Lay for the Day 26th August

1968: The Beatles release ‘Hey Jude’ as a single in the United States. It reaches Number 1 on 29th September and stays there for nine weeks, their biggest American hit.

Alphabeatles
– part 4 [continued from 18th August, concluded 27th August]

P’s for Producer,
the great George Martin,
who opened the door
and let some art in.

Q’s for Queen Liz
who awarded them gongs
for invading the States
with groovy songs.

R’s for Revolver,
a radical disc
you could live without,
but why take the risk?

And S for Shirelles,
young, gifted and black.
Liverpool, Africa,
New World and back.

T’s for Ties skinny,
toes pointy and tab-
collared shirts you had
to wear to be fab.

 

by John Gibbens,
from The Improvised Version, Vol. 1

The Lay Reader: an archive of the poetic calendar