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The Beatles have been a prolific group that has left an impact on Western Culture since it burst onto the scene in 1962 with Love Me Do. If I have some favourite songs, it would have to do with personal experience. In this context, I would have to say that my favourite song is "All You Need Is Love".

While "All You Need Is Love" deals with the need for love and peace, I will never forget how the song brings back two great memories. One memory was hearing the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 on my shortwave radio. The other was when I received my award during the era of the Olympics in Beijing in 2008.

I was listening to Deutsche Welle on my shortwave radio on November 1989 when the announcer said that the Berlin Wall had fallen. The people in the background were dancing in the streets in a celebratory mood. The station started playing over and over the song "All You Need Is Love". It was a scene of peace that made me feel better. I later heard the same thing repeated in the transmissions of Radio Prague, Radio Sofia [soon to be Radio Bulgaria], and Radio Bucharest [Radio Romania International].

Since my family were victims of Soviet Communism, I felt that the chains that have tied me were set free even though I was living in America. I would never forget that feeling of being truly free in the mind.

The second memory ocurred in The Great Hall of The People in Beijing, People's Republic of China in the year 2008. I won a trip to China and was representing the United States of America in the award ceremonies held in The Great Hall of The People. I was one of the last people given the opportunity to speak. I gave my acceptance speech in English and Spanish [since there was a camera transmitting to Latin America and the Latin Community in North America].

I thanked the People's Republic of China, China Radio International, CCTV, and praised the Friendship between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America [as well as Latin America including Cuba, Venezuela, and the Latin Community in North America]. After my speech which lasted two minutes, the speakers of The Great Hall Of The People blared out the National Anthem of the People's Republic of China and the Beatles Song "All You Need Is Love".

I hear the song "All You Need Is Love" and the memory of talking with the people of China inside the Great Hall of The People as well as with other delegates [such as Russia, Laos, Germany, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, Brazil] shows that indeed we were complying with the true meaning of the song "All You Need Is Love" which is one of friendship and brotherhood. I still listen to "All You Need Is Love" and my blood rises with happiness.

Learn more about this author, Roberto Alvarez-Galloso.
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