I just read about this in Rolling Stone and had to track it down on youtube. For the first time ever, Paul McCartney played the song “A Day in the LIfe” live in concert. It was especially significant because that’s really John’s song, and Paul had to sing John’s part, while Yoko Ono sat beaming in the audience. Just a cool rock-n-roll moment.
Then I remembered something: “A Day in the Life” is the subtitle to my book, Six Innings, and yes, that was a conscious act of appreciation. I’ve often thrown Beatles references in my books: characters who live on Penny Lane or Abbey Road, or the old lady down the block named Mrs. Eleanor Rigby. I once even started a Jigsaw Jones book (#5, The Case of the Stolen Baseball Cards), with these borrowed lines:
I got up. I got out of bed. I dragged a comb across my head.
(Gee, I hope I don’t get sued for that!) I doubt that many readers ever get the references, but I figure there’s some parents out there having a quiet chuckle, like when we watch Bugs Bunny do a Groucho Marx impression.
Anyway, enjoy the video!
