Ringo Again

It seems to me that Ringo is underestimated and overlooked not only by fans but by the Beatles and their support people as well. I’m sure it began because Ringo had missed so much school and he certainly hadn’t been as much exposed to literature and ideas as even what George may have absorbed by being in a classroom. More important, Ringo simply isn’t the competitor the others are. While he clearly was as fast with a quip as the others, between being the newcomer and not needing to be in the spotlight he seems to have participated a lot less in their discussions. Then, too, I wouldn’t want to discuss philosophy, literature or things of that sort with John. I’ve known a number of quite intelligent people who just never needed to ask the sorts of questions philosophy doesn’t answer and I suspect that Ringo is simply one of them without being in the least simple.

Ringo seems to be and have been rather well in touch with himself and to be very intuitive. Reading Lewishon’s accounts of the first years recording sessions, I’m wondering if Ringo didn’t somehow have a lot to do with the ability to almost ‘read each others’ minds’ that they developed. When you listen to his drumming, just between his first session and the sessions for Meet The Beatles, the changes in the band as a whole seem to me to be inexplicable in terms of practice – besides the only practice they really got was on stage or just before recording! Whatever did it, the band was getting to that phenomenal point where they didn’t seem to be able to do anything wrong.

Ringo is the author of a number of lines upon which songs later hung. John was pleased to call them “Ringo’s malapropisms”. (“A Long Day’s Night” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” etc.) I’m not at all sure about that. They are too apt, too deep – I think he had a visceral understanding of the world we live in now where such statements might be made by Stephen Hawking. Do you suppose that he knew exactly what he was saying? I noted particularly his comment “you can’t try to be married, you just have to be married” as probably the best comment on an attempt at reconciliation I’ve ever heard. Not only are his news conference witticisms very apt, they also don’t put anyone down.