Give Me Love

The Ed Sullivan Show, Feb. 9, 1964: Yes of No?

The snow stung my hands as I rushed home to my apartment. Running down streets of New York City, I kept on thinking about that band who was playing tonight... and wondering why there was an unexpected absence of street life at 7:30 this evening. Even the homeless were strangely lacking on the street corners.

Arriving at the apartment building, I stumbled in and was instantly greeted by a sudden wind of heat. It burned my face, my hands... great balls of fire, as I rushed to the elevator to take me up to the fifth floor and to the thrilling glow of the little black and white TV I bought a few years ago. I stood impatiently awaiting the freaking...hmm...thing(there we go) and humming Bob Dylan hoping to god that it would come. After a minute, which felt like a year, I cursed it and headed for the stairs only to have the damn elevator come back when I took my first step up the stairs. I hate elevators! I ran back and jumped on, pressing the button to my floor and went up.

Coming upon my door, I patted myself down trying to find my key then shoved it in the key hole and hurried in locking the door behind me. I had some time before Ed Sullivan came on so I turned on the television and attempted to scrounge up some dinner, only to come up with cereal and a little wine. What a combination. It was a little after 8:00 PM when I heard Ed Sullivan try to hush the crowd and I realized they were going to be on soon. I crash landed on the couch and sat up, intently listening to him introduce them. Then it happened. "Ladies and gentleman... The Beatles!" The camera switched to four lads in suits with long hair, as they launched into their first song.

"Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true," the bass player sang. I think his name is Paul.

They were captivating me in a way I never knew possible. They were like nothing I have ever seen before. They were different, their music, their hair, everything. The screams they were getting, the tears, all from the girls in the audience was crazy. How do they do it? It's amazing.

"And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you..."

I still haven't blinked though it has been about five minutes, my elbows dug into my thighs as I kept myself propped up on my hands, but I just wouldn't let myself move for fear of missing something. They had finished and moved on to "Till There Was You". After a little bit their names flashed across the screen. Paul McCartney. George Harrison. Ringo Starr. John Lennon (Sorry girls he's married). I couldn't help but laugh when John's name came on the screen. They finished the song soon after so I quickly got up to grab a bottle of Coke.

When The Beatles finished up the first part of their performance, I stayed put for another minute just to make sure they were done for now. Satisfied, I collapsed and blinked my eyes for the next three minutes and flapped my arms like an idiot. Every blink created a drop more of tears, each fighting to wet my eyes. Some fought harder and won, pushing others out of the way which fell down my face and stung my cheeks. I got up and grabbed another bottle of Coke and my guitar. I dug through some papers till I found my lyrics notebook. I read over what I had and started strumming, singing what I had without giving a hell if my neighbors complained.
"Singing in the summer time
Dancing on the beach at night with you
And only you
Cuz I love you"
I looked up to see if The Beatles were back on but they weren't. Just Frank Gorshin. I stared down at the music before me trying to come up with the next lyric but, no luck. I bent over to grab my cigarettes, gently laid one on my lips, and struck a match. I leaned back and looked out the window, lazily picking the strings. I decided yesterday that I needed a break from New York and I was going to catch a flight to Miami in a couple days. I love it here but each day is starting to drag and I'm dying from boredom. Besides that nothing really seems interesting here anymore. I looked up to see McCall and Brill. I glanced out the window and scratched some words on my paper and sung it to my self.
"Walking hand in hand
On a autumn evening with you
And the breeze that blows against us"
My eyes shot up to the screen upon hearing The Beatles and set aside my guitar. Their next few songs were just amazing. There aren't any words to describe it. I just couldn't understand what was happening. All I knew was they were saving us... the young people. Four guys who appeared to be in their early twenties like I am...saving us. Giving us a new generation of rock. They played something called I Want To Hold Your Hand and I almost fell forward when I heard it. I swear it was perfect. I promised myself right then that I would learn how to play the songs they played on The Ed Sullivan Show. How could I not?

The program finished up a bit later and I got up to turn it off once the commercials began. I started walking to my room, unbuttoning my shirt as I went... and whistling I Want To Hold Your Hand, praying that I could get a hold of a copy when I got to the shop in the morning. I shut off the light and kicked the door closed.