18 June 2022

Welcome to Saturday 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Yesterday (1965)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

Chosen because June 18 is Paul McCartney's 80th birthday.

1) Paul McCartney sings that yesterday all his troubles seemed so far away. Can you recall a time when your life seemed carefree?
The 50s ... the years when I was in high school.

2) He has always insisted the melody to "Yesterday" came to him in a dream. Did you dream last night?
I can't remember it exactly but came out of the book that I am currently reading about a father's search for his drug-addicted daughter.

3) The lyrics were inspired, in part, by the death of Paul's mother when he was 14. Thirteen years later, he named his daughter Mary after her. Are you named after anyone? If you're a parent, did you name your children in honor of anyone?
My aunt's name was Barbara Beverly, and I am named for her.
Our daughter Jerilyn was named for her godmother; Ned was named for our friend Ed Andrews (a Benedictine priest), Paul's middle name was Joseph, for Fr. Joseph Quinn at Newman Hall at UC Berkeley, Tom's middle name is Kirk, for my mother's family (Kirkpatrick) and David's middle name is Norman, for Walt's brother.

4) Over the years, Paul has performed on bass, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and drums, but not the first instrument he owned: the trumpet. A present from his dad for his 14th birthday, he exchanged the trumpet for a guitar because, "you can't sing while playing the trumpet." Have you more recently a) exchanged a gift, b) donated a gift you didn't want to charity or c) regifted?
A strange selection of choices.  I don't believe I;ve done any of them.

5) Paul grew up seeing how much his dad enjoyed placing a bet and then listening to the horse race from his favorite armchair in the living room, so he took his salary from making the film A Hard Day's Night and surprised his father with a racehorse. After father and son proudly watched Drake's Drum win at Liverpool's Aintree Racecourse, the horse retired to Paul's farm in Scotland. If money were no object, what gift would you give a loved one?
I'd give Jeri and Tom money to help pay off their houses, and Ned and I would figure out what he needs me to give him.

6) Paul is considered one of the world's wealthiest entertainers, worth an estimated $1.2 billion. This month, as he approaches his 80th birthday, he is winding up a 16-city North American tour, during which he performs 30+ songs in a 2 hour, 40 minute show. If you had all the money you needed, would you continue to work? Or would you kick back and relax?
Heck, I kick back and relax now and can always use more money.

7) Paul first joined the Beatles when he was recruited into the band by John Lennon. They met as teenagers when Paul showed up at a church picnic where John's band was performing. Paul recalls pedaling over on his bike to hear them, his guitar flung over this back. When did you most recently ride a bike?
2003, in Australia, once.  It was after my bike accident and I wanted to see if I could ride, and I could, but I haven't ridden since because my bike was stolen and I didn't think I would ride as much as I used to because of residual post-accident pains.

8) Paul met his first wife, Linda, at a London club and then again four days later when she was a photographer at a press party for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. Think about one of your romances. Where did you meet?
Walt and I met through the Newman Club at UC Berkeley, but neither of us remembers our first meeting.

9) TV journalist Barbara Walters played matchmaker for Paul and his current wife, Nancy. During the summer of 2007, when Paul was vacationing in The Hamptons, Barbara repeatedly and intentionally invited them to the same parties and picnics. Have you had any success in a matchmaking scenario -- as either the matchmaker or one of the dates?
No to both questions.