The Beatles – I’m Looking Through You

I came to The Beatles relatively late in my music-listening life. The first Anthology record had dropped right around the time that I remember starting to get very interested in music. All of the people in my life that were exciting about this were old. My Dad. An uncle. NBC news.

This was not something that I needed to care about. Or so I thought at the time.

The Beatles may be the most boring rock band on the planet at this point. My opinion about their music will add nothing to any conversation, change anyone’s opinion, or open any minds.

The Beatles do not need my help.

If you love music, you have to have some kind of appreciation for The Beatles. This is more or less a fact. Their influence is inescapable.

I’m growing more convinced that some music is almost impossible to actually hear.

By that, I mean this: I have this sinking feeling that by the time you find out about a piece of music, movie, or really anything that there is to have an opinion about, someone has already put thoughts into your head about it. This is especially true the internet era.

Put another way: You might not have ever been to China, but you’ve got a pretty well formed idea about what it’s like there anyway. If you got to go, how could you escape that idea?

Don’t think of an elephant. Sgt. Pepper is the greatest album of all time. The Beatles are the greatest band ever.

To have anything interesting to say about The Beatles, you simply have to choose. You’re forced to choose. You can’t debate the quality. You can only pick a favorite. That choice is where the rubber hits the road. It says a lot about the listener.

And so I choose.

Rubber Soul is my favorite Beatles record. Taken alone, “I’m Looking Through You” is probably my favorite song on that record. It’s mercifully free of experimentation. It’s just Paul at his best—at once catchy and poignant.

It’s the template for a thousands songs since, and one well worth a fresh listen every now and again.