Lopez, Anna Isabel D.

Entrepreneurial Management (EMC2)

English 102
The Fall of The Beatles
Over the generations, The Beatles was considered as one of the greatest bands this world
has ever known. In one of the biographies of the Beatles, Miles (1998) said that their story began
in 1957 when John Lennon invited Paul McCartney to be in his band. He also said that George
Harrison and Ringo Starr, later on joined the duo. At that time, little did they know that they just
made themselves the legendary band, The Beatles. These four boys from Liverpool, England got
all the fame and the glory they could ever muster. Then they conquered the world through their
music. They even received a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire Award
from Queen Elizabeth herself. (Beatles, MBE!, 2005) To sum it all up, they had a total of 27
chart-topping hit songs which were compiled in one album named 1 that was released in 2000
by EMI Records.
At a very young age, their fame and success couldnt get any better. But as the old saying
goes, if you are way up at the top, theres nowhere to go but down. True enough, their pitfall
came around when John Lennon claimed that they were more famous than Jesus Christ. Maureen
Cleave, a writer for the London Evening Standard got hold of Lennon (1966) saying:
"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I
will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock
'n' roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them
twisting it that ruins it for me.
Soon after, there were a few more incidents wherein Lennon said bizarre things that
involved God and religion. One day, when he was drug-induced, he blurted out to his best friend,

Pete Shotton, that he was Jesus Christ. (Davies, 2001) He even composed a song entitled God.
Part of the lyrics said, I dont believe in JesusI just believe in me. (Lennon, 1970)
Lennons statements didnt matter much in England as compared to the reactions he got
from the United States. Five months after, the US teen magazine, Datebook published his
statement as its cover story. (Holmes, 2012) That was when the rage started. Aside from being
boycotted in two dozens of American radio stations, the countries of Mexico, Spain, and South
Africa banned their music as well. (Stolzznow, 2009)
Criticisms and negative reactions came from left and right. To make things worse, the
Bible Belt Region in the US came attacking the Beatles through various protests. As Sullivan
(1987) stated, the states with the most furious protests were Georgia, Ohio, and South Carolina.
The first scenario he mentioned was that of probably the most popular photo on anti-rock protest;
a copy of Meet the Beatles was thrown by a boy in one of the Beatles Bonfires in Waycross,
Georgia. Then his second was in the New Heaven Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio when the
pastor said that members who agreed with John Lennon would be revoked. Lastly, he said that
the Green Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in South Carolina nailed one album of the Beatles in a
wooden cross. Moreover, as Miles (1987) narrates it, Zealots burned Beatles records in
Birmingham, Alabama. He also mentioned that Christian demonstrators surrounded the Beatles
coach and on a separate occasion, exploded a firecracker on stage.
It has already become a worldly issue. The events were getting disastrous that lives began
to be at stake. With all these that happened, the band tried to patch things up with society. Brian
Epstein, their manager, called for a press conference in New York to apologize. (Brian Epstein
Holds a Press Conference, 2011) I also stumbled upon a video of John Lennons apology in
Chicago, Illinois in 1966. Trying to redeem himself, he said:

Im not saying that were better or greater or comparing us to Jesus Christ. I just said
what I said and it was wrong, or I was taken wrong.
Sadly though, the damage has been done. Their die-hard fans turned their backs on them.
Eventually, they decided to have their last concert. Badman (2002) wrote in his book that the
Beatles finally concluded on the 29th of August in 1966 in Candlestick Park, San Francisco, USA.
I would want to imagine that it was a memorable and emotional concert. Unfortunately, their
concert was a flunk. That was the end of the Beatles.
If theres on thing that Ive learned from the Beatles, especially John Lennon, that is to be
cautions of my words. Lennon may be bold and courageous for stepping up and saying what is in
his mind. However, it has only brought him to trouble. In the course of the short life that I have
lived, I came to know that there are two things that could not be taken back, time and words. If it
passes, then it goes. Lennon had to learn it the hard way. It caused him to lose relationships.
Fast-forward to present day. Two members of the Beatles already passed away. The very
controversial John Lennon was assassinated and George Harrison lost his battle to lung cancer.
Nevertheless, the music of The Beatles still lives on. I, for one, got caught up in Beatlemania
when the movie musical Across the Universe was released. This was due to the fact that its
story revolves around the songs of the Beatles. My parents have also been avid fans of the band.
Even my brothers nearly twice my age have playlists of the Beatles.
Come to think of it, they had some individual achievements but it never became as big as
when they were together. I am amazed by how their unity created music so fine. The Beatles has
connected generations even long after they have gone their own separate ways. They have made
their legacy, and together they are a legend.