Context

This line is from the song "All You Need is Love" by The Beatles from their album Magical Mystery Tour (1967).

This line might be the anthem of an era. The song, released in the Summer of Love, was a counterbalance to the Vietnam War. The lyrics are purposely simple and easy to remember, making them the perfect vehicle for spreading love propaganda. The song was first performed for a global television production that was broadcast live to 25 countries, so the whole world heard that love is all you need.

Okay, so we might need more a little more than love—like food and clothes—but let's not dilute the purity of the message with that pesky detail.

Where you've heard it

This is the song you hear on oldies stations as they trip along to Woodstock.

Additional Notable References:

• A parody by the Dallas Mavericks.
• A very Glee proposal.
• Live from the Buckingham Palace Garden in 2002.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Grab some flowers off the centerpiece, stick them in your corn silk hair, slap on your love beads, and, like all peace-loving hippies, you'll be the epitome of unpretentious.