Get Back: 10 Times The Beatles’ Breakup Was Foreshadowed

Peter Jackson’s documentary The Beatles: Get Back features moments that fans now recognize as foreshadowing the end of the iconic band.

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The Beatles: Get Back is a found-footage documentary that shines a new and revealing light on the last days of The Beatles. The series, from director Peter Jackson, displays all the highs, lows, and everything in-between as the Fab Four work on their last album, Let It Be, and prepare to make their final performance on the roof of Apple Studios. Time will tell where Get Back sits in the ranking of Peter Jackson’s best films but, regardless, it truly is a heavy and emotional project.

The last days in the studio were the band’s swan song. While it’s debatable whether or not John, Paul, George, or Ringo knew the extent of their situation, there are many instances in the series where the sober truth sinks in: it would be the last time they would all perform together.

Referencing Brian Epstein And His Death

Right as the series begins, the death of the Beatles’ former manager, Brian Epstein, is both acknowledged and presented at the forefront of the events to come. To say that Epstein’s involvement with the band’s career was pivotal would be a huge understatement. In no uncertain terms, Epstein was responsible for most of The Beatles’ success up until his death in 1967.

While the band certainly wasn’t helpless without Epstein’s involvement, their sense of direction was undoubtedly shaken. The Beatles not only lost one of the catalysts to their career, but they also lost a cherished friend and partner in their world, and that weight is felt every time his name is mentioned.

Frequent Reminiscing

Thinking back to the “the good old days” is an activity everyone engages in at some point in their lives, but with an extensive career and their music beloved around the world, there’s a lot for the band to reminisce about and more than a touch of melancholy to their musings. From thinking back to their early days singing songs at The Cavern Club to the footage of their trip to India to visit the Maharishi, there’s something very bittersweet about the band looking back on the highlights of their career.

It’s not the fact that the band is remembering their former years in the early ’60s, but it’s the frequent use of past tense that gives it all an underlying sobering quality. It’s the fact that they know that they aren’t the same group anymore, both as a band and as individuals.

John And Paul Telling George How To Play

Anyone who has been together for a long time will eventually butt heads on occasion, and The Beatles were no exception. That being said, some of their feudings have gone down in the annals of rock and roll history, and this documentary doesn’t shy away from it. The moment where this idea is perhaps most evident is where George begins to lose his patience with his bandmates.

What begins as a discussion of allotted time leads to criticism and micromanaging that wears the guitarist’s patience to a single thread. With his remark of “I’ll play whatever you want to please you,” a short fuse is primed and lit. It’s a small glimpse into the tensions that were rising, and a strong hint that the end was near.

George’s Departure

It’s a common misconception that John Lennon’s relationship with Yoko Ono was the straw that broke The Beatles’ back, but as demonstrated in Get Back, it was George’s walkout that seems to have been the real culprit. Tired of being an outlier of the group, he simply packs it up and states “I’ll be leaving the band now.”

The look on his face is one of mental and emotional exhaustion. Harrison was always the quiet type, but this is the moment where his internal turmoil finally bubbles over. It might not be with a grand and fiery outpour of emotion, but it serves as a nail in the band’s coffin.

The Cafeteria Conversation

George walking out on the band has a big impact. It might not be the most uplifting moment in the documentary, but the secretly-recorded conversation between John and Paul is easily one of the highlights in what has become one of the best documentary series on Disney+.

The conversation relays John and Paul’s feelings in the aftermath of George’s walkout. From John admitting to creating “a festering wound” that they’ve allowed to cut even deeper to Paul wistfully hoping that they’ll all play like they used to in the future, it’s a stark yet informative conversation.

“And Then There Were Two”

The second entry in the series begins with Ringo and Paul arriving at the studio with no sign of John or George. With George leaving still fresh and sore as well as John’s frequent escapades with Yoko, it’s at this point the sand in the hourglass truly starts to pour out for the band.

Paul’s somber remark of “And then there were two” offers an irreversible shift in perception of their situation. It’s as if both of them finally realize that their days as a band are numbered, and that time really is running out.

Overall Finality Of Part III

The third chapter of the series is like any final episode of a final season, there’s a certain heaviness and finality to it that’s ultimately unshakable. Throughout the series, viewers have seen The Beatles try to get together a TV special, a new album, and a grand and glorious final concert all while dealing with backstage drama, frayed relations, and bruised egos.

There are times before the final performance where it seems like the band is just clinging to each other for dear life to try to keep the ship from sinking, namely some of the comments given by John and Paul about not being apart from each other. Heartbreaking is just one of the words used to describe the tone of many of these later scenes.

“I Hope We Passed The Auditions.”

John Lennon was rarely at a loss for words. Lennon is known for his inspiring solo work and rapier wit, he was always one to turn a phrase. The final days of the band gave him ample ground to offer up his particular brand of commentary, and as demonstrated by the series, not even their final performance was immune to his observations.

John’s line about “passing the auditions” is a darkly humorous jab to cover up the fact that this was indeed the very last time the band would perform in public. Recognized as one of his most famous witticisms during his time with The Beatles, it’s a bittersweet but appropriate statement regarding the situation.

“There’ll Be No More Rooftops.”

Yet another astute observation from John Lennon, but this one lacking any softness in his dry humor. “They’ll be no more rooftops” is his way of essentially saying “That’s a wrap, pack it up, we’re going home.” At this point, he is both acknowledging and accepting the inevitable.

There’s no animosity in this observation, no sarcastic remark, no jabs at one another, just the reiteration of the band’s impending separation after the band’s long and legendary career. No more rooftops, no more trips to India, no more club concerts, and no more of the Fab Four.

After The Concert

The Rooftop Concert, while ultimately the finale for The Beatles, was indeed the highlight of the Peter Jackson series as well as being one of the best concerts shown on film. It’s after the event that things truly settle in. Like coming off of an adrenaline high from a rollercoaster ride, eventually, things have to slow to a stop.

The image of the band gathered around the soundboard listening to their work is definitely stark and somber compared to the rock show that preceded it. Even as the credits roll and the band performs, appropriately, “The Long And Winding Road” there is a palpable feeling of knowing amongst all on screen.

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