I started learning to play the Ukulele during quarantine. The first song I learned to play was Let It Be by the Beatles. I also took a course on writing with Amit Varma, one of my favorite podcasters. As part of an assignment during the writing course I wrote a prose version of Let It Be. Here’s my cover of Let It Be and an interpretation of the song in prose.

An Interpretation in Prose

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Paul McCartney, the singer of the song, is a passionate believer in inaction. Inaction is an under appreciated tactic. We are often so immersed in taking action, that we miss the simplicity of letting things take care of themselves.

Paul says let it be, let the situation take care of itself. Paul wasn’t always this way. Once, when he found himself in trouble due to an argument with his wife Linda, mother Mary came to him in his sleep. “Let it be” she said, “Let Linda be, she will come back”. Mary came back occasionally to remind Paul to let it be whenever darkness overcame him.

And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

Paul realized early on (thanks to Mary) that the heart-broken people need time to heal. Each one has to find their own answer, and until they do, we have to let them be he says. In their moments of hurt, people can’t see past their differences in opinion. As time heals their wounds, they will see the answer (there’s always an answer). The best way to enable this is to just let it be, let time do it’s magic.

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Paul recollects times he had heated arguments with the other Beatles. There were times when it felt hopeless, like this argument would be the last nail in the band’s coffin. The sky felt dark and cloudy, yet Paul saw a ray of light shining through the dark clouds - their music. He would pacify the band members, and ask them to sleep on their differences. He would wake up to the sound of music from the Beatles practicing together the next morning.

Perhaps Mary visited all the other Beatles, asking them to let it be. Or time healed their wounds.