A Day in the Life of a Beatles Fan

Actually, it's ended up being more than a day--and somewhat inconveniently during days I needed to focus on other things.  But what would life be without a few distractions?

Here's what happened: My wife, Margaret Young, jokingly (I think) threatened on Facebook to toss my Beatles albums, and many, many people objected, some with great fervor. (And several said to toss them in their direction.)

After first pleading for mercy (actually requesting that nothing traumatic be done and that I not be tempted to spend time on Facebook for the next few days), I later responded:

To all you Beatles fans: Sorry for my earlier reply to Margaret's posting (I'm tempted to say I’m a loser--and I love her). I should have offered no reply or simply said something like: You can't do that! Or Help! or Wait! Or Misery! Or That’ll be the day! Actually, do you want to know a secret? If I fell for Margaret’s posting, I should have known better. Next year (when I’m 64--it won't be long!), I want to tell you, you won’t see me make a big deal about what goes on Facebook. But at the moment, I’m so tired of people taking it all so seriously. (Tell me why they do? I’d love you to.) When I get home, I will be able to share some things we said today, not to mention yesterday. (A brief preview of what she said: She said, “The two of us keep getting on Facebook, in spite of all the danger. You need to watch what you’re doing--because it’s all too much.” I said, “Yes, it is. But it’s getting better.”) Well, I've got to get back home. Good night. (The end.)

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A colleague of mine--Pat Madden, a fine writer of creative non-fiction--counted 28 Beatles songs in my comment, but he missed several. In fact, there are over 30, including a couple extra cleverly present and easy to miss; also one that's ambiguous--it's really a Buddy Holly song--but the Beatles did record it. I'm counting the Beatles Anthology albums as well as the ones released back in the day. I think I've got something from just about every album.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should also say that, in the current version, I increased the references by one simply by expanding a contraction.  In other words, the original 34 song titles were increased to 35 when I changed "I'll" to "I will."  In a moment I'll list all the songs.

All this happened on Oct. 28.  Then, the next day, I added another comment:  "I'm afraid some of you are going to say, 'Not a second time'--but actually this is my 4th comment (maybe last?). I just wanted to give a link to a blog post on my history with the Beatles, including an interview at the Provo Central Stake picnic 16 years ago you may find interesting and entertaining: http://faceofother.blogspot.com/.../introducing-beatles.html"

And finally today (Oct. 30), I added:

Since no one else has risen to the challenge, I am designating Pat Madden as the winner of the competition to count the Beatles song titles in my comment from the night before last.  He came awfully close- -28 out of 34 or 35.  (I admit picking songs from the Beatles Anthologies or Live at the BBC is a bit unfair--but I was hoping to separate the real experts from the casual fans.  I've put a list of the 35 titles on the following site: http://secret-memo.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-day-in-life-of-beatles-fan.html )  I wanted to imagine dozens crying, waiting, hoping to know if they would win, but apparently no one else was up to the challenge, for no one else even made a guess.  Of course, I will be giving Pat some kind of prize.  What it is I don’t know yet: we could throw him a birthday party, or I could let him drive my car.  (I've got a feeling I’ll have to come up with something more modest.)  In any case, we can work it out.

OK . . . it' s a bit predictable.  And maybe a bit scary.  This could go on in an endless loop, with every little thing I say becoming another challenge for song identifiers.

For now, I'll just list the references in the original message:

I’m a loser (from Beatles for Sale)
And I love her (from A Hard Day's Night)
No reply (from Beatles for Sale)
Something (from Abbey Road)
You can't do that (from A Hard Day's Night)
Help! (from Help)
Wait (from Rubber Soul)
Misery (from Please Please Me)
That’ll be the day (from Beatles Anthology 1)
Do you want to know a secret? (from Please Please Me)
If I fell (from A Hard Day's Night)
I should have known better (from A Hard Day's Night)
When I’m 64 (from Sgt. Pepper)
It won't be long (from With the Beatles)
I want to tell you (from Revolver)
You won’t see me (from Rubber Soul)
What goes on (from Rubber Soul)
I’m so tired (from The Beatles aka "the White Album")
Tell me why (from A Hard Day's Night)
Love you to (from Revolver)
When I get home (from A Hard Day's Night)
[I will (from The Beatles ["the White Album"]) (I'm putting this in brackets because originally I had "I'll" instead of "I will")]
Things we said today (from A Hard Day's Night)
Yesterday (from Help)
She said, she said (from Revolver)
Two of us (from Let It Be)
In spite of all the danger (from Beatles Anthology 1)
What you’re doing (from Beatles for Sale)
Because (from Abbey Road)
It’s all too much (from Yellow Submarine)
Yes, it is (from Past Masters 1)
Getting better (from Sgt. Pepper)
Get back (from Let It Be)
Good night (from The Beatles ["the White Album"])
The end (from Abbey Road)

And now if anyone would like to list the song titles in my other comments . . .

(By the way, I see that in the list above, I don't have anything from Magical Mystery Tour or Past Masters 2, though this second is actually one of two compilations of singles that didn't appear on the UK albums.  And there are, of course, other Anthology albums and various other compilations, most of which repeat songs found elsewhere.)