DM's Beatles forums
Beatles forums => The Beatles => Topic started by: on April 19, 2005, 08:12:03 PM
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Can someone give a explanation of what it was? I keep hearing people saying how outraged they were by it. Thanks.
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I've seen it, and I don't know why people said it seems like he didn't care. I mean it's so obvious that he was holding back his tears. What were people expecting? Did they want to see him weep like a baby so they know that he cared about John? People say that Paul is insensative, but I say that the people who say that are insensative by saying that Paul didn't care.
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I bet Paul cried
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He said "It's a drag". My call on this is that Paul was probably shattered, and feeling very empty, about John's death. So why would he talk to the media when he was in that state? That's the mistake, imo.
People these days feel obliged to say something to the media. You see it all the time on TV - people in shock, in grief, deeply emotional, talking into a microphone for the evening news. Tell these leeches to go away.
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Basically, Paul walks out of a recording studio or something, and a bunch of people run up to him harassing him, and he just looks at them, completely blank faced and gives one word answers until he says "It's a drag, isn't it?" The reporters just kinda stare at him waiting for more and then he gives this fed up look and says "right, cheers then" and walks away.
It's obvious that he was in no mood to talk. What right do these people think they have running up to someone who's just been through that and asking them all kinds of questions about "how they're feeling"?? Paul's better than that phony crap. I would have punched someone.
~ missy
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Yeah he just walks out and said he spent the day just listening to older stuff, it was obvious that the reporters were being jerks and Paul was hurting.
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Does anyone know what the reporters were asking? I have the video, but I can't make out what the reporters are saying.
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on some level he's was probably contemplating what it was going to be like having to deal directly with Yoko from then on--a definite "drag"
but I've always thought that Paul was pretty big-hearted. He really loved John. He's said it millions of times. John seems like the type who couldn't admit that he loved Paul.
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i have the video on my computer, and i agree with wordno. everyone deals with grief in different ways, and paul dealt with his in his own. he had no other words to say, and perhaps he's not as outward about his sadness.
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Paul insensitive? The creator of some of the internationally most played ballads, including Yesterday and Let It Be, is insensitive?
Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.....
I couldn't imagine how someone who managed to share a great relationship, strong enough to compose together over 100 magnificent songs, wouldn't be totally shattered by finding out his life-long mate and almost a part of him has died. Gone. Out of this world.
How can you talk to the world in a time like that? I remember, when my grandma died, I was 10 and I practically locked myself all day in my room with a bunch of old pictures of me and her.
I got over it.
And so did Paul, about John. What's insensitive in that? He was shattered when he found out, and will probably keep feeling so hurt about John's death today, if someone reminds him of it.
Paul's a great guy and I think he reacted the way he should to John's death.
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I like the story of how Linda and he went and saw Yoko shortly after the 'Its a drag' comment and amongst all the crying, they decided to order up the caviar, but when it was delivered, all but some on the bottom of the can was gone. The hired help had eaten it. They then ordered some wine and all but 1/4 of a bottle was gone. Yoko, Paul, and Linda were all laughing their asses off about it because they really didnt want it anyways and it was a break from all the crying.
Cool little tale!
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He was in shock. His brother just got shot to death. I wish someone would have had the wherewithal to have sheltered him from all that until he was coherent enough to make a formal statement. If he was at the studio, they should have shoved him into a car and driven past those vultures.
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I haven't a doubt in my mind that when Paul heard the news he was completely devastated. He was probably so shocked that he could not even think straight. Then someone sticks a microphone in his face. Good luck with that if it ever happens to you.
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How is he supposed to respond? His best friend in the world and songwriting partner had just been brutally murdered. I don't see how anyone could expect him to behave civilly to those reporters who were harassing him. Obviously he was very deeply saddened by the news. His response was just a reaction to a bunch of jerks who expected him to deliver some tearful monolouge (sp?).
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i couldnt imagine being in pauls place during that time
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i have the video on my computer, and i agree with wordno. everyone deals with grief in different ways, and paul dealt with his in his own. he had no other words to say, and perhaps he's not as outward about his sadness.
could you send me the video in an email?
buffgordon@hotmail.com
Thanks if you do.
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I just saw it recently on the Celebration DVD I just bought and it seems to me like Paul is trying not to show the grief kind of like John looked when he was interviewed about Brian's death right after the Beatles found out.
If Paul didn't care I don't think he would have written Here Today.
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Is there a link to this video somewhere?
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I once had two teachers in school that both lost a son within a month. One of them stayed at home for a year, the other one returned to work the day after the funeral. Everyone just has his own way of dealing with tragic events. The way someone reacts doesn't always say much about what's going on in his head.
You can't seriously think that Paul didn't really care about the death of someone he was extremely close with for decades? That just doesn't make sense.
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I do not think Paul gave a hoot about John by 1980.
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You obviously didn't watch the video, or your just a machine who doesn't understand emotions. How can you say that?....fool.
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I remember Paul on tv after the murder and reporters rushing up to him and shoving microphones in his face.
He was definitely in shock, and he has since explained that he was upset and didn't realize what he said.
He regretted the words he used.
He loved John.
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I remember seeing it too, and I remember being disgusted with him. But I was only a kid, so what did I know. It's obvious to me now that the guy was so shocked that he didn't know what to say or how to handle it. I think it's odd to say he didn't give a sh*t about John at that point seeing as how he kept showing up at his doorstep for years and they were talking on the phone. They may have had their problems, but I think after all those years of friendship or even knowing a person since you were 15, you'd have some emotion concerning the fact that they were brutally murdered. Unless Paul's an automaton or something.
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That's so preposterous, either the guy is just going for a reaction or is a complete imbecile. Either way its stupid.
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I do not think Paul gave a hoot about John by 1980.
And thats our comedy break from Jim Colyer. You can catch Jim every weekend at the holiday inn from 9pm to midnight.
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I'll be sure to catch his show, sounds like fun. :P
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And thats our comedy break from Jim Colyer. You can catch Jim every weekend at the holiday inn from 9pm to midnight.
haha, great post.
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He was shocked. I was shocked. The whole world was shocked!
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One of my students gave me what I thought would be a crappy dvd of some second hand experience of the Beatles, but it had some cool stuff on it. Including the entire interview where Paul puts his foot in his mouth. "Drag isn't it? Okay, cheers." Watching it, I can see why people got upset with him. Including myself. But the more you look at it, the more you can see how shocked he looks. What a weird reaction though. I mean, he never seems to show much emotion. Ever.
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Both John and Paul suffered losses of their mothers--and each seems to reacted in a different way. John through anger. Paul through denial (?)
After those initial losses, something seemed to break down in each one of them and they became codependent upon one another for what they had lost: John needed Paul's denial and Paul need John's anger.
Why else make that stupid songwriting pact to split everything 50/50--like twin brothers of missing mothers?
Oddly, Paul had a real father and John has a surrogate mother.
I think initially Paul's feelings were blocked after learning of John's murder (as he had learned to block painful feelings many years before). Typically, he allowed his true feelings to be revealed a year or so later with "Here Today"--a work of art whose construction he could control and, in performance, its emotion.
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Okay, if anybody seriously thinks that he didn't care then the level of ignorance and stupidity is almost unbelievable and impossible. There has never been a band half as strong as what they shared!!!
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It could all be down to Paul being a stoner. It's pretty hard to get emotionally motivated in that state.
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Paul reacted just like any Englishman would. Without emotion. Certainly he was devastated, but he couldn't show it outwardly.
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Paul reacted just like any Englishman would. Without emotion. Certainly he was devastated, but he couldn't show it outwardly.
Sorry, but with respect, what rubbish! "reacted just like any Englishman would" How does an Englishman react? Is there a certain way? Most of us are fairly lost for words when someone close to us dies. Except that we're not famous and we don't have a microphone rammed into our face at inapropriate times. He was just caught off guard, and didn't know what he was saying.
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Not rubbish. In response to "How would an Englishman react?," see Paul's response. Not to generalize, but the English are known to be more reserved with their outward emotions. I don't think Paul's response was necessarily inappropriate, but I also don't think it was an inappropriate time for the press to question him about it. He knew they would, right? If he was setting foot in public, he surely knew the question would be asked sooner rather than later.
(And the notion that it was because Paul was a 'stoner,' in the previous post -- now THAT'S rubbish.)
Of course, if he was Italian....
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Hey now, watch what you say about Italians!! :P (Yes I know us Italians have a reputation for being very emotional people!)
I remember when my father passed away, and this is really sad but one of the first things that popped into my head was "OMG I am going to miss my concert in a few days!" And I was so mad at myself for thinking that because, hello my father just died. I didn't even really give a darn about the concert.
My point is, that when someone close to you dies, sometimes your mind is just trying to make sense of it all and it makes no sense at all. So you might say or think odd things. Its just a very surreal feeling. Not only that but one minute your crying your eyes out the next your remembering wonderful moments you had with that person.
John not only just passing but being murdered was probably one of the hardest thing that Paul had ever had to go through, and he was just dealing with it the best he knew how. I am positive that he was just so overwhelmed with every kind of emotion.
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What a sad story, Heatherboo. You might have got quite close to what was actually going on with Paul. To me, it looks like he has this mask-- this nonreacting mask on. I'll be he was deep in shock and denial.
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Not to generalize, but the English are known to be more reserved with their outward emotions.
On behalf of British people everywhere, thank you for pigeonholing us.
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Now look, if you get a free "eccentric" card, you might as well accept the "reserved" part as well! ;D
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Now look, if you get a free "eccentric" card, you might as well accept the "reserved" part as well! ;D
;D
"Reserved eccentrics..." There's got to be a sitcom in that: maybe a sort of polar opposite to Absolutely Fabulous?
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Reserved eccentrics ;D ;D
Your right harihead, it was almost like he was wearing a mask.
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Not rubbish. In response to "How would an Englishman react?," see Paul's response. Not to generalize, but the English are known to be more reserved with their outward emotions. I don't think Paul's response was necessarily inappropriate, but I also don't think it was an inappropriate time for the press to question him about it. He knew they would, right? If he was setting foot in public, he surely knew the question would be asked sooner rather than later.
(And the notion that it was because Paul was a 'stoner,' in the previous post -- now THAT'S rubbish.)
Of course, if he was Italian....
that is pure mince, where someone comes from doesn't determine how they act/feel, people react differently to certain things regardless of there nationality
i think youve been watching to many The Good Life re-runs :P
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Several people have come to the conclusion that based on my observations about the British, then I must not be British myself. Think again, folks.
Though I'm hung like an Italian.
(By the way, what is 'The Good Life?')
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the good life is a song by somebody and a terrible 70's british sitcom.
musturd breath
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Several people have come to the conclusion that based on my observations about the British, then I must not be British myself. Think again, folks.
Then sorry, but you should be ashamed of yourself.
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(And the notion that it was because Paul was a 'stoner,' in the previous post -- now THAT'S rubbish.)
Why? I was stoned every minute for ten years and can tell you it pretty well dampens your emotions. Why could that not have effected the way he behaved in front of the camera.
Nearly everything I've read about Paul places him as a distant, hard-to-get-to-know guy. Linda was barely cold before he replaced her. John had made Paul's life hell in the 90's. I've heard of friction between the two appearing as early as the Rubber Soul sessions. Read Paul's comments about John in the Hunter Davis update - they're not very endearing.
Paul might have been in shock. But he may not have - he might have been sick of hearing about John-bloody-Lennon.
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Read Paul's comments about John in the Hunter Davis update - they're not very endearing.
Interesting point, Kevin. You can also read Paul's comments about John in Paul's autobiography "Many Years From Now". There are no buddy-buddy stories whatsoever, no fond remembrances. It's all work (although very little creative process, unfortunately). Paul comes round to John's house to write songs and to torment John about how many chickie babies Paul has laid while John is stuck home with the wife. The book did not give me a very favorable impression of Paul; he seemed absorbed in his own friends and his own pursuits.
As a social climber, I got the idea he was rather ashamed of these Liverpool friends who stuck to their lower-class accents and did not blend into the art world the way Paul did. He also baldly states that he never loved Jane, so we are absolutely clear he slept with her and lived with her family for 5 years specifically because they could introduce him to London society. When her purpose was served, she was disposable. I have to say, the book rather shocked me, as it was his official biography and these are the facts he wanted on record. Okay. As a working partner, I think he and John were great. But he didn't seem a very good friend.
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Then sorry, but you should be ashamed of yourself.
Why so touchy? The British are known to be more reserved than most (except when it comes to soccer). That's not a bad thing.