Title: Arrow Through Me

Happy Birthday Ringo

When we got off the plane at some airport or another, Ed got off a plane there around the same time having never heard of us and not knowing anything about us. But he knew about thousands of kids standing on a roof screaming at us, and so he just booked us. Or maybe it was his assistant. We could have come to America and not made a big splash, but thanks to Murray The K and Cousin Brucie and early Beatles believers like that, they played our damn record and we had a #1 when we landed. Honestly, I don’t remember any big conversations with Ed. And in my eyes, the funny thing is that for all that, Ed kind of threw us away when he introduced us. It was just like, “Here they are…the Beatles.” NOT a lot of hype when you think back on it now. But for a pretty stiff guy, Ed sure gave us a very big shot.

-Ringo Starr (Lifted)

More ✨McLennon✨!!!!

This song by Paul was just too perfect not to use!

Oh my!

Y’know, now that I know about how Paul saw John multiple times before meeting him at the fete and was somewhat infatuated with him, really has me hearing I Will in a whole new way.

Who knows how long I've loved you

You know I love you still

Will I wait a lonely lifetime

If you want me to, I will

For if I ever saw you

I didn't catch your name

But it never really mattered

I will always feel the same

Love you forever and forever

Love you with all my heart

Love you whenever we're together

Love you when we're apart

And when at last I find you

Your song will fill the air

Sing it loud so I can hear you

Make it easy to be near you

For the things you do endear you to me

Oh, you know I will

I will

I so love this night.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon in Obertauern, Austria, 18th March 1965.

The Beatles were filming Help! in Austria in March 1965. On the evening, Paul McCartney and John Lennon took part in a jam session at the Marietta Hotel in Obertauern.

I never realized John joined Paul on the stairs. I thought John had left by then. Good show of support.

John Lennon & Paul McCartney at the British Embassy after their concert in Washington, DC | 11 February 1964 © Fred Ward

Such a joker

Paul: a comedic genius

What in the world were all the people involved in this even thinking? Wonderfully outrageous.

The Beatles | 1965 © Robert Whitaker

I agree with this except I think it is very likely there was a physical relationship, although who can say. Well I wish someone could say. But I know it's none of my business. But still ...

Discussing McLennon's opponents arguments

Disclaimer: By writing McLennon in the title of this post, I made a simplification. I understand "believing in McLennon" as believing, or even contemplating / leaving a window to the possibility that John and Paul's relationship was not purely platonic. This includes variations: that John was unhappily in love with Paul, that they were secret lovers, and - most likely in my opinion - that their feelings for each other were (at least in part) romantic, but they didn't do anything about it. Often, especially in general (non-Mclennon) Beatles groups, I am faced with disbelief or even outright dislike when someone starts this topic. Today I will try to look at what the opponents of our thesis say.

"You're just sexualizing everything! There may be a close friendship between men" (in a more ridiculous and nasty version that I saw in the comment on YT: "Only women and gays believe in McLennon because straight men know that there can be close friendship between men") Well, we start with a difficult topic. There are two different harmful points of view in society. The first is amatonormativity, according to which the only important relationship in a person's life is a romantic one, and friendships are less important. In this context, our critics might be right. BUT! There is also another harmful mechanism that must not be forgotten - homophobia. According to it, being an LGBTQ person is something wrong and a disgrace. Therefore, we cannot think of our idols (e.g., musical idols) as having (or contemplating) romantic and / or sexual relationships/feelings with people of the same sex. Homophobia permeates society as a whole, including historians who often interpreted two men who were close to each other as "just friends" (for example, Alexander the Great and Hephaestion). We are dealing with the same at McLennon. So we should be prudent and, where possible, fair when trying to judge any relationship considering the existence of both homophobia and amatonormativity.

"Who cares? What does it change if these two guys were in love?" Well, it changes a lot. If we accept that Lennon and McCartney were in love, we adopt a slightly different view of the breakup of the Beatles. That would explain (at least to some degree) why John was so ostentatious about his relationship with Yoko, why they got married just eight days after Paul, why he disliked Linda so much, and, most of all, why he attacked Paul so fiercely in 1970 and 1971. Of course, anger, jealousy, greed and insecurity can cause different behaviors (e.g. Gilmour and Waters fighting), but John and Paul fought each other like lovers. They wrote songs for themselves. In one of them, Paul, wanting to ease the battle, writes: "I'm in love with a friend of mine." Why? And why, for instance, does Lennon mention fucking McCartney in 1970s interviews? Broadening your horizon and accepting that the two guys had a romantic friendship would help with the analysis. Isn't that what being a historian/scholar is all about?

"It's impossible because they were both straight" This is something I wrote about above - plugging your ears and shouting: "Lalalala, my idol can't be gay!". Even if you don't think it is likely that two people had a non-platonic relationship, please be at least open to that eventuality. As for John not being straight - I'm preparing a masterpost on it, which will be released this month. Of course, I'll link it here later. As for Paul, the case is more difficult. I think I'll also make a post about it. I suspect (and would like to emphasize that this is only my interpretation, which may not be true) that Paul has been and is attracted to women all his life, and that the only man Paul has looked at romantically is John. It's like in this meme: "I'm straight but John Lennon is John Lennon" :D

"How can you discuss this? Isn't that interfering with their private lives?" Firstly: In my opinion, we can discuss the private life of celebrities, especially if they themselves decide to share it with us. John, Paul and those around them have largely decided to do so. Anyway, people have always analyzed the private life of the Beatels. Here, for example, we see a girl asking Paul in 1964 about his relationship with Jane Asher. And the most important thing: I've noticed that McLennon's opponents are quite okay with analyzing the private lives of the Beatles until the topic of homosexuality / bisexuality comes up. Only then do they say: "Leave them, it's their business!", not before. Do you know what it's called? Queerphobia. Secondly: Just read this post. That's all for now. What do you think? Feel free to comment.

2003: The Quarrymen have conflicting hazy memories on what happened the day John and Paul first met. (Note: In order of appearance: Rod Davis, Len Garry, Colin Hanton, Eric Griffiths. Ignore the erroneous lower third that pops up indicating Len Garry; it’s Eric Griffiths.)