John Lennon's contribution to music is deep and significant
In honour of John Lennon’s 70th birthday on Saturday October 9, 2010, I plan to feature a lot of his music here. What better way to start than to go back to my school days and call on two friends – Sanjiv and Surupa to share their thoughts on John’s music and their favorite song. Thanks to them both for their sincere, visceral thoughts and for taking time out of their busy travel schedules to contribute (Sanjiv was in Dallas as he moves to London and Surupa wrote this from her vacation in Maui).
Dude — Lennon’s line on Beautiful Boy — “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” — is what I base my life around! Got to know the Beatles — along with Queen and Floyd — while quarantined in my room for a couple of weeks as a youngster with chicken-pox! Since then, these three groups have formed what I like to refer to as the “soundtrack of my life”. The Beatles hold a special place because of the way their music changed over time, from school-boy love songs to Revolution and I’m So Tired. Matches the progression of life! John was my personal favourite, though obviously a very complex character. I make it a point to visit the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park everytime I am in New York.
- Sanjiv Kapoor, Class of 86, La Martiniere for Boys
Hard to not be a Beatles fan….we visited the Beatles Museum in Liverpool last year. In fact the only real reason for visitingLiverpool was to see the museum. Loved it; the museum is housed in a nightclub that they used to play at during their early years. So many details and so much memorabilia, incl a rotary phone that the band used to book tixs for their shows.
Re the role of Beatles — I grew up around a bunch of older cousins who were going through their college love interests and relationships when I was in second or third grade and Yesterday was one of the songs they used to play often, esp after a breakup type situation. 
I think all ideas of romance/love etc that I had in those early years and in the 80s were from hearing the Beatles!
And then my older son’s favorite song as a preschooler was Yellow Submarine and Under the Sea! He could hear them back to back a few dozen times. We finally hid the Beatles CDs so we did not have to hear those songs any more!!
Favorite songs — too many to mention. If I had to choose just one, it would be Imagine. I still find it so stirring, simple and relevant to our times (and perhaps for all times)! Also captures the essence of JL very well.
- Surupa Sengupta, Class of 86, La Martiniere for Girls
