It happens all the time.
This is true for everyone, but I may be more of a slave to it than most. A song will start playing in my head, and as soon as possible I have to track it down and play it.
And man, if the Internet and the streaming era is good for one thing, it’s certainly that, right?
Today, that song was The Beatles’ “Because,” off of Abbey Road (#9 of the best 1,000 albums ever).
That glorious harmony started playing in my head, and it was like a beacon. It called to me in a strange but real way. Perhaps my thinking here is influenced by the fact that I’m revisiting Stephen King’s masterful Dark Tower series at the moment, with its characters consistently being pulled toward one another (ka-tet and all that… it’s a whole thing) and to the Dark Tower itself.
Maybe music is my Dark Tower? All things serve the beam, as we know.
Anyway, I was finally able to listen to “Because” while walking my dog, Jack, who on top of being a Certified Good Boy, I like to think of as the billy bumbler of my own personal ka-tet.
It was a cloudy and cool but clear Seattle afternoon, as good weather as one could expect in mid-March. The air felt good, clean and crisp, and meanwhile I couldn’t recall being this moved by a song in some time.
Because the wind is high
It blows my mind
Because the wind is high
The lyrics are so simple, and yet weirdly profound, trippily profound even.
And its harpsichord-sounding electric keyboard, the slow-ish tempo, the lightly trippy vibes, it’s all earth-shatteringly gorgeous when you slow down and… to paraphrase the lovable lads, get into your life.
I also found myself wondering what Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys thought about “Because.” With respect to Wilson’s genius and the greatness of his beach-adjacent boys, “Because” in my view surpasses anything he and that band ever produced. But I also imagine that Pet Sounds was an essential influence in pushing The Beatles toward greater ambition in their final years together.
And what’s even more extraordinary in the context of The Beatles’ legacy is that “Because” would likely not come up at all when you ask the vast majority of fans about their favorite Beatles tracks.
But let’s put the comparison game aside for a second (I know, I know – this is coming from the guy who recently completed a five-year journey of pop culture-meets-memoir nerdery compiling the best 1,000 albums ever).
The real reason, the real kernel of my motivation to write this piece is because… “Because” made me feel emotional while out walking with Jack the dog.
Looking at the sky, the trees, and lush greenness of Seattle, my beautiful, slightly scruffy, quiet neighborhood, “Because” just clicked.
Because the sky is blue
It makes me cry
Because the sky is blue
Like I was on the path of the beam. Just maybe.