Some songs arrive as echoes across time, and “Now And Then” is one of them. Completed and released in 2023 from a late 1970s demo by John Lennon, it became the Beatles’ final song — a piece that carries the weight of absence, memory, and the unbreakable thread that still ties the four together.
At its center is Lennon’s voice: fragile, yearning, yet unmistakably his. Technology may have cleaned the recording, but the emotion remains raw. “Now and then, I miss you…” — the line feels both intimate and universal, a love song that also resonates as a lament for lost friendship, for time that can never be reclaimed.
Around John’s voice, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr add their own touches of love and loyalty. Paul’s harmonies rise gently, wrapping John in warmth, while his bass lines and acoustic guitar give the track its steady heart. Ringo’s drumming is understated, steady and compassionate, like a heartbeat keeping the song grounded. And though George Harrison is no longer here, his earlier guitar work is woven carefully into the arrangement, ensuring his presence lingers in the fabric of the song.
What makes “Now And Then” so moving is its humility. It doesn’t try to be another “Hey Jude” or “Let It Be.” Instead, it feels like a letter left on the table — unfinished, but filled with truth. It’s not about spectacle; it’s about closure, about four friends finding their way back to each other across decades and distance.
For listeners, the song is a gift. It is a chance to hear Lennon’s voice one last time, lifted by his bandmates with love and care. It is also a reminder that the Beatles’ story was never just about fame or music — it was about friendship, love, loss, and the way art can hold all of that at once.
When the final notes fade, “Now And Then” leaves behind a silence heavy with gratitude. It feels like both a farewell and a benediction — the last page of a story that, even in ending, continues to echo.