𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗬 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡: 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗬 𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗟𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚 "𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗡"

Probably as much as anyone in the world, I should have known better, reflected a bit more, before writing the observations below about the newly released Beatles song "Now and Then."

But, here are my premature words that I now disown:

"I'd been avoiding it all morning but knew it was out there; the "Beatles" newly released song from a Lennon cassette, 'Now and Then.'

My negativity towards the release had several components;  juxtaposing the faces of a 30ish John Lennon, a 50ish George Harrison with Ringo & Paul in their 80's, accepting Artificial Intelligence as ART, putting out a product far inferior to what the actual group would have produced, oversight by Giles, not George Martin, and, of course, the report that George "didn't like it."

Oh, it's an OK song.

It will make money.

It's just not the Beatles."

OK.  I did know that the song was written and recorded with piano by John, but I didn't know that John had written the words "FOR PAUL" on the cassette Yoko handed to Paul.

And, of course, I had to have my recollection refreshed concerning John's last words to Paul:  "think about me every now and then, my old friend."

Then, there's the Carl Perkin's account below pulled from Reddit:

“Carl Perkins sang the song, which he named My Old Friend, for Linda and Paul, saying it was his gift for having him as a guest. Half way through the song, after singing “if we never meet again this side of life, in a little while, over yonder, where there’s peace and quiet, my old friend, won’t you think about me every now and then?” tears streamed down Paul’s face and he stood up and stepped outside.

Not knowing what the matter was, Carl stopped, a bit shaken. Didn’t Paul like the song? Linda warmly put her arms around Carl, and thanked him. She said the song was getting Paul to finally connect with his grief over John Lennon’s death.

Linda explained that the last time Paul talked to John, he had said the same line to Paul: “think about me every now and then, my old friend.”

Carl and Linda were now convinced that the song had been channeled from John Lennon’s spirit, as a gift to Paul.”

Needless to say, I'm letting "Now and Then" play over and over again.