John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs

In June 1966, the Beatles began a global tour after finishing Revolver. The trip didn’t go well and inspired their decision to stop touring thereafter. In Germany, the fans were raucous. In Japan, the Beatles “were kept in virtual lockdown” at their hotel due to young fans’ enthusiasm and protesters’ violence (174). They were then pushed out of the Philippines after refusing an audience with the president and his wife.

Then, in an interview on the way to the US, John said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, inciting rage from conservative parties. Leslie quotes interviews with John and Paul surrounding this incident, where they try to dismiss the significance of John’s words.

When they returned from Los Angeles, the Beatles decided to take a break from touring. However, John and Paul continued songwriting. Their independent work created new trends in the industry. In particular, they allowed their vulnerability to show. “Strawberry Fields Forever” emerged during this era. Leslie analyzes the song and its significance to both John’s and Paul’s childhoods. Leslie holds that it validates poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s ideas about the human experience.