The famous song Let It Be from the album of the same name was the last single released by The Beatles before the actual breakup of the band.
But the composition entered the history of modern music not only for this reason. She took first place in the charts of many countries, is still included in various ratings of the best songs and is simply the favorite song of many fans of the “Liverpool Four”.
The story of creation and the meaning of the song Let It Be
Let It Be was written by Paul McCartney, although the official co-author is John Lennon. The idea for the song came to Paul in a dream in which he saw his late mother Mary, long dead of cancer. This happened at a very difficult period for him, when he was very worried about the worsening relationships in the group, and the appearance of his mother encouraged him.
Paul recalled the main idea behind the song:
One night during this stressful period, I had a dream in which I saw my mother, who had died about ten years before. … It was so amazing for me and she made me very hopeful. In that dream, she said, “Everything will be all right.” I’m not sure if she used the words “let it be,” but that was exactly the point of her advice, which was, “Don’t worry so much. Everything will be fine”.
It was such a pleasant dream that I woke up thinking, “Oh, it’s great to see her again.” I considered that dream a great blessing. So he pushed me to write Let It Be. I literally started with the phrase “mother Mary”, as she was called, and with the words “when I’m in trouble”, which I really had then. The song was based on that dream.
Naturally, many music lovers, having heard the words of the song Let It Be, came to the conclusion that McCartney had in mind the Virgin Mary.
But Paul doesn’t really care. Here’s what he had to say about the meaning of Let It Be:
The word “Mother Mary” makes it a quasi-religious song, so you can take it that way. I don’t mind. I’m even glad that people want to use it to strengthen their faith. It’s not a problem for me. I think it’s wonderful to have any faith, especially in a world like ours.
Release and achievements
The song was recorded in several versions. One of them was released as a single. Another can be heard on the Let It Be album. The third volume of The Beatles Anthology series included one of the early versions of the composition. Another performance of Let It Be is offered on the album Let It Be… Naked (2003).
Interestingly, John Lennon hated the song Let It Be. He once spoke of her as follows:
This is Paul. What can you say? Nothing to do with The Beatles. It could be Wings. I don’t know what he was thinking when he wrote Let It Be. I think it was inspired by Bridge over Troubled Water.
True, John was mistaken here. Bridge over Troubled Water appeared a little later than Let It Be, so Paul could not write his song under the impression of this creation of Simon and Garfunkel.
But the public, unlike Lennon, highly appreciated Let It Be. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a top ten single in many other countries. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #20 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #8 of The Beatles’ 100 Greatest Songs.
Let It Be also won an Oscar for Best Music and a Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television.
Interesting Facts
- Let It Be was played at Linda McCartney’s funeral.
- In 2003, Paul McCartney performed Let It Be especially for Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, and in 2012 he sang it at the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II.
Let It Be Lyrics by The Beatles
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, “Let it be”
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, “Let it be”
chorus:
Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, “Let it be”
And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, “Let it be”
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, “Let it be”
And when the night is cloudy
There’s still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow, “Let it be”
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, “Let it be”
Let It Be Lyrics by The Beatles Alternate
When I’m in trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
And says words of wisdom: “So be it”
When my heart is dark
She stands right in front of me
And says words of wisdom: “So be it”
Chorus:
So be it, so be it
So be it, so be it
Whispers words of wisdom: “So be it”
And when unfortunate people
All over the world will agree
The answer will be: “So be it”
Though they may be separated
There is still a chance to meet
The answer will be: “So be it”
When the night sky is overcast
I still see a ray of light
Shine until the morning, so be it
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
And says words of wisdom: “So be it”
