![ IN MY LIFE– (1965, Rubber Soul) It was journalist Kenneth Allsop who suggested to John that he write a song about his childhood. He agreed, and the first go-round on this song was about taking a bus ride through Liverpool, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. However, Lennon said he found it to be "ridiculous", calling it "the most boring sort of 'What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip' song." (Sheff interview, 1980) He reworked it and it became a more generalized reflection on “people and things that went before.” The line, “I love you more,” is a heart-warming sense of maturation, of a man who’s discovered that while his childhood was great, and that he’ll never forget it, he has now found true love. Released on the Rubber Soul album, 1965. (Here’s a you tube tribute to John’s life with this song.)](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/3a/b5/3ab5909a4da262d368380aaeaf1a020b.jpg?itok=jHM4OHae " IN MY LIFE– (1965, Rubber Soul) It was journalist Kenneth Allsop who suggested to John that he write a song about his childhood. He agreed, and the first go-round on this song was about taking a bus ride through Liverpool, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. However, Lennon said he found it to be "ridiculous", calling it "the most boring sort of 'What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip' song." (Sheff interview, 1980) He reworked it and it became a more generalized reflection on “people and things that went before.” The line, “I love you more,” is a heart-warming sense of maturation, of a man who’s discovered that while his childhood was great, and that he’ll never forget it, he has now found true love. Released on the Rubber Soul album, 1965. (Here’s a you tube tribute to John’s life with this song.)")
As Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, love songs are once again on our minds as we think of the perfect song that we want to dedicate to our sweethearts. John Lennon has composed many of the beautiful love songs and ballads that are cherished around the world. We thought we would share with our readers a list of our top 10 favorite Lennon love songs. (Click on "View List" at bottom of article.)
When the Beatles were together, however, John was pegged “the rocker” while it was Paul McCartney who was labeled the “balladeer.” After all, John was famous for his raucous version of Twist and Shout, and compositions like A Hard Day’s Night, and Please Please Me, later coming out with trippy songs like I Am the Walrus, Strawberry Fields, and Tomorrow Never Knows. Paul McCartney on the other hand, famously penned slow songs like Yesterday, Michelle, Long and Winding Road, Let It Be, and Hey Jude.
But just like McCartney also wrote Helter Skelter, some of Lennon’s most popular songs are in fact the slower ballad-like tunes like Imagine, In My Life, Mind Games, Happy Xmas, and (Just Like) Starting Over. In fact, Imagine was voted #3 of Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Songs of All Time (Dec 9, 2004), while In My Life was at #23. (In addition, John Lennon was listed #38 of the Top 100 Artists of All Time.)
In the early days, nearly all the Beatles' songs were about romantic love, which made their girl fans swoon with adulation, such as "Thank You Girl," “She Loves You”, “I Feel Fine”, and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” In interviews, they always said that the early songs were never really “about” anyone in particular, although people have assumed that for example, Paul’s “Yesterday” must have been a subconscious expression of his sorrow over his mother’s death. (In interviews, he has said he didn’t do that consciously, but that it might have been true.)
With the exception of "Getting Better," John never acknowledged which songs he may have written for his first wife Cynthia, whom he married in 1962. However, it's assumed that "Do You Want To Know a Secret?" (sung by George Harrison) and "When I Get Home" were written for her. And like McCartney, some of his songs could have held undercurrents of emotion for his mother Julia, who was tragically killed in 1957.
His very earliest love song was never even recorded by the Beatles. “I’m In Love” (here’s a you tube recording) was written in 1962 and was given to a band called the Fourmost--- released in November of 1963. (Seattle Beatles tribute band Apple Jam recorded this song for their album “Off The Beatle Track” along with several other songs the Beatles gave away.)
In 1965 John began to write songs about his own life, and Norwegian Wood was written about an affair he was having. (According to Phillip Norman in “John Lennon: The Life” it was Sonny Drane, wife of Robert Freeman.) He began writing the song while on holiday with Cynthia in the Swiss Alps in January of 1965, and had said he was nervous she’d figure out he’d been unfaithful if she listened to the song. But she didn’t suspect a thing, according to him.
The same year In My Life emerged as a reflection on his childhood “friends and lovers”, ending with “I love you more.” But his burgeoning relationship with Yoko Ono in 1968 really marked a substantial shift--and his love songs were specifically for her, sometimes including her name--such as “Oh Yoko.” (Recorded June of ’71 and released on the Imagine album.)
Note on upcoming radio broadcast on John Lennon's love songs: We will be discussing John Lennon’s love songs on The John Lennon Hour, a radio show done by the author of the John Lennon Series, Jude Southerland Kessler, which airs on February 24 (5pm PST). During the broadcast we will discuss nine mutual favorites, some of which are not included here. Can you guess which ones they might be? Some may surprise you. Mark your calendars for this very special show, which will air on the Beatles-a-rama internet radio show.
(Read more about the John Lennon Hour here)
Without further adieu, here is our “top ten” list of favorite John Lennon’s love songs, in chronological order, with a short history of each song. Click on "View List." Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!
Copyright notice-©Shelley Germeaux 2013: This article and photos are subject to copyright restrictions and may not be reproduced without the author’s permission. Excerpts with link to original article are welcomed. Please subscribe to the John Lennon Examiner for instant notifications of future articles. Also see our facebook page, John Lennon News and Biography, and follow us on Twitter at LennonNews.
![ IN MY LIFE– (1965, Rubber Soul) It was journalist Kenneth Allsop who suggested to John that he write a song about his childhood. He agreed, and the first go-round on this song was about taking a bus ride through Liverpool, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. However, Lennon said he found it to be "ridiculous", calling it "the most boring sort of 'What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip' song." (Sheff interview, 1980) He reworked it and it became a more generalized reflection on “people and things that went before.” The line, “I love you more,” is a heart-warming sense of maturation, of a man who’s discovered that while his childhood was great, and that he’ll never forget it, he has now found true love. Released on the Rubber Soul album, 1965. (Here’s a you tube tribute to John’s life with this song.)](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/77/8e/778e05a09e8044a85bde7f417c924036.jpg?itok=qWYDWVi2 " IN MY LIFE– (1965, Rubber Soul) It was journalist Kenneth Allsop who suggested to John that he write a song about his childhood. He agreed, and the first go-round on this song was about taking a bus ride through Liverpool, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. However, Lennon said he found it to be "ridiculous", calling it "the most boring sort of 'What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip' song." (Sheff interview, 1980) He reworked it and it became a more generalized reflection on “people and things that went before.” The line, “I love you more,” is a heart-warming sense of maturation, of a man who’s discovered that while his childhood was great, and that he’ll never forget it, he has now found true love. Released on the Rubber Soul album, 1965. (Here’s a you tube tribute to John’s life with this song.)")
![ JULIA– (1968, The Beatles White Album) – This soft acoustic number was the first time Lennon sang solo, unaccompanied by any other Beatle. Written for his mother Julia, it was penned during the Beatles’ stay in Rishikesh, India on a meditation retreat. (Watch this you tube video) It was here that many realizations came to him, away from the studio, and away from his busy life as a Beatle.The line “ocean child calls me, and so I sing a song of love for Julia” refers to Yoko Ono, whose first name means “child of the sea.” The song also pays homage to another poet; the line "Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it just to reach you" came from Kahlil Gibran's 1926 poem "Sand and Foam" in which the original verse reads, "Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it so that the other half may reach you". The moment he decides he’s found his true love, (whom he later called Mother) he is saying goodbye to his mother finally—with this loving song. ](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/e6/95/e695bcfd456947b7f5b58768ec122eafpg?itok=VAaqkUq_ " JULIA– (1968, The Beatles White Album) – This soft acoustic number was the first time Lennon sang solo, unaccompanied by any other Beatle. Written for his mother Julia, it was penned during the Beatles’ stay in Rishikesh, India on a meditation retreat. (Watch this you tube video) It was here that many realizations came to him, away from the studio, and away from his busy life as a Beatle.The line “ocean child calls me, and so I sing a song of love for Julia” refers to Yoko Ono, whose first name means “child of the sea.” The song also pays homage to another poet; the line "Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it just to reach you" came from Kahlil Gibran's 1926 poem "Sand and Foam" in which the original verse reads, "Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it so that the other half may reach you". The moment he decides he’s found his true love, (whom he later called Mother) he is saying goodbye to his mother finally—with this loving song. ")
![#9 DREAM – (1974, Walls and Bridges) Written in the summer of 1974 while separated from Yoko Ono and living with May Pang in Los Angeles, it was later released on Walls & Bridges. It was on a single, released October 4 in the U.S. May Pang said of the song: “This was one of John's favorite songs, because it literally came to him in a dream. He woke up and wrote down those words along with the melody. He had no idea what it meant, but he thought it sounded beautiful. John arranged the strings in such a way that the song really does sound like a dream. It was the last song written for the album, and went thru a couple of title changes: So Long Ago, and Walls & Bridges.” By the time of the 1980 Playboy interview, sitting next to Yoko, John called it a “throwaway song based on some dream I’d had.”The lyrics featured "two spirits dancing so strange" calling his name. In the studio May Pang whispered "John" in the background. The snippet was reversed and reused in the second verse, following the words "Music touching my soul". (You tube video) ](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/62/2c/622cdc8225fde7e5a505360b2fc91efa.jpg?itok=5wGkHw7B "#9 DREAM – (1974, Walls and Bridges) Written in the summer of 1974 while separated from Yoko Ono and living with May Pang in Los Angeles, it was later released on Walls & Bridges. It was on a single, released October 4 in the U.S. May Pang said of the song: “This was one of John's favorite songs, because it literally came to him in a dream. He woke up and wrote down those words along with the melody. He had no idea what it meant, but he thought it sounded beautiful. John arranged the strings in such a way that the song really does sound like a dream. It was the last song written for the album, and went thru a couple of title changes: So Long Ago, and Walls & Bridges.” By the time of the 1980 Playboy interview, sitting next to Yoko, John called it a “throwaway song based on some dream I’d had.”The lyrics featured "two spirits dancing so strange" calling his name. In the studio May Pang whispered "John" in the background. The snippet was reversed and reused in the second verse, following the words "Music touching my soul". (You tube video) ")
![WOMAN – (1980, Double Fantasy) Lennon wrote it to his wife Yoko Ono, but as he said in his interview for Playboy magazine with David Sheff, “I wrote it for all women. The track begins with Lennon whispering, "For the other half of the sky ..." a paraphrase of a Chinese proverb, once used by Mao Zedong. In an interview for Rolling Stone magazine on 5 December 1980, Lennon said that "Woman" was a "grown-up version" of his song "Girl". The song is an apology for his “thoughtlessness” and that he recognizes how important she is to him. ](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/a3/19/a319226dcacace06d449c74369f2dacd.jpg?itok=zOrX6Qjx "WOMAN – (1980, Double Fantasy) Lennon wrote it to his wife Yoko Ono, but as he said in his interview for Playboy magazine with David Sheff, “I wrote it for all women. The track begins with Lennon whispering, "For the other half of the sky ..." a paraphrase of a Chinese proverb, once used by Mao Zedong. In an interview for Rolling Stone magazine on 5 December 1980, Lennon said that "Woman" was a "grown-up version" of his song "Girl". The song is an apology for his “thoughtlessness” and that he recognizes how important she is to him. ")
![BEAUTIFUL BOY (DARLING BOY)– (1980, Double Fantasy) For our tenth best love song by John Lennon, we think the song he wrote for his son Sean sums it all up. John had been writing songs since he was a young man, and had gone through several romances, two marriages, split-ups and reunions. He matured into a committed husband and was proud to show off the result of that dedication: his son.Recorded August and September 1980, and released on Double Fantasy November 17. John said in the 1980 Playboy interview, “Well, what can I say? It's about Sean. It's self-explanatory. The music and the lyric came at the same time.” (Watch this you tube video)During the lengthy interviews he did just before his death in December of 1980 (Peebles, Sheff, and Sholin) John was exuberant in his happiness at being a daddy to Sean. He had been a "househusband" for the last five years, and said, (to Sheff,) "The joy is still there when I see Sean. He didn't come out of my belly but,by God, I made his bones, because I've attended to every meal, and to how he sleeps, and to the fact that he swims like a fish. That's because I took him to the 'Y'. I took him to the ocean. I'm so proud of those things. He is my biggest pride, you see.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/d6/15/1360283221_4646_dfstripped.jpg?itok=DozMi57l "BEAUTIFUL BOY (DARLING BOY)– (1980, Double Fantasy) For our tenth best love song by John Lennon, we think the song he wrote for his son Sean sums it all up. John had been writing songs since he was a young man, and had gone through several romances, two marriages, split-ups and reunions. He matured into a committed husband and was proud to show off the result of that dedication: his son.Recorded August and September 1980, and released on Double Fantasy November 17. John said in the 1980 Playboy interview, “Well, what can I say? It's about Sean. It's self-explanatory. The music and the lyric came at the same time.” (Watch this you tube video)During the lengthy interviews he did just before his death in December of 1980 (Peebles, Sheff, and Sholin) John was exuberant in his happiness at being a daddy to Sean. He had been a "househusband" for the last five years, and said, (to Sheff,) "The joy is still there when I see Sean. He didn't come out of my belly but,by God, I made his bones, because I've attended to every meal, and to how he sleeps, and to the fact that he swims like a fish. That's because I took him to the 'Y'. I took him to the ocean. I'm so proud of those things. He is my biggest pride, you see.")
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