The interpretive principle of authorial intent is useful in its place, but when it is promoted as the sole criterion of truth, it is flawed. It might surprise you to know that Catholics don’t necessarily think this way, at least not exclusively. If the author is not alive, the task is to infer, based on historical circumstances, what he most likely had in mind.Īs I said, this picture is compelling because it is so deceptively simple. If the author is alive, all one needs to do is ask him what he was thinking when he wrote it. The Cartesian influence in the history of ideas led directly and indirectly to the modern principle of text interpretation that the meaning of a text is the author’s psychological intention. Here was vintage Cartesian error, from the deceptively simple mental model of Rene Descartes. I asked myself, is that a sufficient reason to say the song is not about the Virgin Mary? The author had spoken, so the case is closed? In this logic, I spotted a style of reasoning that I was taught to treat with suspicion, thanks to my Catholic education. Those words gave me a moment of clarity that I will never forget. It is not about the Virgin Mary because the author said it was about something else. The guys I argued with said that settled it. The received view is the one I related earlier, that Paul McCartney himself had cleared the matter up. I once took part in a discussion on the Internet in which I attempted to defend this view. Yes, the song is absolutely about the Virgin Mary. The Blessed Mother knows this more than anyone does. There is universality in McCartney’s longing for the answer to suffering. Do you believe the song Let it Be is not manifestly about the Virgin Mary? The words tell us about the hour of darkness, a broken hearted world, an eternal light, and an eternal life giving wisdom. This is more of a reflection of how volatile the 1960s were than anything to do with the Beatles. Lennon should not have said it, but the lesson had been learned, Paul McCartney was understandably wary of making any reference to religion. The Jesus comment sparked record burnings and death threats, all the things that Christians should not have been involved in. He later affirmed that in his view, “the Beatles were just four guys who formed a band, and made it very, very big, that’s all.” What in the world are they doing trying to find it in a little guitar band? He was right. I think he was trying to say, look at these kids, they’re insane, they’re looking for meaning. You must understand that during the 1960s, John Lennon had told a reporter – as a fact, by the way – that the Beatles were probably more popular than Jesus was.
One night, Paul’s mother Mary, who had passed away, appeared to him in a dream and comforted him, telling him to let go. However, he is always careful to say that the literal genesis of the song was a particular event: During the final days of the Beatles, their business was in chaos caused by a bitter management dispute, and the four guys who had been close friends for years were coming unglued. Is this song about the Virgin Mary? McCartney typically answers the question by assuring his fans that they can interpret the song however they would like. It gives me goose bumps to hear, every time.
Throughout the song, McCartney’s voice is vulnerable yet resolute. The take comes out very close to what the final take will sound like, as many of McCartney’s first takes do. The studio goes quiet, the light goes on, and the familiar piano chords commence. Unsurprisingly then, just seconds before the tape rolls on the first recording of Let it Be, you can hear John being naughty, trying to unnerve his friend, asking, “Are we supposed to giggle in the solo?” Paul replies without missing a beat, “Yeah.” Then he adds with affected braggadocio: “This’ll – this is gonna knock you out, boy.” McCartney knows a good song, and this was one of his best. Of course, many know that Paul McCartney and John Lennon had a friendly songwriting competition. A studio outtake reveals that the earliest version had a nearly-solemn quality.
One of the commonly asked questions of Sir Paul McCartney is whether his lovely song Let It Be is about the Virgin Mary.
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