Beatles' last song is wistful, quintessential John Lennon: Listen to the AI-assisted song

It starts with an unassuming count-in and heavy piano chords before the slightly nasal, eminently distinctive voice of John Lennon emerges: “I know it’s true/It’s all because of you/And if I make it through/It’s all because of you.”

The lyrics sound simple – and they are – but the heart of “Now and Then,” the last-ever Beatles song released Thursday, is Lennon’s patented melancholy.

The four-minute ballad, which features Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison playing and singing, originated in the late 1970s from a vocal and piano demo Lennon recorded at home in the Dakota Building in New York.

“Now and Then” includes guitars and vocals recorded by Harrison in 1995, six years before his death; a drum addition from Starr; and bass, piano and guitar provided by McCartney. The renowned bassist also adds a Harrison-inspired, melodically textured slide guitar solo to the song, giving it a cinematic uplift that leads into the majestic blending of the foursome’s vocals amid swirling strings.

Who is the inspiration behind the Beatles' song 'Now and Then'?

It’s unclear if the song was inspired by Lennon’s deep, if sometimes tumultuous, marriage to Yoko Ono or his equally profound yet fraught relationship with McCartney.

“And now and then/if we must start again/well we will know for sure/that I love you,” Lennon sings wistfully. “Now and then I miss you. … I want you to be there for me/Always to return to me.”

The demo of “Now and Then” was given to McCartney, Starr and Harrison by Ono in 1994, along with Lennon’s demos for “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love,” which were completed and released in 1995 and 1996 as part of “The Beatles Anthology.”

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For the finished version, McCartney oversaw a recording session at Capitol Records of the string arrangement he co-wrote with Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin, and orchestral arranger Ben Foster.

Sharp-eared Beatles fans will also note elements of the backing vocals from “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Eleanor Rigby” and “Because” woven into “Now and Then” in the fashion used in “Love,” the band’s Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, and accompanying soundtrack.

Where you can find the Beatles' final song, 'Now and Then'

The new single is a double A-side with the UK single version of “Love Me Do” – the Beatles’ inaugural single in 1962. Its physical releases – vinyl variants, cassette – arrive Friday, as does a video for “Now and Then” directed by Peter Jackson, whose 2021 Beatles documentary, “Get Back,” served as the impetus for McCartney to complete the song.

The songs are also part of a reissue package of The Beatles’ “1962-1966” (aka “The Red Album”) and “1967-1970” (aka “The Blue Album”). “Love Me Do” is the first track on the 2023 edition of “1962-1966,” while “Now and Then” is the final song on “1967-1970.” Both collections’ tracklists have been expanded as well as mixed in stereo and Dolby Atmos. The “Red” and “Blue” releases will also be available as 4-CD and 6-LP sets on Nov 10.

Did the Beatles use AI to mimic John Lennon's voice on 'Now and Then'?

In June, McCartney ignited a debate when he told the BBC artificial intelligence was used to extract Lennon’s voice from the original recording and separate it from the piano on the demo, a discovery made by Jackson during his making of the documentary.

Fans thought that AI technology would be used to mimic Lennon’s voice, but Starr clarified in an episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast that the track does not use artificially created vocals of Lennon and the band would "never" use AI to fake Lennon's voice.

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"It's the final track you'll ever hear with the four lads. And that's a fact," Starr said at the time.

In addition to Jackson’s video for “Now and Then,” a 12-minute movie written and directed by British filmmaker Oliver Murray about the making of the song is available on The Beatles’ YouTube channel.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Beatles song is a wistful ode to love: Listen to AI-assisted song