The sum of its leftover parts.

Paul McCartney.

Ringo Starr.

I love you.

This Ringo guy has a new album out called Y Not and I know that everyone else on the planet has talked about it too, but I must join in. That's what I do. I bandwagon surf. So this new album of his, I haven't heard it yet, but I want to. I don't know if it's a desperate cling to the last of The Beatles for me or what it is, but I am oddly drawn to this album and I'm not usually drawn to The Ringo.  But why not? (hahaha! I'm the only one laughing. Don't drink and blog on a Friday night, friends).

Actually, I do know what it is. It's because of that other Beatle. The "famous" one. It's because they're the last two left. It's because they're working together again. It's because, (I think?) that the last time they sung on an album together, George was alive and it was kind of a reunion thing called "Anthology" or something. It's because this is kind of a big deal.

This is kind of a really big deal.

Now these two living Beatles, I don't understand them. They don't seem as "real" as the dead ones. They don't seem as vulnerable. They don't seem as open. They seem grumpy. They seem isolated. They seem locked in a bubble, where the other two seem to drift freely in the universe. Oh wait, maybe I do get them. It also makes you think that maybe being in the biggest rock band this world has ever seen might not have been so awesome. It's like Beatlegan's Island and Paul and Ringo are the only ones left. And it's maybe not so bad for Ringo these days, but imagine being "SIR PAUL McCARTNEY". Imagine being the most successful songwriter of the world, EVER. Imagine losing everyone who's ever meant the world to you except for your brother and Ringo (and children, but that's a different trust).  And in all of that, not that I know, but I honestly believe Paul was never as close to anyone as he was to John Lennon - even Linda. And maybe Paul is transferring that need to Ringo. Awkward, but still, totally cute.



I love Paul and I always seem to be trashing Paul and I really don't mean to. However, (sorry Paulie) Paul has always seemed too good for the other Beatles (other than John.) I mean, look at "When We Was Fab" by George Harrison. Ringo's in it but they have a stand-in in Paul's "Walrus" outfit. Was that Paul's choice, or George's? Either way, weird.



  I remember reading some interview, perhaps the Playboy interview that I'm too lazy to reference right now, that John was quoted as saying that he and Paul were The Beatles and that Ringo and George could've been anybody. (Ah crap, now I feel like I should find it. Hold up. Whatevs, it'll be an afterward. Don't look at me like that. You go look for a John Lennon quote and see what Google pulls up for you! - Actually, let me know if you find it. Bighelpthanks.)** Anyway, John said that he and Paul were The Beatles and if you read any book about this band, or you watch Anthology, you'll see that in this Beatle family, John and Paul were like the parents and George and Ringo were like the children. And you can see that George and Ringo still feel they are being treated that way, but without John, Paul looks like a diva who's trying not to look like a diva.

And then they go from 3/4 to 1/2.

And now it's just them. Paul. Ringo.

They roomed together on tour during the Beatlemania thing. They were homies. They are homies. When Ringo went all crazy saying he wasn't going to sign autographs anymore...



 Paul defended him on Letterman.

And Ringo had this little album coming out with a song called Walk with You, Paul made it better. And it totally just makes me cry.

Anyway, I feel a new love for Ringo. Thank you, Paul McCartney.

** UPDATE (Jan 29, '10) This is as close to that mysterious Lennon quote that I've found so far. Still quite accepting of help, by the way, wink wink.