It’s always an arduous task to try and come up with a favorite song when you love literally thousands of them as I do. 

I remember the first time I was introduced to this song by my favorite person in the world my godmother and aunt who passed away a little over 20 years ago.  I believe we’re listening to KLOS 95.5, on a Sunday afternoon, heading home from Whittier, California. 

This song comes on the radio and she identified it to me and said “just listen to this and tell me what you think”. I couldn’t have been more than 13 at the time not sure why I’ve never heard it before, but it just did something to me. I remember when it ended, I couldn’t even respond. My mind was still processing what I just heard, realizing it transformed me forever, at that moment.

It transformed me and showed me the beauty and simplicity in the world. That most of us often miss caught up in the everyday struggles and challenges. We all have to deal with. 

With her help and some sheet music and a ton of patience, I was able to learn and master the harpsichord part of the song and can play it to this day on the piano.

The song is Because by The Beatles.  It’s on my favorite album Abbey Road by the band which in itself has many fantastic songs, but this one to me is the centerpiece. And I know, most people love side two with McCartney’s rock, opera piece, and I do too. But this song has something beautiful and just so unusual about it. 

I read somewhere I think on some liner notes to some sheet music that it’s sounds a little like Beethoven’s fifth Symphony in reverse. The electric harpsichord and electric guitar provide the music itself. Along with a Moog Synthesizer taking over the main melody near the end, truly, spellbinding. It even ends on sort of a not quite resolution chord which is unusual. I kinda liked songs like that. They don’t quite end. They sort of go on forever. They feel like “hey isn’t there something missing here, one or two more notes?” 😂

Being a bit of a book/research nut, I did some research on the song I found that the band members had tracked themselves on vocals nearly 16 times over to accomplish the beautiful and haunting harmonies you hear. And obviously without the aid of an auto tuner or computer, like current artist use to make their vocals on pitch.

I’m going to share with you the original version as well as a brilliant cover, but I know that by another one of my favorite artists, the late great Elliott Smith. 

Please check them out and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and still do. 

-aaa