Click Here to Read John Whitehead's Commentary
My vote is for Working Class Hero. Richie Havens has a wonderful version.
Yours is probably the only Lennon Top Ten list without In My Life, although I generally concur with your selections, especially Walrus and Strawberry Fields. McCartney gets half the credit for A Day in the Life.
Your list draws almost exclusively from the psychedelic Beatles. Earlier Lennon works that merit honorable mention would include The Word, You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away, and perhaps the popular Norwegian Wood.
Don M.
John,
Rain is also my favorite Beatle song. The bass line and guitar weave together along different meandering paths to great effect. Paul's bass plays a prominent role, rather than just providing background assistance. And Ringo's drumming is the best he ever performed, completely confident, original, and necessarily providing complimentary propulsion. The slap at the end of the final verse, contrasted with the snare roll ending the prior verses, tells us where we're at in the music's message. Lennon's lazy-eyed delivery of "I don't mind" and the bell-like resonance of the G7th chord (I seem to recall when I played guitar and this song in particular in my youth) are exceptional. I just love this song for its crisp and unified arrangement and instrumentation. I'm amazed no one has tried to cover it on a grander scale. It's flip side, Paperback Writer, was just another light pop single devised along a simple guitar riff (preceded by Day Tripper) and had its moments, but Rain was heavy metal for the time.
As for Lennon, his canonization is not something I agree with. These encomiums are better suited for those who make great sacrifices on behalf of God, family, country and their neighbor. As I drive past one pot shop after another, I credit him with tearing at society's moral fabric, not mending it.
Sincerely,
Bill B.
Excellent list of Lennon songs. Everyone disagrees about the “top 10” but I mostly agree with yours – particularly having “Rain” high on the list. But, I think overlooking “Tomorrow Never Knows” was a mistake – that song is so far ahead of its time, we still haven’t caught up, and probably never will. Then, of course, there’s “She said she said”, “Norwegian Wood”, “#9 Dream”, etc. etc. etc. Thanks for the great list!
Steve H.
I was a senior in high school when I first heard "She Loves You".
I was an instant, and forever, Beatlemaniac.
My best friend said "but they will never be as big as Chuck".
Thank you for the article and memories.
Bruce H.
John,
I have a rock n roll band and play Revolution with much of the understanding of John Lennon. I don't know that John was as secular in Imagine as you think. While being a Christian I also imagine a world without religion. I view religion as just a sub political party of the left or right; a creature of people protecting what they shouldn't or the gain of something by nothing. Jesus Christ was not political nor did he claim a kingdom before Pilate. He didn't care for the "religious" as is practice then and today. It does take people though to make crap out of perfection.
Same thing with the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Too many believe those documents grant or give people freedom. It's not what the words say, but if people can make crap out of perfection, these imperfect documents don't stand a chance and in the end may only resemble toilet paper.
John Lennon also wrote these words, "Last night the wife said, 'Oh Boy when your dead, You won't take nothing with you but your soul. Think.' " Interesting secular words. He's dead right or perhaps "Biblical" where he says, "You'd better free your mind instead." I love, "Expert, textpert, choking smoker don't you think the joker laughs at you..." Now didn't doctors profess smoking as healthy at one time?
BTW I thought that Paul encourage Lennon to do a more rock version of Revolution which is the second version different from the White Album? Maybe you wrote that.
Anyway, I enjoyed your article.
Mike P.
I Am the Walrus. In my opinion, this song is John Lennon’s masterpiece. Lennon, a voracious reader, was inspired by the writings of Lewis Carroll, in particular the tale of woe from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, in which a band of young oysters are lured by the charms of the Walrus, who then begins to devour them. Obvious is the "goo goo g’joob" refrain which is the last line that Humpty Dumpty speaks when he falls to his doom in Alice’s Adventures..
The poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter", and the character of Humpty Dumpty, are both from Lewis Carroll's second novel, "Through the Looking-Glass, and what Alice found there".
Humpty Dumpty's last words were "Wait till you've tried."
Ed P.
A nice list of songs. You've written a fine article. It's a good thing Normal Mailer isn't here to read it.
About 15 years years ago I went to a display of John's and others drawing and paintings. Looking at his simple lines, tears began to run down my face. I don't cry much. I slipped out a side door and lets the tears come. I still miss him. I often wonder what he'd think about the world. Such a waste.
RESIST MUCH, OBEY LITTLE, MF
Michael F.
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