Be you, be yourself

Sometimes John or Paul would say something cryptic, a remark made half-jokingly, or phrased in a way that suggests they’re thinking about something deeper but don’t want to say it outright. You’re left wondering what was actually going through their minds at that moment. The same thing happens with people who knew them well: they’ll drop a comment, but won’t elaborate, won’t explain why they said it. Sometimes it’s rather obvious what they’re hinting at, but even then, I still find myself wishing I could see the images, the memories, the exact moments playing through their minds as they said it. You can’t help but think that if you could read their thoughts in that instant, so many things would be confirmed. A lot of unanswered questions would make sense all at once. That’s what haunts me every time I come across quotes like these:

"I very feel that if I said anything about John, I would have to sit here for five days and say it all. Or I don’t want to say anything." (Paul)

"I might [write it down]. I did that after being in jail. I’ve written my feelings about that [...] I just have the one copy. I’ll let you read it someday. Tell me what you think. As for me and John, yeah, I might write it down." (Paul)

"Groups like this are normally not friends. They’re just four people out there thrown together to make an act. There may be two of them who sort of go off and are friends, you know, but…strictly platonic, of course.” (John)

"I was just some chick from New York when I walked into all of that. God, if I’d known what I know now… All I could do was sit there watching them [John and Paul] play these games.” (Linda)

"I’d go through it all again... those are all the down moments. There was much more pleasure than has really come out." (Paul)

"Why didn't they ever say, "How come those guys don't split up? I mean, what's going on backstage? What is this Paul and John business? How can they be together so long?" (John)

"I observed the fall-out... with John and Paul. There were some bizarre and revealing moments during those days." (Ray Connolly)

"Why don’t we… do it in the road?! (Laughs) A little hotel where we used to screw. A little motel down in Montauk.. Just you, me and the servants too." (John)

"There were many secrets [I found out]. There are things I chose not to include in my book." (Bob Spitz)

"I Want to Hold Your Hand' is not about Jane... I may have been drawing on my experience with a person I was in love with at the time, and sometimes it was very specific." (Paul)

"We did I Saw Her Standing There, which he said "was written by and old friend of mine...called Paul." [smirks and chuckles] (Elton John)

"This idea that I'm gonna...make a remark about their private lives and the details of that is absurd. I would never do that. No matter what information I had [chuckles]...about anybody." (Alec Baldwin)