Did you know that the Beatles have 229 songs to their name? The Fab Four have each contributed brilliant songs to this total but Lennon and McCartney were the most prolific.
Yesterday, we heard from our neighbours, who were visiting Liverpool, that they were drinking in the Cavern Club, birth place of the Beatles. It gave me the idea of writing a short story using the titles of some of those famous hits. It took fifteen minutes and I had a little help from my friend, my wife Jill. It’s not going to be a Booker Prizewinner but it contains 29 Beatles song titles (plus one repeat) and it goes like this:
Hey Jude! It’s been a hard day’s night across the universe but yesterday, back in the USSR, as a day tripper, the fool on the hill is getting better by doing the hippy hippy shake. I feel fine cos I don’t want to spoil the party. I saw you standing there and I want to hold your hand, Lady Madonna, like dreamers do. So please love me do. Otherwise I’ll be a nowhere man writing paperbacks in Penny Lane with Michelle and sexy Sadie while my guitar gently weeps . I know I’m the fool on the hill at the end of a long and winding road so please, please me and get back to the strawberry fields so we can work it out. With all my loving, Robbie
(With a little help from my friend Jill)
A challenge to you – write and submit your own story
With 229 Beatles classics to choose from, I invite you, dear readers, to write and submit your own story. Fifteen minutes should be long enough, unless you want to rival ‘War and Peace’!
Have fun! And in the words of Wilfred Pickles – am I the only one to remember him? – ‘Have a go, Joe!’
There are 30 Beatles songs in this little ‘sketch’ … Looking at all the titles, the possibilities are endless and very varied … have fun making up your stories.
We have a neighbour, Penny Lane, She’s a woman, and she has a couple of friends, Michelle and Lucille, Three Cool Cats all of whom loved to party, Long, Long, Long.
This particular Saturday night they had live music, ‘The Saints’ and a group called ‘Los Paranoias’ … Boys and a Girl or three came from everywhere … some I recognised and some I didn’t … of those I did, there was Wild Honey Pie (By reputation), Lovely Rita from down the road, Maggie Mae, Michelle’s cousin on holiday from Liverpool, Polythene Pam so named because she always seemed to wear vinyl skirts, and of the boys, there was the stud who went to all of the parties known as ‘The Sheikh of Araby’, Mean Mr. Moonlight, Mr. Mustard, Teddy Boy, The Fool On The Hill, and others.
The scene was set for what was undoubtedly going to be A Beginning of a Hard Day’s Night, especially when, In Spite Of All The Danger, someone said “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” and someone else said “You Can’t Do That” and yet someone else “Why” followed by a curt “Because” …
Apart from an unexpected visit from a young lady who was clearly a little worse for wear (She Came In Through The Bathroom Window), and having told myself It’s All Too Much the night settled down and I felt It Won’t Be Long …
I’m So Tired now, but I Should Have Known Better … I should have gone out !
The End
Brilliant Doug! Isn’t it fun? Is it a generational thing? It certainly brings back so many great memories!
Robbie
You left out the lovely Ita, the meter maid.
Good effort. Maybe I’ll have a go – I can feel the mercury rising. I’m ready, Freddie.
Sorry Ita was down with the flu
Michelle, we can work it out. This is from me to you. I didn’t really want to say anything but I have to ask do you want to know a secret? Yes? Well, the big issue is that money (that’s what I want) is being taken by the taxman (who I swear wants me to work eight days a week).
If we get some help, we can avoid misery, and then we can drive my car and spend some time being day tripper(s). I can see things getting better quickly. Maybe we can go to a fairground. You always did love the helter skelter. And yes I would love you to hold me tight but honey don’t whinge. I should have known better than to try to keep things from you. This mistake, I promise, won’t see the light of day again. There will not be a second time.
Let’s get a ticket to ride then, Michelle.
Thanks for the post, Robbie. This was fun!
Great one, Allison!
https://youtu.be/0NpoedlDxuU
Top story, Allison! Knew you’d rise to the occasion.
Robbie
Thanks, Robbie. I know a flash fiction prompt when I see one! (And thanks Janet).
I thought the Beatles story was a bit of fun, so I had a go. I managed 28 titles and a lot of nonsense!.
Yesterday I was walking along Penny Lane towards Strawberry Fields Forever when I passed a Nowhere Man. He said ‘Good Day Sunshine’ and asked me if I knew where he could get a Ticket to Ride as he wanted to be a Day Tripper on the Magical Mystery Tour in The Little Yellow Submarine. I said well, with a Little Help from my Friends We can Work it Out but it will be a Hard Day’s Night. So I called my friend, Hey Jude I said and quietly said that this Fool on the Hill wanted a Magical Mystery Tour. Well said Jude I am just Back from the USSR and I am Fixing a Hole in my roof so don’t Bother Me. Why not ask Eleanor Rigby who is Here, There and Everywhere or Michelle. She can get tickets to visit the Norwegian Wood where you can hear the Blackbird sing. And Do You Want to Know a Secret, there’s a place she knows where Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds can be seen 8 Days a Week. Well thank you I said but I had better Get Back, told the Nowhere Man all I knew and then went off down The Long and Winding Road feeling Glad All Over.
Marilyn
Marilyn,
That is absolutely brilliant! Your go to the top of the class, first out and last in at playtime, you choose the story and get five gold stars!
Thanks so much for having a go.
Robbie
Robbie
Thank you for your kind comments. It was a great challenge.
Marilyn