John Lennon was a perfectionist of sorts, both as a solo artist and as a part of The Beatles. Like anyone with a perfectionist bone in their body, he outright criticized and slandered a few of his own songs, as well as Paul McCartney’s contributions. Sometimes, that criticism was well-placed. Other times, it definitely was not. Let’s look at just a few songs that John Lennon famously hated, and why I personally think he was wrong to be so harsh about them.
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1. “It’s Only Love”
This track from Help! took quite a few takes to make it to the record. Even then, it never got a proper single release and only made it to American audiences via the US version of Rubber Soul.
“That’s the one song I really hate of mine,” Lennon said of “It’s Only Love”. “Terrible lyric.”
I really don’t agree with that. I don’t think Lennon was some otherworldly god that couldn’t produce bad music or anything. But, he definitely penned worse tracks than “It’s Only Love”. (“Run For Your Life” is just one example, and Lennon also hated that one as well.)
2. “Paperback Writer”
This non-album single from 1966 is a surprising one on this list, considering it shot to no. 1 in the US and UK upon its release. However, Lennon didn’t think very fondly of this tune.
“‘Paperback Writer’ is son of ‘Day Tripper’, but it is Paul’s song,” said Lennon. “Son of ‘Day Tripper’ meaning a rock and roll song with a guitar lick on a fuzzy, loud guitar.”
Despite dismissing this song, it’s really a beautiful piece of work. However, I can understand why it wasn’t Lennon’s favorite.
3. “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”
This one is wild. “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” is an incredible song from a nearly perfect album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. What could Lennon possibly have to say about this classic that leans even slightly toward the negative?
“It’s abysmal, you know?” Lennon said back in 1980. “The track is just terrible. I mean, it is a great track, a great song, but it isn’t a great track because it wasn’t made right. You know what I mean?”
No, John, I don’t know what you mean. This song is incredible.
4. “Let It Be”
“Let It Be” is an entry on our list of songs that John Lennon hated that is a bit more complicated than previous entries. Musically, the song is gorgeous. Lyrically, it’s similarly gorgeous. However, quite a few fans (and John Lennon himself) thought that “Let It Be” sounded a little bit too outside of The Beatles. Sonically, it could really be a Wings song; it’s one of Paul McCartney’s finest works. I think it suits The Beatles’ final album quite well, but I do somewhat agree with Lennon that it sounds like a (glorious) McCartney solo effort.
“That’s Paul,” said Lennon of the song. “What can you say? Nothing to do with The Beatles. It could’ve been Wings. I don’t know what he’s thinking when he writes ‘Let It Be’. That’s my feeling, although I have nothing to go on. I know he wanted to write a ‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters’.”
Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
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