The last song from the Beatles will be published, Featuring the Late John Lennon In a moment that will surely tug at the heartstrings of Beatles fans worldwide, “Now and Then,” described as The Beatles’ final song, has finally been released, decades after it was first written by the late John Lennon. The track, which features the voices of all the British rock group’s members, was released at 2 p.m. GMT (10 a.m. ET) on Thursday. Lennon’s poignant lyrics capture the essence of nostalgia, as he sings, “I know it’s true.
It’s all because of you. And if I make it through, it’s all because of you.” These words, following his untimely death in 1980, mark a significant moment for fans of the band. The journey of “Now and Then” spans decades.
Lennon wrote and recorded the song at his home in New York City in the late 1970s, and his wife Yoko Ono later gave the demo to the remaining Beatles members in 1994. In a short film released on YouTube, the band explained that they worked on the track until 1995 but were unable to separate Lennon’s voice from the sound of a piano. “To hear John’s voice, that’s a thing that we should cherish, and I’m sure he would’ve really enjoyed that opportunity to be with us again,” expressed guitarist George Harrison in the film. “It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room,” added drummer Ringo Starr. However, the song ended up being stored away in a cupboard for years.
The passing of Harrison in 2001 further dampened the band’s spirits, but it took Paul McCartney and Starr over two decades to revisit the song. The breakthrough came with the use of AI technology to isolate Lennon’s voice from a demo track for the Peter Jackson-directed 2021 docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back.” McCartney and Starr then contributed their parts, and additional strings were added by musicians at Capitol Studios, who were unaware that they were working on a new Beatles song.
The band also included Harrison’s guitar parts from 1995 and created a slide guitar solo in his style as a tribute. “It’s an incredible feeling to have those memories come flooding back,” McCartney shared. “How lucky was I to have those men in my life and to work with them so intimately and come up with such a body of music.”
The significance of “Now and Then” is not lost on McCartney either. He expressed, “To still be working on Beatles music in 2023 – wow,” acknowledging the state-of-the-art technology utilized in the process. McCartney believes that the song is a genuine Beatles recording and states, “We’ve all played on it, so it is a genuine Beatle recording.” Lennon’s son, Sean, was deeply moved by the collaboration. He remarked, “It was incredibly touching to hear them working together after all the years that my dad had been gone.” He added, “It’s the last song that my dad and Paul, and George, and Ringo will get to make together.”
The legacy of The Beatles, a band that won seven Grammy Awards, continues to resonate in pop culture even after more than 50 years since their split. Their influence began with the “Beatlemania” phenomenon in the early 1960s, as their music ignited a frenzy among fans in the UK, the US, and across the globe. With 20 number 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including timeless classics like “Hey Jude,” “Come Together,” “Let It Be,” “Help!,” and “Yesterday,” as well as beloved tracks like “Twist and Shout” and “Here Comes the Sun,” The Beatles’ creative sounds continue to leave an indelible mark on the music world.
