#45: When Beatles Magic Happens

First of all, after my breast-beating end-of-the-world night sweats I poured into your generous souls last Tuesday, something really wonderful happened that reminded me there are larger things going on in the world and the best thing I can do is simply be in it and let opportunity happen.


I woke up Wednesday morning suddenly filled with energy and positivity. And thanks to all of you who wrote me and expressed your love.


[Summary: After seven and a half hours of performing in a sweltering Strawberry Fields, Gavin and I witnessed something truly magical. A small circle of strangers who had just sung "Imagine" with us began sharing where they were from. The crowd included people from Israel and Palestine, standing together in a moment of absolute love. This experience was the ultimate testament to the song's promise—that music can transcend differences and bring people together, one heart at a time. It was the moment I had been waiting for, and it finally happened.]

WED JULY 30

This was an epic day. When we arrived it was hot and muggy. We set up beneath the branches where we were most likely to avoid the arriving, arcing sun. Not many people came through. And if they did, they didn’t stay long. Too hot.

I was buying bottles of water from the women along the path, who are manning insulated coolers. “Agua, un dolar!” The first one I got was almost frozen solid so it lasted through the whole morning.

After three fruitless, difficult hours, we finally stopped when the next guy showed up. He didn’t even bother with his electrics. Just brought a guitar doing his best avoid the sun.

Then we were told the next three people have all canceled because of the heat and if we wanted to hang out or go eat something, we could have the 1pm slot. We quickly said yes. I got a lamb on salad from the cart and we rested under a tree while Dave did his set. He had Blue, his new puppy with him, who was just sleeping in the roll cart.

We went on at 1 and then watched the clock tick by as each hour passed. No one came at 2. No one came at 3. No one came at 4. Finally, someone came and took over at 5:30. That means we performed for 7 ½ hours total. I could believe my voice held out.

Gavin leads the way as we run through our set. Then, he'll say, “Time for Imagine. Do the circle.”

First I tell my story about playing the piano and the cigarette burn groove. Which brings an image and a story into the mix that we can all focus around. Then we sing. Everyone is shy at first. They giggle at themselves when the first “I” comes up. That little musical figure that leaps up high.

By the time we get to the last verse, they are almost singing full out. Almost. The phrase “Sharing all the world” is where I turn it over to them. And they usually deliver, surprising themselves with how good they sound.

Then Gavin, still over on the bench, vamps while I ask everyone where they are from. The usual countries are Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, England, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina. Today we also had Senegal, Luxembourg, Lisbon.

Then a man quietly said, “Israeli.” Then the next man said “German.”

Then a man said, caution in his voice, “Palestinian.”


I treated it as normally as if he had said my hometown. Welcomed him, as I did all the others, and then moved on to the next person (Peru, then Mexico). No one winced. No one reacted. It was a circle of absolute love amongst a group of strangers standing around a mosaic with the word IMAGINE on it.

I have been waiting for this day. I knew – I hoped – it would someday happen. And today it happened. (And I can’t help loving that Germany was in the middle).

(Remember, all of us had just sung “Imagine” together.)

I said to them, “When we sing this song together, all superficial labels fall away. We are just human beings. We fulfill the promise of the song when we sing the song. Put it in your heart, spread it around because that’s how change happens, one heart to another heart, one at a time.”

Then they all broke out into applause.