the beatles time travel

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A struggling musician realizes he's the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles after waking up in an alternate reality where they never existed. A struggling musician realizes he's the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles after waking up in an alternate reality where they never existed. A struggling musician realizes he's the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles after waking up in an alternate reality where they never existed.

• Danny Boyle
• Richard Curtis
• Himesh Patel
• Sophia Di Martino
• 1.2K User reviews
• 313 Critic reviews
• 55 Metascore
• 2 wins & 19 nominations

• Ellie Appleton

• Sheila Malik

• Michael Kiwanuka
• Marcus the Dentist

• Ipswich TV Host

• Air Hostess
• Videographer
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

What Are the Cast and Creators of 'Yesterday' Watching?

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Did you know

• Trivia Himesh Patel did all his own singing and playing in the movie.
• Goofs When the blackout occurs, there are shots of various places across the globe simultaneously descending into darkness, yet half of the globe would have been in daylight - except the daylight half is mostly Pacific Ocean with the USA after sunset in the west, night-time Eurasia in the middle, and Japan before dawn in the east.

John Lennon : You want a good life? It's not complicated. Tell the girl you love that you love her. And tell the truth to everyone whenever you can.

• Crazy credits As well as the credits being shown in a The Beatles -style font, whenever a name contains the letter B during the non-scrolling section of the closing credits, the B is larger than the rest of the text.
• Connections Featured in Good Morning Britain: Episode dated 19 June 2019 (2019)
• Soundtracks Summer Song ( Richard Curtis , Adem Ilhan & Daniel Pemberton ) Performed by Himesh Patel (uncredited)

User reviews 1.2K

• Jul 20, 2019
• How long is Yesterday? Powered by Alexa
• Is Himesh Patel himself actually missing two front teeth?
• Did Patel film any scenes at a real Ed Sheeran concert?
• Did Himesh Patel actually practice music for the movie, or is he already able to do it before he was cast?
• June 28, 2019 (United States)
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Official Site
• Ngày Hôm Qua
• Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, England, UK (town)
• Universal Pictures
• Working Title Films
• Perfect World Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $26,000,000 (estimated)
• $73,286,650
• $17,010,050
• Jun 30, 2019
• $154,608,856

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 56 minutes
• Dolby Atmos

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Unraveling the romantic spacetime continuum of Richard Curtis

The Yesterday and Love Actually writer was close friends with Douglas Adams, and it shows

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Richard Curtis is the leading expert in pulling heartstrings, delivering warm and fuzzy laughs, and converting sap into a truly sweet substance. The 62-year-old screenwriter is best known for rom-coms like Four Weddings and a Funeral , Notting Hill , Bridget Jones’ Diary , and Love Actually . His new film, Yesterday , which finds Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) achieving his musical dreams at the sacrifice of a relationship with Ellie (Lily James), fits squarely alongside them.

The twist is that Jack’s skyrocketing career is the result of an galactic anomaly with global EMP effects. The event also wipes out random inventions of Earth’s cultural history, including the entire Beatles discography, granting Jack the chance to swoop in and play “Let It Be,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” and “Yesterday” as if they were his own.

Scrutinize Curtis’ long career, and the sci-fi premise doesn’t seem that out of whack with his whimsical sensibility. He also wrote the time travel romance About Time and the era-jumping reincarnation comedy Blackadder , and is known for temporal playfulness (looking at you, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ). As Yesterday arrives in theaters, Polygon asked Curtis to reflect on his sci-fi curiosities, which just so happen to tie back to one of the genre’s greatest authors.

Polygon: How are you, Richard Curtis?

Richard Curtis: All right, thank you. I’ve got a cup of tea. I’ve got four squares of chocolate. I’m sitting in Liverpool.

So how did you become enamored by the spacetime continuum?

I certainly am a great enthusiast! [ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy author] Douglas Adams was one of my closest friends. I’ve always thought that there was enormous range being funny in that area, and I’m a huge fan of certain sci-fi stuff as well, which I always find meaningful. I’m just realizing I did an episode of Doctor Who a few years ago, and a time travel movie, and then this, and I think I’ve just realized that it’s a great way of making a big, bold move and then pulling back from that to be realistic and quite small because that concept is so big. I think that’s what I love in this movie: that we’ve got a whopping great idea in the middle of it, which means that you can then tell quite a delicate, little love story and the context of it, instead of saying, “Oh, I need to make this love story bigger in order to make it a big film.” It’s quite a surprise to me that the last two movies have had a sci-fi element.

Did you struggle with making tinier love stories bigger for the sake of the movie business?

If you look at the journey from Four Weddings [ and a Funeral ] to Julia Roberts in Notting Hill and then, “Oh, come on, let’s just tell 10 stories in Love Actually ,” you can see a kind of impatience and desire to make things bigger. I think you’re always aiming in your work — or I was — for a measure of joy and ecstasy. How can we give people a really rich experience? That’s what I wanted to do. And I think that’s connected back to the Beatles in my whole life. My first introduction to music, really, were these people who made this music that actually made you feel happy and made you feel as though the world is a wonderful place. And I’ve got a feeling somewhere in my bones that that’s what I’ve always tried to do.

To jump back: How did you befriend Douglas Adams?

It’s strange, and everything that has to do with Douglas makes me a bit sad now. He was at Cambridge with a lot of the people I knew, and I was at Oxford, but we’d never met. And then about five years after I left university, I was asked to write a film in America, and I went out there and I was having a terrible, terrible time. It was very lonely. So someone said to me, “Ring Douglas, because he’s living out there.” So I rang Douglas and I said, “You don’t know me, but it’d be lovely to have lunch.” And I had lunch with Douglas, then moved into his house. The first time I met him, I stayed with him for two months because he was such a sweet boy. He could see how unhappy I was and he just said, “Look, just come and stay with us, and Jane [Belson, Adams’ wife,] and I will take care of you.” And so we were very close friends after that.

What film were you writing at the time? You basically had your own Jack Malik moment.

I was writing a movie called Four Eyes and Fat Thighs , which never got made. And he was writing the film of Hitchhiker’s , and his version never got made.

Did you ever think of adapting Douglas’ work?

No [...] he would have criticized it. [ laughs ] It’s a really tough format. In a way, I’m going for that, but not with anything like that energy. Douglas would have loved Guardians of the Galaxy . He would have been very interested in how that movie succeeds in being really proper sci-fi and action, but really funny.

As you were writing, how far did you lean into the thought experiment of, “What if the Beatles didn’t exist?” The paranormal event that zaps them out of existence also removes Coke and cigarettes from history, but we only see a few instances how the lack of the Beatles’ influence impacts culture.

There’s a limit to how much you can deal with in a film. There is a version of this film where the world is much more drab. The Beatles really did revolutionize social structure. Before the Beatles, everything was about respect. The prime minister was always a 60-year-old man. We were obsessed with the First and Second World War. It was a place where you knew your place and you respected age and culture. The Beatles said that, actually, young people are more interesting, and we’ve all got a right to really enjoy our lives. We don’t have to go on in a world of rations and worry. I think it’s the same sort of galvanizing effect that Elvis had on the U.S.

Also, that it’s possible to be funny as well. Musicians can be funny! Which was really quite an unusual thought. Musicians normally had to pretend that they were deep. So I could have done a very complicated piece of sci-fi where you notice that one of the streets was more crowded because there was no cancer, but everybody was still more boringly dressed, but we didn’t do that. What we just did was leave that one fact and everything else was unchanged because it wasn’t that kind of film. Because it was this huge idea, the thing I most wanted to do was keep everything ultra-realistic.

We’re in a moment where creators like J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele dangle clues and answerable mysteries in front of the audience, but Yesterday stands in contrast because we’re not sure what the hell happened the night the Beatles disappeared. But do you have the answers?

It’s funny you say that. I’ve always felt that you don’t have to explain much. In Four Weddings and a Funeral , there was a scene in that, because people complained a bit in that movie that nobody had jobs, as it were, and we didn’t know how they’d all met. I had written a scene, which was in the back of the car, in which Hugh Grant explained everything to Andie MacDowell. “I was at university with this person.” “She came to a party at my house.” “She never moved out.” I just decided it was unnecessary. Life doesn’t come at you with an explanation! When you meet someone, you don’t turn to them and ask, “How old are you? How many children do you have? Where were you born?” We’re just having a conversation. So I think that sometimes it’s more fun to just charge on and not spend time explaining. So I sort of know what happened. I’m unclear about how the records actually disappeared, the physical objects. That does seem strange.

I could explain it more than I do in the movie. I’m sort of thinking the reason why he wasn’t affected by it was because he was unconscious at that moment. Whatever happened in outer space, everyone else with brains was awake and they got removed, whereas his brain was asleep and therefore you couldn’t delete something from it.

You had a hand in the story for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again , which weaves through the spacetime continuum in its own way. How did that happen, and can we expect a third movie?

It’s such a sweet story. I’ll await the call, but I don’t know that anyone is thinking about a third part. And I think it might be getting a bit lean on songs, even though I know that Benny [Andersson] and Björn [Ulvaeus] have written a couple of new ABBA songs, which would be exciting.

So [ Mamma Mia 2 ]: I was asked to write Mamma Mia! the stage show 25 years ago, but I was probably doing Notting Hill at the time, so thank God I didn’t do it, because the stage show was brilliant, and it’s such a sort of utterly lateral story. Who would’ve thought of that story? Then the movie came out and I had nothing to do with it.

Literally nine years later, Judy [Craymer, the producer,] rang me up and said, “I know you love ABBA, and we’ve just been having trouble developing a story for the second one, will you think about it for a day? Will you have two baths and a shower? Just as a personal favor.” And I was in town with my daughter, and I got back in the car and said to her, “ Mamma Mia 2 , what do you think?” She said, “It’s obvious.” I said, “It can’t be that obvious. It’s been nine years.” And she said, “It’s Godfather II . You go back to the summer, you cast young pretty people. Then in the end she gets pregnant and Amanda Seyfried gets pregnant, so you have the circularity of females running the world.” That literally was her reply to my question in the car, so I rang Universal that night and said, “I’ve had a great idea!” I didn’t mention my daughter. [Screenwriter] Ol Parker is my daughter’s closest adult friend, and then Ol and I gathered together for a weekend and worked out the cards. But it was from an idea by Scarlett Curtis, age 21.

Hear Richard Curtis’ thoughts on the more spoilery parts of Yesterday later this week.

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This Day In History : February 7

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The Beatles arrive in New York

On February 7, 1964, Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 from London Heathrow lands at New York’s Kennedy Airport—and “Beatlemania” arrives.

It was the first visit to the United States by the Beatles, a British rock-and-roll quartet that had just scored its first No. 1 U.S. hit six days before with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” At Kennedy, the “Fab Four”—dressed in mod suits and sporting their trademark pudding bowl haircuts—were greeted by 3,000 screaming fans who caused a near riot when the boys stepped off their plane and onto American soil.

Two days later, Paul McCartney , age 21, Ringo Starr , 23, John Lennon , 23, and George Harrison , 20, made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, a popular television variety show. Although it was difficult to hear the performance over the screams of teenage girls in the studio audience, an estimated 73 million U.S. television viewers, or about 40 percent of the U.S. population, tuned in to watch. Sullivan immediately booked the Beatles for two more appearances that month. The group made their first public concert appearance in the United States on February 11 at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C., and 20,000 fans attended. The next day, they gave two back-to-back performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and police were forced to close off the streets around the venerable music hall because of fan hysteria. On February 22, the Beatles returned to England.

The Beatles’ first American tour left a major imprint in the nation’s cultural memory. With American youth poised to break away from the culturally rigid landscape of the 1950s, the Beatles, with their exuberant music and good-natured rebellion, were the perfect catalyst for the shift. Their singles and albums sold millions of records, and at one point in April 1964 all five best-selling U.S. singles were Beatles songs. By the time the Beatles first feature-film, A Hard Day’s Night, was released in August, Beatlemania was epidemic the world over. Later that month, the four boys from Liverpool returned to the United States for their second tour and played to sold-out arenas across the country.

Later, the Beatles gave up touring to concentrate on their innovative studio recordings, such as 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band, a psychedelic concept album that is regarded as a masterpiece of popular music. The Beatles’ music remained relevant to youth throughout the great cultural shifts of the 1960s, and critics of all ages acknowledged the songwriting genius of the Lennon-McCartney team. In 1970, the Beatles disbanded , leaving a legacy of 18 albums and 30 Top 10 U.S. singles.

During the next decade, all four Beatles pursued solo careers, with varying success. Lennon, the most outspoken and controversial Beatle, was shot to death by a deranged fan outside his New York apartment building in 1980. McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for his contribution to British culture. In November 2001, George Harrison succumbed to cancer . Ringo Starr was knighted himself for "services to music" in 2018.

Also on This Day in History February | 7

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President George W. Bush announces plan for “faith-based initiatives”

Earthquake causes fluvial tsunami in the mississippi river, criminal case ends in plea bargain—one of the first, mysterious murder, later solved by forensic evidence, benjamin franklin publishes “an imaginary speech”, josef mengele, known as the “angel of death,” dies, german sub sinks scottish passenger ship ss california.

Watch The Beatles Arrive in New York City for the First Time in 1964

By jennifer m wood | feb 7, 2024.

On February 7, 1964, Pan Am Flight 101 landed at New York City’s JFK Airport with four pieces of very precious cargo aboard: John Lennon ,  Paul McCartney ,  Ringo Starr , and  George Harrison . It was The Beatles ’s very first trip to America—and the official beginning of what the world soon dubbed “Beatlemania.”

An estimated crowd of 4000 people—the majority of them screaming teenage girls—was at the airport awaiting the band’s arrival and the chance to witness the moment their feet touched American soil for the very first time.

No one quite knew what to make of the rabid reception, not even the Fab Four themselves. It was only six days ahead of their arrival that The Beatles had scored their first No. 1 hit in America with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

“I still get asked about the pressure of that first trip to the U.S.,” Paul McCartney wrote in The Atlantic in 2023, in which he shared several of the many photos he took during the band’s historic two-week trip abroad. “So many people back home were rooting for us—it was a huge deal for a British band to be No. 1 over there. It sounds like a lot to put on the shoulders of four lads in their early 20s but, in reality, we were just wisecracking guys, and we had fun with one another whatever we did and wherever we went.”

Just two months before the trip, in late December 1963, The Beatles learned that they were booked to travel to America—and seemed to have a hard time wrapping their heads around why.

Their arrival was only the beginning of the so-called “British Invasion,” or what one news anchor jokingly described as “Britain’s revenge for the Boston Tea Party.” In the days that followed, The Beatles would make history once again when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, with a whopping 74 million people—or 40 percent of the country’s population at the time—tuning in to see what all the fuss was about.

Read More Stories About The Beatles Here:

The Beatles: Get Back Review: Reality Leaves A Lot To The Imagination

Not so much a film as an immersion, Peter Jackson's "Get Back" is unlike anything you've seen before. Utilizing an aesthetic that feels minimally invasive, belying breakthrough restoration and modern editing techniques, the movie takes you on a seven-hour trip in a time machine, depositing you into the presence of genius. By the time it's over you'll feel like it's your own lived experience, like you know the Fab Four as if they're your acquaintances, and you'll be humming its songs for weeks, because you will have watched them grow from the tiniest seed of inspiration to full maturity.

Whether you watch it in parts or its full, 468-minutes-long runtime, the Disney+ documentary can appear intimidating at first. But Jackson hits the ground running with an excellent montage that walks the viewer through the first several phases of the Beatles , giving younger viewers a breezy lesson on the most beloved rock band of all time while getting more experienced fans on the same page: It's January 1969, the Beatles haven't toured in some time, they are growing increasingly weary and weighed down with the baggage of stardom, but they have come together to create 14 songs and then play them live for a TV special in front of an audience.

The press materials for "Get Back" come with a disclaimer asking critics not to spoil "any surprises and plot twists," which at first feels ridiculous. Isn't this a documentary about one of the most documented musical acts of all time? Is Disney concerned word might leak that they break up? Will Nick Fury show up in the end credits and ask Ringo to join the Avengers Initiative?

But sure enough, Jackson extracts incredible tension from of his source material, 60 hours of film footage and 150 hours of audio that he gained access to after the rights holders saw his "They Shall Not Grow Old" documentary. Similarly breathing new vitality into old footage, Jackson blows away the 1970 80-minute documentary "Let It Be" originally birthed, instead operating with almost a reverse-editing technique that makes the viewer understand true breakthroughs do not arrive with "Eureka!" moments and reality show-like drama, but a quiet nod between collaborators who've finally found a lyric the world will be singing for the next 50 years.

The best way to watch "Get Back," honestly, is to just turn it on at home and pretend you're just one of the dozen or so people in orbit around the Beatles — producers and sound people, roadies and spouses and others who wander in and out of frame. It's like watching those uncut live feeds of the "Big Brother" house, but if the house were filled with talented people.

At the center of most shots is the Fab Four, sitting down and facing each other and swatting away the boom mic and smoking so many cigarettes the cast of "Mad Men" would encourage them to slow down. Paul is eager to show off his new material (and instructions for the others on how to play it); Ringo rarely leaves the drum stand, providing an eager beat for even the most nonsensical noodling; George has weary eyes that seem like he has some things on his mind; John is the only Beatle in most shots with someone at his side, as Yoko Ono silently flanks him, knitting and clipping magazines even when tape is rolling.

We can work it out

If you're a Beatles diehard, watching hour after hour of this footage will give you the best indication yet of how these legends lived, talked, and created. Lennon refers to Harrison's music as "Harrisongs"; Ringo earns nicknames like "Russia"; Paul unveils soon-to-be-classics with little more than a melody and placeholder lyrics like "second verse, I haven't got it yet."

Then there's the band's great white whale, "Get Back." By the time you've sat through the entire documentary, you'll have heard the song three dozen times (not that it makes it any less catchy); McCartney has the framework from the beginning, but struggles to find lyrics that fit, or a "hook" to drive it home. Much experimentation is done with protest lyrics referencing anti-immigrant headlines of the day, side-stepped cliche phrasing like "blast from the past" and attempting to give Jo Jo a last name. Then John and Paul finally stumble upon "Tucson, Arizona," as Paul is a fan of the TV western "The High Chaparral," which films there; John has never heard of the city. When the Beatles welcome Billy Preston into the studio he visibly invigorates their creativity, and when George uses "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" as inspiration for his contribution, the song takes flight.

Which brings up the key question you can't help but ponder as you watch "Get Back": What tore this band apart? From what we see, it's clear that "baby George" (as he is sometimes referred to) wants to grow, and as he brings in songs like "I Me Mine" (which he wrote the night before, inspired by something on TV), they are kept distinct and separate from the Lennon-McCartney compositions (which, at this point, seem to lean far more heavily towards McCartney). When the band melts down, it tends to be via quiet, passive-aggressive comments like "I think I'll be leaving the band now," and half-jokes like "we'll get Clapton [to take his place]." A few days later, all is good again and they're discussing growing the family and making Preston the official "Fifth Beatle."

Also significant: Barely 17 months prior, the band had lost manager/guru Brian Epstein to an accidental overdose. As John mentions several times, without him there's no one to keep the band on track and on time. By the end of the film, they're taking meetings with Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein — who would come to manage them and have a hand in their eventual dissolution.

To the diehards, obviously, all this stuff will be like waking up on Christmas morning. But "Get Back" also succeeds as the rare film that has something for everyone. Most significantly, if you're any sort of artist — musician, painter, poet or a mere doodler on cocktail napkins — watching the Beatles create is revealing, inspiring, and a reminder that true brilliance comes in small steps, not great leaps forward. If you're in your teens or twenties and only know the Beatles as the musical equivalent of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln — staid images of Lennon in his New York City t-shirt or the boys in the Abbey Road crosswalk — "Get Back" returns them to vivid life, showcasing John's goofball tendencies or Ringo's need to announce to the room when he's farted. On a sometimes more serious note, it also gives you glimpses of the Beatles breezily talking about the news of the day, from Martin Luther King to their own tabloid-reported fisticuffs to the whisper-singing in Canned Heat's just-released "Going Up the Country."

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

Subsisting on a steady diet of tea, toast, and nicotine, the Beatles press on with a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads: At the end of the month, they must have some combination of an album, a film and/or a live performance. Ringo is heading off to film a movie with Peter Sellers (who drops in for a quick visit); essential collaborators like engineer Glyn Johns have other work booked. Hour after hour, the band noodles away on originals and covers that range from "You Are My Sunshine" to the theme song from "The Third Man," Hank Williams to Chuck Berry to Bob Dylan to songs they wrote when they were 16 years old. Again employing a light touch, Jackson greets each new track with a title and composer chyron — extremely helpful in keeping track of it all.

What's ironic about "Get Back" is that the Beatles (and those around them) spend a large portion of the film debating how best to present their material. Should they travel to Tunisia? Film on a boat? Stand up, sit down, do it on a hillside or a stage? Paul even suggests storming the floor of Parliament and performing until they get arrested. But they have these discussions while "Get Back" reminds us of all they really need to do — sit in a circle, embrace the magic of the four of them together, and let us be flies on the wall.

Of course, if you're a Beatles fan, you know where all this is headed. Is it a spoiler to say that it involves a roof, some policemen, and a few ticked-off Englishmen being disturbed on a workday? Jackson's "Get Back" documentary once again comes through for the fans (of which he so, so clearly is one) by presenting the rooftop concert in its rawest form yet, capturing not only its rebelliousness, but also the logistical and nerve-inducing elements (there seems to be some serious concerns the roof might not hold the weight of the people and equipment) in pulling it off.

In a movie that instills instant memories, perhaps the best comes when John and Paul sneak off together to discuss the future of the band at lunch. Just when you, the viewer, begin to feel disappointed that the conversation obviously won't be privy to our ears, Jackson reveals that the original film production crew had hid a microphone in a flower pot on the table where they were eating(!). We hear every word — and since Paul, Ringo and the families of the others produced this film, five decades later we have their permission to eavesdrop.

It's appropriate that Jackson released the film on Thanksgiving, as that moment is just one of so many times you feel thankful this footage exists. That you, the viewer, can feel like a fifth Beatle, just hanging out with the boys. Thankful, perhaps most significantly, to Peter Jackson for exhaustively assembling it all — and being smart enough to then sit back, and let the audience get back to where we once belonged.

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The Road Trip Songs By The Beatles

via el perro beatle/YouTube

A Little Something From The Fab Four

Everyone loves going on road trips – it’s exciting, exhilarating, and is a great way of dealing with stress. But, what’s a road trip without a good playlist? So we pulled out songs from The Beatles which are about travelling, riding cars, flying, or you know, the good ‘ole “takes you to places without leaving your room” kind of stuff? We’ve got you covered.

So, are you ready for a musical journey?

Unlike most of their tracks, this one’s mostly instrumental. There are no lyrics but it’s magical all the same. According to Paul McCartney, “Flying was an instrumental that we needed for Magical Mystery Tour so in the studio one night I suggested to the guys that we made something up. I said, ‘We can keep it very very simple, we can make it a twelve-bar blues. We need a little bit of a theme and a little bit of a backing.’ I wrote the melody.”

9. Back in the U.S.S.R.

Gee, it’s good to be back home Leave it till tomorrow to unpack my case

Featured in the monolithic record The White Album, it’s a tongue-in-cheek track that’s meant to be a parody of Chuck Berry’s 1959 hit “Back in the U.S.A.” It was McCartney who played the drums because Ringo Starr walked out in the middle of recording.

8. You Never Give Me Your Money

https://youtu.be/dyqhLNooLqA

One sweet dream Pick up the bags and get in the limousine Soon we’ll be away from here Step on the gas and wipe that tear away

Not surprisingly, this song is about The Beatles’ business dealings and the financial problems they were facing. George Harrison said, “‘Funny paper’ – that’s what we get. We get bits of paper saying how much is earned and what this is and that is, but we never actually get it in pounds, shilling and pence. We’ve all got a big house and a car and an office, but to actually get the money we’ve earned seems impossible.”

7. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Newspaper taxis appear on the shore Waiting to take you away Climb in the back with your head in the clouds And you’re gone

From a “boat on a river” to “a train in a station”, this song is mostly about moving or travelling for that matter. Sure, it was controversial for a time because everyone thought it was an ode to LSD (which it may very well be) but it’s still a magical piece of music.

6. The Long and Winding Road

https://youtu.be/KJvXzPQSca0

The long and winding road That leads to your door Will never disappear

In retrospect, this is the song that best defined how The Beatles were like months before their breakup. And in a way, it’s fitting that it became their last #1 hit. In the words of John Lennon, “Paul again. He had a little spurt just before we split. I think the shock of Yoko Ono and what was happening gave him a creative spurt including Let It Be and Long And Winding Road, ’cause that was the last gasp from him.”

5. Why Don’t We Do It On The Road?

Why don’t we do it in the road No one will be watching us

This isn’t exactly the best song to play when travelling with family because well, for obvious reasons. Only McCartney and Starr worked on the song because Lennon and Harrison were busy with other tracks. Lennon later admitted in an interview that he was a bit hurt to be excluded.

4. Two of Us

You and I have memories Longer than the road that stretches out ahead

This was inspired by Paul McCartney’s road trips with wife Linda. She said, “When I moved to England to be with Paul, we would put Martha in the back of the car and drive out of London. As soon as we were on the open road I’d say, ‘Let’s get lost’ and we’d keep driving without looking at any signs. Hence the line in the song, ‘Two of us going nowhere’. Paul wrote Two Of Us on one of those days out. It’s about us.”

3. Drive My Car

Baby, you can drive my car Yes, I’m gonna be a star Baby, you can drive my car And maybe I’ll love you

McCartney and Lennon had to rework on the song several times because the lyrics didn’t come out as strong as they would’ve liked. McCartney shared, “This nice tongue-in-cheek idea came and suddenly there was a girl there, the heroine of the story, and the story developed and had a little sting in the tail like Norwegian Wood had, which was ‘I actually haven’t got a car, but when I get one you’ll be a terrific chauffeur.”

2. Magical Mystery Tour

The magical mystery tour is coming to take you away Coming to take you away

Talk about songs that’ll take you places! Obviously, the making of the song was fueled with LSD. It’s as psychedelic as it can get.

1. Ticket to Ride

She’s got a ticket to ride She’s got a ticket to ride but she don’t care

Like some of their other masterpieces, this song was way ahead of its time. It wasn’t the usual track people were used to hearing from them. For one, it was longer than three minutes. McCartney revealed, “I think the interesting thing was a crazy ending: instead of ending like the previous verse, we changed the tempo. We picked up one of the lines, ‘My baby don’t care’, but completely altered the melody.”

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Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

12 Places Around The World Every Beatles Fan Should Visit

George M. Groutas / Flickr

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At some point, every Beatles fan must make a pilgrimage to the most famous sites associated with the band. “The Long and Winding Road” begins in Liverpool, England, but it includes destinations in London, India, the United States, and the Netherlands as well. If you love the Beatles, grab your “Ticket to Ride” and get started on this ultimate Beatles bucket list — these are 12 places no true fan should miss.

Liverpool, England

Start your Beatles tour where it all began — in the northwestern English city of Liverpool, a must-visit for any Beatles fan. All four band members were born and raised there, and it’s where the group first met and performed together. Here are some great Beatles spots in the Capital City of Pop, which is a now a UNESCO City of Music .

Wikimedia Commons

1. Birthplaces And Childhood Homes

John Lennon was born at the now-shuttered Liverpool Maternity Hospital on Oxford Street. While the inside can’t be toured, fans can still see the exterior of the abandoned building; it’s right next door to the University of Liverpool. Lennon’s childhood home, however, is available to tour , since it is owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty.

George Harrison’s birthplace and childhood home are one and the same — he was born at home at 12 Arnold Grove in Liverpool. Visitors can take pictures of the outside of the home.

Paul McCartney was born at Walton Hospital, since his mother was a maternity nurse there. His childhood home, like Lennon’s, now belongs to the National Trust, so it is available to tour.

Like Harrison, Ringo Starr was born at home, at 9 Madryn Street in Liverpool’s Dingle neighborhood. The home narrowly avoided the wrecking ball in 2012. Fans can only see this residence from the outside, since it is now privately owned.

2. The Cavern Club

Located at 10 Mathew Street in Liverpool, the Cavern Club has been called “the most famous club in the world.” It was at this historic venue that the Beatles performed their first gigs together. The club is open for numerous tours and is also part of the Magical Mystery Tour .

3. Saint Peter’s Church

This South Liverpool Anglican parish played a vital role in the formation of the Beatles. It was at a festival on its grounds that Lennon and McCartney met for the very first time in 1957. Inside the church cemetery, fans can locate the headstone of Eleanor Rigby.

4. Waterfront Statues

The statues of the Fab Four that are situated on Liverpool’s riverfront have been charming visitors since their 2015 installation. According to the Liverpool tourism board, the statues are the most popular selfie spot in town.

Uniq Hotels

5. Yellow Submarine

For a quirkier Beatles experience, consider a stay on the Yellow Submarine . It’s docked in the River Mersey in Liverpool and can be booked overnight. The sub is painted like the album cover, so it provides a cool backdrop for photos even if you have other hotel plans. You can find it just off the Royal Albert Dock.

6. The Beatles Story

Another great Liverpool stop for Beatles fanatics is the museum that explores the mythical rise of the band. The exhibit there is the largest Beatles exhibit in the world — it even includes a special section on the group’s historic trip to India in 1968. The Beatles Story is an absolute must for fans.

London, England

Another must-stop spot for Beatles fans is the capital of the UK . Fans will find plenty to love in this area.

Wikimedia Commons ( CC BY-SA 3.0 )

7. Abbey Road

Perhaps the most iconic image of the Beatles is on the cover of the album Abbey Road . The image shows the band members striding across the crosswalk near the recording studio of the same name. Nowadays, fans can expect to wait in line to recreate the photo. Visitors should also check out the gate outside the studio — it’s covered in graffiti by other Beatles devotees and features song lyrics and more. Since Abbey Road Studios is still in operation, don’t expect to get inside. However, a small gift shop on the property is home to a variety of Beatles souvenirs and a large wall covered with the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover.

8. The British Library

The British Library is the largest library in the UK and houses some really cool Beatles memorabilia. Fans can view napkins with song lyrics on them from the early days when McCartney, Harrison, and Lennon would scribble ideas down on just about anything. There’s even an original Beatles fan club membership card. Admission to the library is free.

New York City, New York, United States

John Zacherle / Shutterstock

9. Strawberry Fields

Located in New York City’s famous Central Park , Strawberry Fields is one of the more somber stops on a Beatles tour. Named for the group’s popular song, this 2.5-acre garden serves as a memorial to Lennon. It is internationally recognized as a garden of peace.

10. The Dakota

Many Beatles lovers will recognize the name of the apartment building that Lennon and Yoko Ono were living in at the time of Lennon’s murder. In fact, Lennon was shot just outside the building in New York City’s Upper West Side. Today, visitors can see the exterior of the building. The Dakota, conveniently located near the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park, can be found at 1 West 72nd Street.

Wikimedia Commons ( CC BY SA 4.0 )

Rishikesh, India

11. chaurasi kutia ashram.

In 1968, the Fab Four embarked on a meditation-focused trip to an ashram in northern India. The trip sparked international fervor and was widely covered by the press. McCartney and Starr didn’t stay long, but Harrison and Lennon called the ashram home for many weeks. The ashram will eventually be converted into a museum that commemorates the time the band spent there. Until then, fans can hire a local guide to escort them to the property. Inside awaits some beautiful murals and graffiti dedicated to the band. Visitors can also view the meditation huts and infrastructure of the now-unused ashram.

Wikimedia Commons ( CC0 1.0 )

Amsterdam, Netherlands

12. hilton amsterdam.

This hotel gained international recognition due to a unique 1969 event. That year, following their wedding, Lennon and Ono spent their honeymoon in bed in the hotel to raise awareness for world peace and protest the Vietnam War. It became known as a “bed-in,” similar to the “sit-ins” of the Civil Rights Movement. Visitors can now stay in the same suite the couple did (room 702).

There’s so much around the world for Beatles fans to experience. From the moving memorial in New York to the famous ashram in India, these sites won’t disappoint.

Katy is a freelance food, business, and travel writer currently based in Omaha, Nebraska. Her passions include spending time at the lake, cooking, traveling, reading, brunching, and thrifting. Besides Travel Awaits, she has contributed to Greatist , Matador Network , Chilled Magazine , Business Insider , Popular Science , Crunchbase News , and many other print and digital publications.

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James Beaty: OPINION: RAMBLIN' REWIND: The Beatles: New film ready to show them 'Getting Back' (copy)

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Jun. 22—EDITOR'S NOTE — Former Managing Editor James Beaty died May 12, 2024. Over the next few months, the McAlester News-Capital is rerunning some of his more memorable Ramblin' Round columns. This first published June 2021.

The Beatles are not going to let it be.

At least Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving Beatles are not. Neither are Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono, the spouses of George Harrison and John Lennon — and that's a good thing for music fans.

They've all on board for the release of a new film "The Beatles: Get Back," directed by Academy Award-winner Peter Jackson , whose previous works include "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy: and "The Hobbit."

Jackson has been working from 60 hours of footage originally shot by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, from which Lindsay-Hogg put together The Beatles' 1970 documentary film, "Let It Be."

Fans of the group were disappointed last year when the planned theatrical release of the "The Beatles: Get Back" ended up being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Producers scheduled a new theatrical release date set for Aug. 17, 2021.

Now, that's apparently been put on hold, because Disney+ and Apple Corps, along with WingNut Film Productions, issued a joint statement June 17 saying "The Beatles:Get Back" is now set to air over three days — Nov. 25, 26 and 27 — on Disney+. Yep, that's the Thanksgiving weekend.

While the bad news for Beatles fans is another delay, the good news is there will be a lot more to see. Each of the three airing dates is set to feature separate two-hour long episodes, with end result being a film that's six hours long — obviously much longer than would have been screened in a movie theater in August.

While the 1970 film captured footage of the band playing together and recording in the studio, it also had a lot with doing away with The Beatles' sunny image at the time, showing them sniping and arguing among themselves in the studio.

During the "Let It Be" sessions, things got so intense both Starr and Harrison separately stepped away from the sessions for a time, although they both later returned.

One of the segments I most remember is when McCartney wanted Harrison to play a lead guitar part a certain way, not liking the fills Harrison was adding to the song, now thought to be "Two Of Us" — although from the film it appears it could be "I've Got a Feeling."

Harrison replied sarcastically (or maybe diplomatically) with: "I'll play anything you want me to play, or I won't play at all if you don't want me to. Whatever it is that would please you, I will do it."

Shot inside what like like a darkened studio, the scene kind of set the ambiance of the film. Apparently, The Beatles weren't fans. It was briefly available for home viewing in a few formats before being pulled in the 1980s, and never being re-released. The Beatles have never authorized any more releases of the movie, in any format.

Which is why Beatles fans are so looking forward to the release of "The Beatles: Get Back." Apparently Peter Jackson, in his eagerly-anticipated version, chose much different scenes among the 60 hours of available footage.

Now, what is called a "sneak peak" of "The Beatles: Get Back" shows the lads having a ball in the studio, joking and clowning, not only with each other, but with whoever else happened to be around as well. Check out a preview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UocEGvQ10OE .

It also shows the band recording songs, with lots of interplay with each other. Due to modern technology, the new film has a much more vibrant look.

The best thing about the original "Let It Be" movie had been The Beatles famed final performance as a band, when they went outside on the roof of a building on London's Saville Row to play their famed rooftop performance, drawing crowds on onlookers — or onlisteners — who heard the band from the streets and sidewalks below.

It lasted until some London bobbies — aka the police — went to the rooftop and pulled the plug. The new movie promises to show the London Rooftop performance in its entirety, including some never-before-seen scenes.

"Let It Be," the 1970 movie had a running time of 80 minutes, while "The Beatles" Get Back" will have a total running time of 360 minutes over the three episodes set for airing.

On a related musical note, ask any rock music fan about The Beatles last album and you might get two different answers — and they could both be right.

That's because "Abbey Road" is the last studio album The Beatles recorded — but "Let It Be" is the last studio album the group released. Among most fans and critics, "Abbey Road" is considered one of the enduring band's masterpieces, a fitting swan song for the group that many still consider the greatest rock band of all time — even though fans of others groups such as the Rolling Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin or dozens of other groups may differ.

At the time of its original release however, the album "Let It Be" — while containing some great songs, such as "Let It Be," Get Back," "The Long and Winding Road," "Across the Universe and "Two of Us" — was largely seen on the whole as a less-than-fitting end for The Beatles. Instead of a mood-sustaining album, like some of The Beatles' other works — it sounded more like a hodge podge collection of songs. Two of the tracks, "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae," are only 50 and 40 seconds long, respectively.

Much of the blame went to producer Phil Spector — yes, that Phil Spector — who massively overproduced some parts of the album, while underproducing others.

He nearly overwhelmed McCartney's song "The Long and Winding Road" with a heavenly-sounding background choir and slick orchestrations without McCartney's knowledge or permission. He even dropped Lennon's song "Don't Let Me Down" from the album in favor of another track.

McCartney finally won a rerelease of the album in 2003 with all of Spector's overproduction embellishments stripped away, fittingly titled "Let It Be... Naked."

Many listeners believe it helped in setting a clearer record of what The Beatles were doing in the studio than did the original "Let It Be" album.

Here's hoping "The Beatles: Get Back" film will have a similar result when compared with the "Let It Be" movie — and we can watch The Beatles get back to where they once belonged.

Contact James Beaty at [email protected] .

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The Beatles LOVE

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Watch awe-inspiring show footage and behind-the-scenes videos on our CirqueConnect content hub!

What is The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil about?

The Beatles LOVE pays tribute to the band's artistic achievements, using real and fictional characters to explore the song's themes. The Beatles LOVE features several scenes inspired by the poetry of the song's lyrics with 60 performers who excel in aerial performances, extreme sports, and urban and freestyle dance.

Experience The Beatles LOVE today! The Beatles LOVE is one of our six incredible shows playing in Las Vegas .

Experience the Fab Four like you never have before! LOVE reimagines the music and history of The Beatles, taking you from the high energy shows at The Cavern all the way to the final moments of the Rooftop show in a way that only Cirque du Soleil could.

Someone, anyone, help them get their feet back on the ground! Acrobatic skaters fly through the sky to the jangly guitar and soaring harmonies of the classic 1965 track Help!.

Visit an Octopus's Garden! Stunning costumes and engrossing projection transport you deep beneath the sea, an aquatic playground full of bioluminescent jellyfish, seaweed and mermaids. Ringo’s iconic track is brought to life; take a trip you will never forget!

Embrace the warmth and beauty of nature; Here comes the sun! Elegantly dangling from ropes, circus artists glide through the air to George Harrison’s timeless song about hope, renewal, and the positives of change. Just try to make it through this act without singing along!

Inspired by the counterculture movement of the 60’s and swinging London, the costumes of LOVE capture a specific time and place in which The Beatles started to experiment and redefine popular music. Embark on a Magical Mystery Tour through the style and sounds of the 60’s!

You know them, you love them; It’s Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band! Sit Back and Let the Evening Go as the stage erupts in a celebration of The Beatles 1967 psychedelic pop magnum opus.

The chorus to Yesterday infamously came to Paul McCartney in a dream; enter a dreamscape where melancholic aerial acrobats explore the idea of loss, love, and rebirth to the tune of one of the most beloved songs of all time!

The vibrant psychedelia of The Beatles late 60’s output explodes on the stage. Take a tour through Strawberry Fields, as strange characters blow bubbles, drink tea, and show you all the weirdness that life has to offer. Just remember; in Strawberry Fields, nothing is real!

All You Need Is LOVE!

A rooftop concert reimagined.

Acrobatic skaters soar through the sky

Aquatic animals fill the air

Graceful aerialists soar to new heights

Characters and lyrics come to life

Confetti rains over the stage

Do you believe in Yesterday?

A wonderland of bubbles

Practical Info

What is the beatles love.

Set to an iconic soundtrack, The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil is a multi-sensory journey. The three-time Grammy winning soundscape sets the backdrop for thrilling aerial acrobatics, daring trampoline & roller skate acts, and much more. Discover the psychedelic, captivating, immersive, and technological wonder that has excited and delighted more than 10 million guests. This theatre-in-the-round spectacle continues to be one of the most celebrated shows in the world.

How long is The Beatles LOVE?

The Beatles LOVE is 90 minutes long without intermission.

Where can I see The Beatles LOVE?

The Beatles LOVE is presented at The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

When is The Beatles LOVE closing?

The show will conclude its historic Las Vegas run on July 6, 2024.

Are there any age restrictions for The Beatles LOVE?

Children under the age of five (5) years are not permitted into The Beatles LOVE Theatre. Guests under the age of eighteen (18) years must be accompanied by an adult.

Will there be The Beatles LOVE merchandise available?

Official memorabilia/merchandise may be available at The Beatles Shop in the Mirage Hotel and Casino – opened daily. We also invite you to visit  https://www.thebeatles.com/products

How can I meet the artists of The Beatles LOVE?

Guests of our TOAST TO LOVE VIP Experience enjoy a meet & greet and professional photo with The Beatles LOVE artists before the show. This would be the only opportunity to meet with artists.

Is there a VIP Experience option for The Beatles LOVE?

The TOAST TO LOVE VIP Experience is now available and on sale. For tickets please click here .

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Getting MBEs

"I liked Sgt Pepper when it was finished. I knew it was different for the public, and I was very happy with the concept of the cover. 'A Day In The Life' had the big orchestra and the big piano chord, and 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' I liked musically."

"That was the thing about The Beatles: they never stuck to one style. They never did just blues, or just rock. We loved all music.”

"The Our World broadcast was great, going out to hundreds of millions of people around the world. It was the first worldwide satellite broadcast ever. It's a standard thing that people do now; but then, when we did it, it was a first. That was exicting; we were doing a lot of firsts. They were exciting times."

Another quote

"He dedicated so much of his life to The Beatles. We liked and loved him. He was one of us. There is no such thing as death. It is a comfort to us all to know that he is OK."

"Well that was just fun and you know there were plenty of people who made documentaries of all students who'd made films and I think we just saw ourselves in that kind of light, yeah you know let's just make a kind of artsy film."

"Magical Mystery Tour is one of my favourite albums, because it was so weird. 'I Am The Walrus' is also one of my favourite tracks - because I did it, of course, but also because it's one of those that has enough little bitties going to keep you interested even a hundred years later."

"it was basically a charabanc trip, which people used to go on to see the blackpool lights - they'd get loads of crates of beer and all get pissed (in the english sense). it was very flimsy and we had no idea what we were doing. at least i didn't. i had no idea what was happening." - george, "magical mystery tour was paul's idea. it was a good way to work. paul had a great piece of paper - just a blank piece of white paper with a circle on it. the plan was: 'we start here - and we've got to do something here...' we filled it in as we went along." - ringo.

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Tourists pose for a photo on the iconic zebra crossing near Abbey Road Studios.

The ultimate itinerary for Beatles fans

Take a musical pilgrimage from London to Liverpool to New York.

The epiphany that I was a Beatles fan came in my early teens, and it was like experiencing one’s first heady taste of ale—I just knew this was something special. Considering I was born three weeks after the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band —the album that changed the sound of pop music—and three weeks before the launch of “All You Need Is Love,” it seems I was destined to be a diehard Beatles fan.

When John Lennon was shot I wrote a condolence letter to his widow Yoko Ono, spending all my pocket money on the postage from Sweden to New York ; a decade later Paul McCartney played nearby where I lived in Gothenburg, so I volunteered to work at the arena just to get a chance to say “Hello, Goodbye.” When I traveled through India I always thought of George Harrison, a fellow Indophile like myself. I even heard a story from an old hippie in Goa who claimed to have crossed paths with Ringo Starr. They became like my extended family. So, it followed that I should travel with them when I went on my first visit to England.

A stroll down Abbey Road

Topmost on my agenda when I arrived in London was to take the underground to the neat, and outlying Saint John’s Wood . It isn’t named after Lennon, but the station boasts a Beatles-inspired coffee shop, selling the essential “I crossed Abbey Road” badge. Down the road is the legendary Abbey Road Studios , where the Beatles cut many hits, as did icons such as Pink Floyd, Queen, and U2.

But I didn’t see any popstars step out humming a hit, and truth be told it was a fairly anonymous dirty-white building, which was a bit of a let-down. However, the main draw was in front of the studios: to my knowledge, the only zebra crossing that has been bestowed a heritage monument status. Once the tourists in front of me finished taking selfies, I tap danced across like a Beatle gone solo, dodging cars in the manner of a second-rate bullfighter, realizing it would’ve been better to come on a Sunday when London settles down.

Afterwards, I took the tube to Baker Street , and headed to the London Beatles Store souvenir shop—advertising its opening hours as “Eight Days a Week.” Incidentally, in the late 1960s the Beatles themselves ran their own trendy, yet short-lived, Apple Store at 94 Baker Street when they diversified into design, but the venture was a commercial failure.

A visitor takes a photograph of Abbey Road Studios in London, where the Beatles recorded several hit songs.

A graffiti-covered wall near Abbey Road Studios pays homage to the Beatles.

Magical mystery tour

My next destination was the Marylebone station around the corner from Baker Street, which features in the opening sequence of the 1964 movie, A Hard Day’s Night . It was also where Liverpool trains terminated, making it the Beatles’ entry point to London. As I walked about, I got the feeling that almost every other building had something to do with them. Not far from the station, Starr rented an apartment at 34 Montagu Square , where Yoko Ono and Lennon lived one summer. The blue heritage placard sits high up on the wall so that no souvenir-hunter can nick the marker of the abode where the nude cover photo for Lennon’s first solo album Two Virgins (1968) was made.

The headquarters of Apple Records, the label they started at 3 Savile Row , is long gone, yet I wasn’t the only fan gawking at the rooftop. It was there the concert movie Let It Be was filmed during the Beatles’ last public performance on a cold January day in 1969. The spectacle irritated neighbors so much that they called the bobbies, who ended the historical event unceremoniously. But at least they won an Academy Award for best original soundtrack.

While both Lennon and Harrison have moved on to the big studio in the sky, one might spot Sir McCartney outside his offices in Soho Square . It’s a discreet building, but keep an eye out for the “mpl” over the glass doors (McCartney Productions Limited), the company that holds his copyrights. I also sauntered past 7 Cavendish Avenue , where Macca has lived since the 1960s, with high hopes he might step out for a quick puff of his once-preferred herb. And, of course, I tracked down the address where actress Jane Asher used to live, whom McCartney dated before marrying Linda Eastman. Once when he slept over at her place on 57 Wimpole Street , he woke up ravenous and came up with a song called Scrambled Eggs . The melody was great but the lyrics needed an overhaul, so he rewrote it as Yesterday —which remains one of the most covered songs in the world.

I didn’t have time to go to the British Library , where Lennon’s handwritten lyrics for Strawberry Fields Forever are on display, nor the rock and roll museum at the Old Park Lane branch of Hard Rock Cafe that preserves Lennon’s specs—Liverpool beckoned. As I squinted out at the foggy British landscape from the coach window, I thought back on my years of Beatlemania.

Related: your London photos

Across the universe

One of its most extreme moments was in Athens , Greece, where I found the band’s sandal maker near Monastiraki Square and bought exactly the same footwear that Lennon had (I even wore them as I wrote this piece). On my first trip to India in the early 1990s, I immediately checked out the Rikhi Ram & Sons shop at Connaught Place, Delhi, where Harrison bought a sitar, sarod, and tanpura to use on Beatles’ recordings, before I headed to Rishikesh where they meditated in 1968. In Mumbai, I snuck into the Taj Mahal Palace hotel where, in 1966, Harrison took sitar classes from Ravi Shankar. The hotel has since renamed his room “The Ravi Shankar Suite,” though before I could get a peek inside the security promptly threw me out as I was dressed too much like a hippie Beatle myself. On that trip, Harrison also visited the actual Taj Mahal in Agra to take an iconic selfie.

On my maiden U.S. trip, later in the 1990s, I made sure to land at JFK. rather than Newark because that was where the four first set their eight feet on American soil in 1964 and went on to hold a hilarious airport press conference. Their U.S. debut concert was at Carnegie Hall , followed by a TV broadcast from the Ed Sullivan Theater on 1697 Broadway, watched by one quarter of the American population. I certainly went to Madison Square Garden , where Lennon performed live for the last time ever in 1974 (in a concert with Elton John). My NYC walk ended at 72nd Street, at the corner of Central Park West, where he used to live in an apartment building among celebrity neighbors, such as actress Lauren Bacall and composer Leonard Bernstein. It was at the entrance that Lennon was shot by a troubled fan as he returned from a late-night studio session. The three-acre Strawberry Fields memorial garden, nearby in Central Park, pays tribute to the musician.

All you need is Liverpool

Happier days awaited in Liverpool, so I took a bus to the Woolton suburb riddled with places reminiscent of the Beatles. On 251 Menlove Avenue, I tracked down Lennon’s childhood home, Mendips —a 1930s, semi-detached villa now owned by the U.K.’s National Trust. As a child, he played guitar on the porch and amused himself at the nearby Strawberry Field orphanage. The McCartney family home on 20 Forthlin Road is also managed by the trust. Other hotspots include Penny Lane and the parish church where Lennon–McCartney originally teamed up in 1957 (and where a woman named Eleanor Rigby lies buried).

I left the quiet neighborhood and headed to where the pre-Beatlemania action actually happened—downtown Liverpool. The harbor town has certainly capitalized on its Beatles connection with Magical Mystery bus tours and the Hard Day’s Night Hotel ; additional sites include include a fancy replica of the Cavern Club (the original was demolished).

I opted to down a pint at the not-so-glamorous Jacaranda on Slater Street, where they performed before their breakthrough—in the crammed basement there are murals painted by the the Beatles’ original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. One profile on the wall looked like Lennon’s face. In fact, I drank at every pub with the slightest association with them: The Grapes on Mathew Street, where they had pints before heading to the Cavern Club; Ye Cracke on Rice Street is where Lennon and Cynthia (his first wife-to-be) had their first date; The Pilgrim on Pilgrim Street is famous for some Beatle thing or another; and Philharmonic on Hope Street was the snazziest of their local hangouts.

These pubs, which seem to have remained unchanged throughout the ages, brought me closer to them than the official Beatlemania tourism industry did—the only drawback is that a diehard fan doing all the Beatles-pubs needs a bladder the size of Liverpool’s harbor.

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The 35 Best Books About Time Travel

Here's what to read after you finish Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

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Gabaldon first published Outlander —the book that would eventually inspire the television series starring Caitriona Balfe as Claire and Sam Heughan as Jamie —in 1991, and the ninth novel in the series, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone , came out in November 2021.

With the first part of the seventh season of Outlander all out now, it's the perfect time (ha) to dive into time travel books. From time traveling romance to alternate realities to murder mysteries, there's something for everyone here.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Any list about time travel books must begin with The Time Traveler's Wife , right? This bestselling novel tells the love story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who inadvertently travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Plot sound familiar? The book was adapted into a 2009 film starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, and a 2022 TV show starring Theo James and Rose Leslie .

Read more: 20 of the best Time Travel Films Ever Made

A Murder in Time

Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI, until one disastrous raid when half her team is murdered and a mole in the FBI is uncovered. After she recovers from her wounds, she's determined to find the man responsible for the death of her team—yet upon her arrival in England, she stumbles back in time to 1815. Mistaken for a lady's maid, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the period as she figures out how to get back to her own timeline. There are five books in the Kendra Donovan series , so if you love a time travel mystery, don't miss these.

Author Octavia Butler is a queen of science fiction, and Kindred is her bestselling novel about time travel. In it, she tells the story of Dana, a Black woman, who is celebrating her 26th birthday in 1976. Abruptly, she's transported back to Maryland, circa 1815, where she's on a plantation and has to save Rufus, the white son of the plantation owner. It's not just a time travel book, but one that expertly weaves in narratives of enslaved people and explores the Antebellum South.

Faye, Faraway

Diana Gabaldon herself called Faye, Faraway "a lovely, deeply moving story of loss and love and memory made real , " so you know it's going to be good. The plot focuses on Faye, a mother of two, who lost her own mother, Jeanie, when she was just 8 years old. When Faye suddenly finds herself transported back in time, she befriends her mother—but doesn't let on who she really is. Eventually, she has to choose between her past and her future.

The Eyre Affair

In this version of Great Britain circa 1985, time travel is routine. Our protagonist is Thursday Next, a literary detective, who is placed on a case when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë's novel.

Bonus: The Eyre Affair is the first in a seven book series following Thursday.

The River of No Return: A Novel

Lord Nicholas Davenant is about to die in the Napoleonic Wars in 1812, and wakes up 200 years later. But he longs to return back in time to his love, Julia. When he arrives in modern society, a mysterious organization called the Guild tells him "there is no return," until one day, they summon him to London and he learns it's possible to travel back through time. A spy thriller that's also historical romance that's also time travel... Say less.

One Last Stop

Casey McQuiston's second novel ( following Red, White, and Royal blue, which is going to be a major motion picture this summer ) is a queer time-loop romance set on the Q train in New York City, and it's riveting. August is 23, working at a 24-hour diner, and meets a gorgeous, charming girl on the train: Jane. But she can't seem to meet up with her off the Q train—until they figure out Jane is stuck in time from the 1970s. How did she travel through time? Can August get Jane unstuck? Will they live happily ever after!? The questions abound.

What the Wind Knows

Anne Gallagher grew up hearing her grandfather’s stories of Ireland. When she returns to the country to spread his ashes, she is transported back in time to 1921—and is drawn into the struggle for Irish independence. There, she meets Dr. Thomas Smith, and must decide whether or not she should return to her own timeline or stay in the past. As one reviewer wrote on Amazon, What the Wind Knows is a "spectacular time travel journey filled with love and loss."

The Midnight Library: A Novel

Imagine a library with an infinite number of books—each containing an alternate reality about your life. That's the plot of The Midnight Library , where our protagonist Nora Seed enters different versions of her life. She undoes old breakups, follows her dream of becoming a glaciologist, and so much more—but what happens to her original life?

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.: A Novel

In this novel from Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland, magic existed—until 1851. A secret government organization, the Department of Diachronic Operations (or D.O.D.O. for short), is dedicated to bringing magic back, and its members will travel through time to change history to do so. As Kirkus Reviews wrote , the novel "blend[s] time travel with Bourne-worthy skulduggery." It's a delight for any fans of science fiction, with a slow burn romance between military intelligence operator Tristan Lyons and linguist Melisande Stokes.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

Cowritten by two beloved and award-winning sci-fi writers, this epistolary romantic novel tells the story of two time-traveling rivals who fall in love. Agents Red and Blue travel back and forth throughout time, trying to alter universes on behalf of their warring empires—and start to leave each other messages. The messages begin taunting but soon turn flirtatious—and when Red's commander discovers her affection for Blue, they soon embark down a timeline they can't change.

The House on the Strand

Set at an ancient Cornish house called Kilmarth, where Daphne du Maurier lived from 1967, The House on the Strand story follows Dick Young, who has been offered use of Kilmarth by an old college friend, Magnus Lane. Magnus, a biophysicist, is developing a drug that enables people to travel back to the 14th century, and Dick reluctantly agrees to be a test subject. The catch: If you touch anyone, you're transported back to the present. As the story goes on, Dick's visits back to the 1300s become more frequent, and his life back in the modern world becomes unstable.

The Kingdoms

It’s 1898 and there’s a man named Joe, who lives in London, which is, in this alternate historical, a part of the French Empire as in this version of the past, Britain lost the Napoleonic Wars. Joe has gotten off a train from Scotland and cannot remember anything about who he is or where he’s from. He soon returns to his work, and after a few years, he is sent to repair a lighthouse in Eilean Mor in the Outer Hebrides. Joe then finds himself a century earlier, on a British boat with a mysterious captain, fighting the French and hoping for a future that is different than the one he came from. If you're into time travel and queer romance and alternate history, this is for you.

The Future of Another Timeline

In 1992, 17-year-old Beth agrees to help hide the dead body of her friend's abusive boyfriend. The murder sets Beth and her friends on "a path of escalating violence and vengeance" to protect other young women. In 2022, Tess decides to use time travel to fight for change around key moments in history. When Tess believes she's found a way to make an edit to history that actually sticks, she encounters a group of time travelers bent on stopping her at any cost. Tess and Beth's lives intertwine, and war breaks out across the timeline.

Shadow of Night

The sequel to A Discovery of Witches , the plot of Shadow of Night picks up right where the story left off: With Matthew, a vampire, and Diana, a witch, traveling back in time to Elizabethan London to search for an enchanted manuscript. You really need to read the first book before reading Shadow of Night , but the series by Deborah Harkness is a swoony magical romance.

And: It's now a TV show! ( Season one is streaming on Amazon Prime Video .)

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

In The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, the same day happens again and again. Each day, Evelyn Hardcastle is murdered at 11:00 p.m at Blackheath. And each day, our protagonist Aiden Bishop wakes up in the body of a different witness—and tries to solve her murder. He only has eight days, and it's a race against time to solve Evelyn's murder and to escape the time loop.

Recursion: A Novel

In 2018 New York City, detective Barry Sutton fails to talk Ann out of jumping off a building. But before Ann falls to her death, she tells him she is suffering from False Memory Syndrome—a new neurological disease where people are afflicted with memories of lives they never lived. The dissonance between their present and these memories drives them to death. This is best read unspoiled, but it's undoubtedly a time travel story you haven't read before.

On the eve of her wedding day, Shay Garrett looks into her grandmother's antique mirror and faints. When she wakes up, she's in the same house—but in the body of her grandmother, Brandy, as a young woman in 1900. And Brandy awakens in Shay's body in the present day in 1978. It's like Freaky Friday , but with time travel to the Victorian era.

Here and Now and Then

Kin Stewart is a time traveler from 2142, stuck in 1990s suburban San Francisco. A rescue team arrives to bring Kin back to his timeline—but 18 years too late. Does Kin stay with his "new" family, and the life he's built for himself in San Francisco, or does he return to his original timeline? He's stuck between two families—and ultimately, this is a time travel tale about fatherhood.

A Knight in Shining Armor

Originally published in 1989, this romance novel features a present-day heroine and a knight from the 16th century who fall in love. Per the book's description: "Abandoned by a cruel fate, lovely Dougless Montgomery lies weeping upon a cold tombstone in an English church. Suddenly, the most extraordinary man appears. It is Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck…and according to his tombstone he died in 1564. Drawn to his side by a bond so sudden and compelling it overshadows reason, Dougless knows that Nicholas is nothing less than a miracle: a man who does not seek to change her, who finds her perfect, fascinating, just as she is. What Dougless never imagined was how strong the chains are that tie them to the past…or the grand adventure that lay before them."

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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