Decca Records had the opportunity to sign The Beatles to a record contract after their January 1, 1962 audition, but decided against it because they believed guitar groups were on their way out. Among the fifteen songs they performed was Paul's teenage composition "Like Dreamers Do", a sweet melody about young love and possibility. Today we will look back at the days when John and Paul were learning to write songs.
Early in their career, The Beatles decided to write their own songs - a revolutionary concept at the time. In order to do that, they knew they had to perfect the craft of songwriting. That meant John and Paul spent countless hours sitting face-to-face and kneecap-to-kneecap learning to write songs.
Choosing to write their own songs was part artistic drive and part necessity. When they played in the clubs around Liverpool and Hamburg, they found that all the bands were playing the same songs. So, they started learning the “B” sides of popular songs to distinguish themselves. When the other bands started doing the same thing, they realized the only way to be different was to write their own songs.
Coming into an audition with original songs failed to impress the Decca decision-makers, but that did not deter John and Paul from continuing to hone their craft. When they finally got an audition with Parlophone (a subsidiary of EMI) six months later, they had more original songs to share. George Martin and the Parlophone crew were impressed enough to offer them a recording contract.
Ambition fueled by rejection became a catalyst for perfecting their songwriting skills. From “Like Dreamers Do” to “Let It Be” shows remarkable growth in a short period of time. Looking back on “Like Dreamers Do” is a great way to hear the seeds of greatness.
Today, I will reconnect with one youthful dream I abandoned and take one step toward making it real.
What impossible dream from your youth still whispers to you? How might pursuing it with grown-up determination change everything?
