances - and while they were up there for less than an hour, they recorded two of my favourite songs of all time.

One of them, I’veGot a Feeling, I’ve discussed here before, but tonight I’d like to sing the praises of their ode to the vulnerability of a new relationship; the soulful and searingly honest Don’t Let Me Down.




What makes it work so well for me is John and Paul’s voices, which fit together perfectly and give the song its weight; that a cappella 5/4 bar that falls at the beginning of each phrase in the verse is a stroke of compositional genius that shouldn’t pass unnoticed as it does, yet somehow subliminally reinforces the risk the protagonist has put themselves under by revealing how much they need that other person, plus the way the vocals weave together emphasises how they’ve been swept away by their love.

Such is the ridiculous quality of the band’s output that Don’t Let Me Down didn’t even make it onto the album Let it Be when it was eventually released, being relegated to a b-side instead. That’s astounding when you consider how it’s easily the best cut John came up with for the whole project; that said, it’s these little hidden gems that make The Beatles’ story so rewarding; anyone who thinks they are overrated has truly missed the point.

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