Celebrating Three Years of the Beatles’ Final Song
Three years ago today, the impossible happened again. The Beatles released a new song. Not just any song, but one billed as the final Beatles song. “Now and Then” arrived on November 2, 2023, bringing John, Paul, George, and Ringo together one last time through the remarkable possibilities of technology, creativity, and friendship. For this lifelong Beatles fan, the release was more than another musical event. It was a moment of pure joy, wonder, and gratitude.
I remember the excitement surrounding the announcement. I had known about “Now and Then” for years, dating back to the Beatles Anthology project in 1995. Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr had reunited to complete two unfinished John Lennon demos, “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” Both songs hold tremendous personal significance for me. I even wrote about them in my book, The Pepper Effect, as examples of the impossible becoming possible. Three Beatles had found a way to make music with their departed friend, creating something new from something unfinished.
There was supposed to be a third song. During those Anthology sessions, Paul, George, and Ringo also began working on another Lennon demo called “Now and Then.” Unfortunately, the limitations of the original cassette recording presented significant challenges. John’s voice was difficult to separate from the piano and background noise, making it nearly impossible to produce the recording they envisioned. For whatever reason, the surviving Beatles felt that the song simply was not coming together. They quietly set it aside, leaving another unfinished chapter in Beatles history.
For years, I wondered whether we would ever hear that final reunion song. It seemed destined to remain another tantalizing piece of Beatles history, much like the legendary unreleased “Carnival of Light.” I was disappointed, but I also understood that some recordings simply never find their way into the world. Then came 2023.
Thanks to the remarkable audio separation technology developed by Peter Jackson’s team, John’s voice could finally be isolated from his original cassette recording with extraordinary clarity. Paul and Ringo returned to the unfinished song, incorporating George’s guitar work from the 1995 sessions and adding their own contributions. Paul even recorded a slide guitar solo in tribute to George. Nearly three decades after the original sessions, all four Beatles were together again.
I was exhilarated when I first heard “Now and Then.” There was something deeply moving about hearing John’s voice so clearly, Paul’s unmistakable musical presence, George’s guitar, and Ringo’s steady drumming. The song felt like a reunion, a farewell, and a celebration all at once. It was another reminder of why the Beatles continue to matter so much to me.
The song eventually earned the Beatles a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance in 2025, another remarkable achievement for a band whose recording career had ended more than five decades earlier. The recognition was wonderful, but the deeper significance of “Now and Then” has never been about awards or accolades for me. Its greatest achievement is the way it honors the friendship and musical brotherhood that made the Beatles possible.
Paul and Ringo could have allowed the unfinished recording to remain in the archives. Instead, they found a way to bring John and George into the music one final time. There is something profoundly beautiful about that decision. The two remaining Beatles made certain that their friends were not forgotten. Their voices, their instruments, and their musical spirits remained essential to the finished recording.
I often think about the final chord of “A Day in the Life,” that magnificent sustained piano chord that seems to resonate long after the music has ended. In many ways, “Now and Then” feels like another version of that lasting resonance. The Beatles may have released their final song, but the music continues to echo through generations of listeners. Their influence, their creativity, and their lessons about collaboration and possibility remain as relevant today as ever.
Perhaps the greatest lesson of “Now and Then” is that some ideas simply need more time.
Paul McCartney never completely abandoned the possibility of finishing the song. What seemed impossible in 1995 became possible nearly three decades later. The idea needed time to germinate, marinate, and eventually resonate. I love that progression because it speaks to something much larger than music. Not every creative idea arrives fully formed. Not every dream unfolds according to our preferred timeline. Sometimes the work requires patience, persistence, and faith in possibilities that we cannot yet see.
As I continue my own daily writing journey, that lesson feels especially meaningful. I have been showing up every day to write, reflect, and create. Some ideas arrive easily, while others require patience and persistence. There are moments when I wonder whether the words are reaching anyone or whether the work will ever resonate beyond my own little corner of the world. Still, I keep writing because I believe in the importance of creating and sharing ideas.
There are ideas I have carried for years, projects that have taken unexpected turns, and dreams that have not unfolded according to my original plans. “Now and Then” reminds me that unfinished does not necessarily mean impossible. Sometimes the right moment has simply not arrived. Sometimes an idea needs another chance, a different perspective, or the passage of time before its possibilities become clear.
Three years later, I remain grateful that Paul and Ringo gave us this final Beatles recording. I am grateful that John and George are present in the music and that four friends who changed the world through their songs could share one final musical statement. There is sadness in knowing that “Now and Then” represents the end of the Beatles’ recording story, but there is also tremendous beauty in the way that story concludes.
The Beatles have always taught me that music can transcend time, distance, and even loss. Their final song reminds me that friendship matters, creativity endures, and possibilities sometimes emerge when we least expect them. The music may eventually stop, but its resonance continues.
The Beatles may have given us their final song, but they have not given us their final lesson. Their music continues to remind us of the power of friendship, creativity, perseverance, and possibility. An ending does not have to mean the end of inspiration. Sometimes it becomes the beginning of something meaningful for someone else.
The Beatles gave us one last song. They also gave us one more reminder that the impossible can become possible.
Sometimes the music simply needs more time. Happy 3rd Anniverary to “Now and Then!”
