John Lennon’s death in 1980 absolutely shook the world. Not only was it the passing of one of the world’s finest musicians, but it was also the death of an activist, a spokesperson, and the voice of a generation. That being so, the masses mourned his loss, and musicians did the same, both through song and ceremony.
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Some musicians who paid homage to their fallen friends went the extra mile by writing and releasing a full-fledged single. As a matter of fact, several of these singles found quite a bit of success. Sadly, the context that supported that success was incredibly melancholic. With all that in mind, here are three songs that pay homage to the generational voice, John Lennon.
“Roll on John” by Bob Dylan
Released by Bob Dylan in 2013, his single “Roll On John” is a lengthy tribute featured on his album, House of The Risin’ Sun. Dylan’s single is a total of seven minutes long and poetically captures the cradle to crib story of John Lennon.
By name-dropping Liverpool, The Beatles’ former name, The Quarry Men, and other facts personal to John Lennon, Dylan truly tries to define the undefinable figure in his lines. Even if he doesn’t accomplish this task, it still shows that he was thinking about his musical contemporary for quite some time after his death.
“Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)”
John Lennon and Elton John were always publicly quite the pair of friends. That being so, when Lennon passed away in 1980, Elton John gave him the attention any person would give one of their greatest friends. And he did so by writing and releasing his 1982 single, “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny),” featured on his album, Jump Up!
Like Dylan’s tribute song, John’s also takes on a longer run-time, as the single runs just over five minutes. Though, when one is trying to capture the essence of such a legendary man, there truly is never enough time. Nonetheless, Elton John helped perpetuate the legacy of John Lennon.
“Here Today” by Paul McCartney
Of course, we saved the most heartfelt and personal tribute for last, as Paul McCartney’s homage to one of his best friends contains multitudes that no one can understand other than the two of them. Released in 1982 on his album Tug of War, McCartney’s single, “Here Today,” is certainly the most notable track paying respect to John Lennon.
McCartney’s lyrics are short, direct, and awfully cryptic in the sense that he is shedding light on some seemingly intimate moments the two shared. That being so, it seems McCartney didn’t write this song for anyone except himself and the spirit of his dear friend, John Lennon.
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