BRITISH INVASION: FEBRUARY 9, 1964

Half an hour, half an hour,
half an hour onward,
all in the broad way of lights
rode the four fab men:
'Forward, assume the stage!
A charge for admission Ed had said:
Into the broad way of lights
rode the four fab men.

'Forward, assume the stage!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
not tho' the young ones knew
some one had wonder'd:
Theirs not to make with cry,
theirs not to reason why,
theirs but to scream and sigh,
into the broad way of lights
rode the four fab men.

Camera to right of them,
camera to left of them,
camera in front of them
close-upped and pictured;
storm'd at with twist and shout,
boldly they played and well,
into commercial break,
into the second take,
rode the four fab men.

Flash'd “Gretsch” and “Eppies” bare,
flash'd as they fill'd the air,
left-handed “Hofner”, the bassist there,
charging while an army watched
all the world wonder'd:
Plunged into the cinemascope,
right thro' the barrier they broke;
ladies and teeny-boppers both
reel'd from ring'd backbeat-stroke,
fluster'd & faint'd.
They ne’er look’d back, all
the four fab men.

Camera to right of them,
camera to left of them,
camera behind them,
capture'd and slihouette'd;
storm'd at with twist and shout,
while fan and screamer fell,
they that had played so well
sang thro' the second set,
back from commercial,
all that was left of them,
two more songs and history.

When will their glory fade?
O the wild new music played!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the Mersey beat they made!
Honour the quartet that played,
noble Four Fab men!!

***Structured on "CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE" by Alfred Lord Tennyson