The death of John Lennon remains incomprehensible some 45 years after it occurred. You can imagine how dumbfounded people were in the immediate wake of that tragedy. Still, some artists were able to rise up from their sadness and deliver fitting tributes to him.
Videos by American Songwriter
The four artists included on this list include two who were in the same band as Lennon and another who collaborated with him on a No. 1 single. As for the fourth, he, like everybody else, was just trying to make sense of it all.
“All Those Years Ago” by George Harrison from Somewhere in England (1981)
Harrison was able to get his tribute to Lennon out the fastest of this bunch because he already had much of the framework of the song in place, right down to the title. He had written it originally for Ringo Starr to record, but Starr struggled with the vocals and decided against recording it. Upon Lennon’s death, Harrison adjusted the lyrics to pay tribute to his friend. Starr plays drums, while Paul and Linda McCartney sing backing vocals, making this a semi-reunion. But the observations of Harrison take center stage. His candor is balanced out by his genuine emotion: Living with good and bad / I always looked up to you. “All Those Years Ago” gave Harrison a comeback hit, although he’d quickly back away from the spotlight again after its release.
“Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)” by Elton John from Empty Sky (1982)
Elton John proved quite impactful in Lennon’s life and career. They recorded the duet “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night,” which gave Lennon his first U.S. solo No. 1. In addition, Elton’s wager with Lennon about the song’s potential led to the former Beatle’s final live appearance, and indirectly, to his reconciliation with Yoko Ono. Speaking of reconciliations, after a hiatus toward the end of the ’70s, John had only recently begun writing again with longtime partner Bernie Taupin when they penned “Empty Garden.” Taupin captures both the grief of those missing Lennon and the senselessness of the crime (It’s funny how one insect can damage so much grain). John gives a towering, emotion-wracked vocal performance to bring it all home.
“Here Today” by Paul McCartney from Tug of War (1982)
Even though they hadn’t seen each other in years before Lennon’s death, the relationship between The Beatles’ main songwriting partners had largely been repaired prior to 1980. In fact, part of the reason Lennon decided to record again was he was impressed by McCartney’s 1980 song “Coming Up,” and he wanted to rise to the occasion to keep up with his old buddy. Instead of trying to sum up their relationship over the short span of the song, McCartney simply imagines what a conversation between the two men might entail if fate had been kinder. George Martin provides the subtle orchestration. When McCartney sings, For you were in my song, well, if that doesn’t bring the tears, we can’t say what will.
“The Late Great Johnny Ace” by Paul Simon from Hearts and Bones (1983)
Just as John Lennon had a somewhat rocky relationship with his most trusted musical partner, so too did Paul Simon often find himself at odds with Art Garfunkel. Just when it seemed like things were thawing between the two following their famous Central Park concert, it all fell apart again. Hearts and Bones, a 1983 Simon solo album, was supposed to be a reunion effort before the old arguments scuttled that possibility. Nonetheless, Simon delivered a moving set of songs, mostly about the pitfalls of romance. He saved his final spot on the album for “The Late Great Johnny Ace,” a rumination on how hard it is to reconcile vibrant memories of an artist’s music with the pain they feel when those artists pass away.
Photo by Ron Case/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.