Bee’s prompt for today is "a love song for humankind." For this I chose a song by The Beatles, "All You Need Is Love." Wikipedia tells us
“All You Need Is Love” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in July 1967. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The song was Britain’s contribution to Our World, the first live global television link, for which the band were filmed performing it at EMI Studios in London on 25 June. The programme was broadcast via satellite and seen by an audience of over 400 million in 25 countries. Lennon’s lyrics were deliberately simplistic, to allow for the show’s international audience, and captured the utopian ideals associated with the Summer of Love. The single topped sales charts in Britain, the United States and many other countries, and became an anthem for the counterculture’s embrace of flower power philosophy.
Our World coincided with the height of the Beatles’ popularity and influence, following the release of their album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Rather than perform the song entirely live, the group played to a pre-recorded backing track. With an orchestral arrangement by George Martin, the song begins with a portion of the French national anthem and ends with musical quotations from works such as Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood”, “Greensleeves”, Bach’s Invention No. 8 in F major, and the Beatles’ 1963 hit “She Loves You”. Adding to the broadcast’s festive atmosphere, the studio was adorned with signs and streamers and filled with guests dressed in psychedelic attire, including members of the Rolling Stones, the Who and the Small Faces. Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager, described the performance as the band’s “finest” moment.
To my mind, that made this a love song to humankind. It made a statement: Love Is All You Need. A message for these times, almost 60 years later. ‘Nuff said.
I had wanted to use the original video from Our World, but was unable to get it to play. Here is the link to it. Perhaps you’ll have better luck with it.
The Sound of One Hand Typing 
Great song and much needed today
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Sixty years later, the message is still the same…
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You know, I love that song, but don’t ever recall hearing the excerpts of Greensleeves etc at the end. I am sure they are there but I haven’t listened for them before. Definitely heard them this time because I listened for them – and now once heard I won’t unhear them 🙂 Thanks, John, for the illumination.
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Glad I could shed some light.Don’t stay up too late trying to hear everything…
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I remember watching the Our World broadcast when the Beatles sang All You Need is Love. It was great. Well done, John.
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Were you in the UK, or did you see it on Ed Sullivan like I did? It was quite a show….
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I wasn’t in the UK So it must have been Ed Sullivan
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Good choice John.
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Great choice 💜😂
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Thanks!
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Just a brilliant piece of art, nice to get the behind the scenes insights!
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Glad you liked it!
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One of my favorite songs by the fab four.
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Glad you liked it!
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played this for my class on val day and they got up from eating to dance to it )
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They actually stopped eating? That’s pretty remarkable…
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yep, cookies with frosting!
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With frosting? They must have really liked it…
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