On this date in 1969, the Beatles delivered the band’s final live performance on the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters in London. The concert was filmed and included in the 1970 documentary Let It Be and Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back. 

“Get Back,” which was performed three times, is not a song associated with music and social justice — at least not the recorded version we are most familiar with. But Jackson’s series provides a glimpse into earlier versions of the song, which included lyrics about the difficulties confronting Pakistanis in the U.K. and Puerto Ricans in the U.S. mainland.

Those lyrics never made the final cut. Nevertheless, the anniversary of the rooftop concert provides an opportunity to show that the Beatles had their hearts in the right place.

As part of our “Sharp Notes, Sharp Thoughts” music and social media project, we share a song every Monday to start your week.

View previous Sharp Notes Monday selections.

Visit our “Sharp Notes, Sharp Thoughts” music and social media page to learn more about the project and view videos of our presentations.

Categories: Jandoli Institute, Music and Social Justice, Sharp Notes Monday, Sharp Notes Sharp Thoughts

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