When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.
~ John LennonOn Dec. 8th, 1980, I was in bed listening to the radio when suddenly, in a voice labored by heavy breathing and halting words, the disc jockey broke the news that John Lennon had been shot and killed in front of his New York City apartment building. The news ransacked my brain.
The Beatles weren’t just a rock band; they gave us an identity. Their songs weren’t simply catchy tunes or stray memorable lyrics. The music told us who we were. It pointed us in a whole new direction. The simplicity and clarity of their message pierced the fog of the Vietnam War, drugs, the environment, and politics. “Love is all you need” not only made sense, it gave us something to work toward.
Collectively the Beatles offered hope. But it was John Lennon who offered inspiration.
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Daniel,
Bravo! Great article! I loved it!
Samuel Lopez De Victoria, Ph.D.
http://www.DrSam.tv
Good story. As a rule I would say – trust the art, not the artist. We made a hero out of Lennon and – understandably, it was difficult for him. I saw a photo of Lennon & Yoko Ono in bed – with reporters – and was reminded of the naive idiocy of those days. Students of abnormal and unhealthy psychology have much to ponder in the Lennon – Ono relationship which probably had lots to do with the mom issues you describe.
Some nice points.
I was blocks from him when he was murdered. He had a favorite deli just like any of us and he walked around the park early in the morning unmolested. New York has been accepting gifted damaged people without comment for centuries so I’m not surprised he chose to live here.
I am surprised how much I still grieve for him.
Students of psychology also take note of what was right with someone like John. Develop a child’s natural gifts and they may walk out of their childhood wreckage on their own.
The Truth, as any psychologist (or guru) will tell you is that life includes both Dark and the Light. So while they were talented musicians, I was never among those who were that enamored with the Beatles, let alone Lennon’s too often smug self-righteousness. In fact, it seemed like the Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil was much closer to the Reality.
The main thing we are taught by the Lennon/Beatles experience is that people are all essentially nuts. Inside humanity strives for happiness and normalcy when in fact both are an impossibility. We are all a collective of organic carbon based “tape recorders” that want to be free of the homo sapien garbage can shell. Good luck! Love, however, is the anwser.
Beautiful article! I love John Lennon!
Thank you for this article. I came to know more about John Lennon. We will be always inspired by his creation.
John Lennon was a songwriting genius and a truly inspirational artist. He was charismatic, witty, and warm but he could also be a bit of a jerk. In any case, I have always adored him for his honesty and his passion. He was a beautiful soul and will remain my favorite pop/rock artist ever. His greatest attribute was also his greatest detriment: honesty. NOT self-righteousness.
Apparently that isn’t a real Lennon qote, just saying.
The first “quote” is a quote behaving badly — John Lennon NEVER said it. That quote has been floating around for 50 years being attribute to everyone from Abraham Lincoln to Judy Garland. Now it’s a Facebook meme?