The Beatles release final ever song Now and Then. Is it any good?

The Beatles are important.

Any true fan of the Liverpool quartet knows their contribution to our lives extends well beyond their string of brilliant records through the 1960s.

Their very existence is intrinsically linked to childhood memories, friendship bonds, tortuous road trips, joyous wedding dancefloors, devastating funerals and pre-school singalongs.  

Today we have the rare experience of hearing a brand new song by The Beatles, as they release their last ever song, Now And Then.

Some of us hold the band and everything they do to impossibly high standards, which would be nigh on impossible to reach.

Others just feel fortunate to live in a time where we get to hear a new song from a band who imploded over half a century ago.

So, is Now And Then any good? It's complicated.

We asked a bunch of Beatles fans for their first takes on the new song. Here's what they said:

Poignant lyrics and time passed makes it special

It's hard not to get emotional listening to Now and Then. Not just because of the shared history The Beatles have with so many of us, and the voices within it that are long gone, but the lyrics: Could they be any more moving? John's voice sings of yearning, it's then met with the loving embrace of McCartney's harmonies in the middle eight.

Technology allows this final Beatles song to be far superior, more real, than mid-90s releases Real Love and Free As a Bird, and time passed gives it an even greater poignancy. As now two Beatles remain, Paul sings "always return to me". — Zan Rowe

McCartney shines as we continue to mourn Lennon

The first few listens of Now And Then bring up a complex range of emotions. Hearing Lennon sounding so crystal clear is both elevating and devastating: I wasn't even born when he died, but I miss the guy every day.

McCartney's guitar solo, a "tribute to George" feels like one final demonstration of his immense skill and tasteful way of piecing together these songs, like he so famously did so many times in the 60s. To state the bleeding obvious: this man knows what a Beatles record needs.

— Dan Condon

Was the demo better?

After listening to this a few times, I put on Free As A Bird and Real Love. The contrast between the quality of Lennon's voice is astonishing. On Now and Then it is pure and clear. 

Technological limitations aside, I think it's clear why this was the song set aside during the Anthology sessions.  It doesn't sparkle like those other songs. The production is lush and rich. It is all very … nice.

While the word 'magical' is being used a lot in the press surrounding the song, I think over time I'll wish they had released the fuzzy, emotional, imperfectly magical demo version of John's song. — Ryan Egan

A bittersweet end

Hearing John Lennon’s restored vocal, combined with the marketing push of this being the final Beatles song, has a uniquely poignant effect. However, once that thrill has passed, what sinks in about Now And Then is what a bittersweet note it is to end an inimitable recording legacy on.

This slow, acoustic-driven ballad is a high technical achievement but personally, it feels like too melancholy a send-off to the boundless imagination that cemented John, Paul, George and Ringo as the grand architects of modern pop music. Now And Then might be their swan song but realistically, this is a group whose legacy and cultural impact will live forever. — Al Newstead

A reminder of why we love the Beatles so much

Within the first strike of the piano, as John Lennon's voice makes its tentative entrance, the emotions that skitter across Now and Then are laid bare. Call me sentimental, but you too might struggle not to get carried away by it all. When George Harrison's guitar, those harmonies and Giles Martin’s strings build to an inevitable orchestral swell, it's fait accompli.

There’s no point comparing Now and Then to an opus such as Across the Universe. Doing so would be reductive. Instead, take this parting gift for what it is: a fitting and poignant end. — Anastasia Safioleas

Artificial and unemotional

I hate that I'm about to write this, as this band has been a source of happiness for me since I was a kid. I have a Beatles tattoo, I've spent oodles of money of box sets, special editions and re-releases over the years. Hell, I even spent a small fortune seeing the Beatles-themed Cirque Du Soleil show in Las Vegas.

But I hated Now And Then.

I know they used AI to complete the song, but the entire thing felt artificial and unemotional to me. Like someone has asked AI to make an average Beatles song that would have been cut from Abbey Road because it was boring.

But that's just my two cents. I hope others enjoy it, I'm happy to relisten to previous albums of genius and keep this song off my playlist. — Nick Gerber

The weight of the moment elevates this song

I'm still trying to disentangle my feelings about the significance of the moment from the quality of the song and I'm not sure it can even be done.

Now And Then feels bittersweet and final; keenly aware of its own importance as the final notes played in one of the most influential catalogues of all time. I feel as though the weight of the moment ultimately elevates the song from what it would be in a contextual vacuum.

It also makes me wonder how much the song was engineered to feel this way. Would moments left on the cutting room floor have messed with that sense of closure? I can't help but think about how on Abbey Road, their former last recording, the album finished so beautifully with the aptly titled The End, only to be followed by Her Majesty, a 25-second acoustic ditty about love and sweet nothing.

Although Her Majesty's inclusion on the album was somewhat accidental, it encapsulates what makes The Beatles so special; that mixture of reaching for the stars artistic importance, with down to earth humour.

Now And Then has the former in spades, but comes up a little short on the latter. — Stephen Goodhew

What did you think?

We put the call out to Double J listeners for their first Impressions of the song:

Absolutely love the beautiful strings and the familiar Beatles sounds — made me cry immediately. — Fran, Hobart

There will be a lot of nostalgia for this song, but would it have made an actual Beatles album? I'm a lifelong fan of the Beatles but this is a bit meh. — Warwick, Coburg

I really like it. There's a sweet melancholy to it, not as overproduced as I feared it might be either. — Kelly, Dharawal Country

It sounds like I'd imagine (pardon the pun) The Beatles would sound if they were still all with us today. It's a very fitting goodbye. — Selina, Hobart

Beatles track was cool, I bet diehards will hate it. — Kyle, Armstrong Creek

As a Beatles fanatic, it's mixed feelings. It's nice, bit melancholic and sentimental. But a killer track? Probably not. Still it is lovely to hear John's voice with Paul's one last time. — Dazza, Melbourne

Didn't know what to expect, but from the first line the tears sprang forth. — Mel, location unknown

Wow, I have goosebumps and tears hearing John’s voice now. Absolutely beautiful song and how exciting to hear it for the first time. I love it. — Carmel, location unknown

Now And Then is out now.