No touching.........

You know anyone on the planet that EVERYONE likes?  Me too.  A buddy of mine is fun, funny, self deprecates to infinitum, never in a bad mood, yada yada.  BUT (Damnit Victor).. But.. if you by chance touch him, even if on accident, you will hear "touching... " and if touching is continued, the volume will swell "TOUCHING!"...  No one is really sure if he's serious, but it's now a fun game to play, so we do it on purpose!

The other day, in a college basketball game, Wisconsin was beating Michigan by 15 points, with 15 seconds left.  By this time, scrubs, 2nd teamers, walk-ons were in the ball game for Wisconsin.  With 15 seconds left (and possession of the ball), Wisconsin called a time out. My opine, you just don't do that. Wisconsin coach version "we were going to get a 10 second violation for not crossing the midcourt line."  This, no suity with the Michigan coach. After the game, both teams did the customary two line "Nice game" high five thing - but it went awry.  Michigan's coach was going to walk past the Wisconsin coach and not shake hands, Wisconsin's coach grabbed the Michigan coach by the shoulder, to which he replied with a haymaker that happened to land on the face of a Wisconsin assistant.  Ollie woulda said to Stan, "This is a fine mess you've gotten us into."  tbcnp (to be continued next paragraph.)

Michigan's coach admitted after the game he was mad (don't really blame him actually), then he said "He touched me," which, I guess from his shoes granted him the right to cold cock someone.  After much dissection, fines and suspensions have been handed out.  tbcnp

"Touching"... "No TOUCHING!"..  Let it be, so to speak, but pardon me boys, I think it'll take awhile for this to be forgotten by either team.  Not here to judge, just pointing out the "no touching!"

For many a year, the Beatles were my favorite group.  Victor, the Olympics just ended and I didn't see no tea, whatinthehell does this (The Beatles) have to do with the above (ie, the price of tea in China.)?  tbcnp

Good question. As ANOTHER aside, The Rolling Stones have now surpassed the Beatles as my fav (Queen may even be #2), but, I will always love the song Let It  Be.

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

I 'no proffessee' to be a music expert.. nor, Walter Cronkite "And that's the way it was", but what follows is Bits and Pieces (not to be confused with The Dave Clark Five)..er, bits and pieces of stories about the song.

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Lennon hated the song for it's religious overtones (perceived "The Virgin Mary") , announced before recording it "And now we'd like to do Hark The Angels Come." He hated it so, in fact, he made sure it was followed on the album by Maggie Mae, a song about a Liverpool prostitute.

Paul, whose mother was named Mary, passed away when he was 14.  He indicated, one night when he was paranoid and anxious, he had a dream where his mother came to him (she'd been gone by 10 years by this time), came to him in his time of trouble, speaking words of wisdom and that had brought him much peace.  Let it be she, she told him.

And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be

When Paul wrote this, there was discord in Ireland, war in Viet Nam (and other places)... so, hopefully, there will be an answer.

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Yeah, there will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Now, back to The Dave Clark Five, haha, and bits and pieces about Let It Be:

Again, Paul says it was written about what his mother said, but, he's fine if some believe it to be a spiritual version as well.

Mal Evans, a Beatles assistant do-all, claims it was written about him, not Mary.  "Was supposed to go along the lines of...in times of trouble Brother Malcolm comes to me."  In fact, in sometimes when they were rehearsing Paul would say "Brother Malcolm" insteada Mary.

George Harrison got mad, quit the band.

Billy Preston was brought in... Paul wanted to make him a Beatle.  Harrison returned some 12 days later after the group agreed to scrap a live performance he didn't wanna do.

Throw in a spice of turmoil (This would be the group's last song), Preston's cool, calm demeanor kept their tensions at bay, and much better than when he first arrived.

Let it be, let it be
Ah, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music,
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah, let it be
Oh, there will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

The song, it be popular.  To the tune of it being sung at Linda McCartney's funeral.  Years later, Paul and Billy Joel at Shea Stadium.  Jennifer Hudson recorded it. Kris Allen too. Fitty years after the Beatles debuted on Ed Sullivan, the tribute special "The Beatles, the Night That Changed America" John Legend and Alicia Keys sang it.

Victor?  Yes?  Finished?  Nope. The fellers on Sesame Street recorded it with the title changed to "Letter B" and it was used to teach snotnoses words that begin with B.  Reader?  Yes?  Done now, at least with those other folks that sung it (and of course there are many more)..

Much like us Demlicans and Republicats of today, the Beatles basically agreed to agree that they disagreed.  Let's see.. there was the original version, the single. (Which, BTW, wasn't released by them first.. Paul sent anudder band demos, Aretha Franklin recorded it with them... you get bored, seek it out on youtube, there's a real nifty sax solo within.)

The album version.

The Anthology version.

The Let It Be.. Naked version... and

The Bubba Shrimp version.

Just kidding on that last one.  There was much, much more discourse, story to tell.  This is the Cliffs Notes, or, Dave Clark Five Bits and Pieces version.  I'm trying, albeit in too many damn sentences, to basically say........."Touching."..   "TOUCHING!"..  "NO TOUCHING!"

Leave it the hell alone.... or, perhaps more concisely, Let It Be. 

By Henry Gibson                 Introduction by Billy Shears

Love, Victurd

*If you print this, turn it upside down and read it backwards, you will learn that Paul is dead. He was shot by deputies one day after he frantically and sweating profusely entered the studio and recorded "I Shot The Sheriff."