Article May 17, 2010 Issue

LET IT BE ...GOOD!

BY HELEN STEVERMER

"LET IT BE"

For the past 40 years, people have loved this popular Beatles song. The calm melody and melancholy lyrics may obscure the fact that when this ballad was originally released, the Beatles were undergoing a turbulent time that ultimately resulted in their breakup.

I was humming along to the tune once when I realized that the underlying sentiment of "let it be" can encourage a passive acceptance of any situation, whether harmonious or volatile. On the one hand, it's inspiring to let go of our personal agenda and know that, as the song suggests, "There will be an answer." But on the other hand, a passive sense of "let" can signal helplessness in the face of anything that offends, like watching a movie and being unable to affect the outcome.

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