Despite being one of the most revered men in music history, so much of John Lennon as a person is steeped in mystery. Some diehard fans may already know the stories behind the following three songs, but newer fans may not be aware of the intimate details behind them that showcase the more genuine, vulnerable side of Lennon. Let’s take a look at the fascinating stories behind three of John Lennon’s best songs!
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1. “Nowhere Man”
This Yellow Submarine track from 1965 was written by John Lennon as part of The Beatles. On the surface, its meaning seems pretty clear. “Nowhere Man” is about a man with no direction in life and no real worldview.
Lennon spoke about the song briefly in an interview with Playboy Magazine. He said that the song came to him after a restless night of trying to write a very meaningful song. Paul McCartney, though, once said that he believed Lennon wrote the song about himself and the state of his marriage. We’ll never know the truth… But if you read between the lines, it seems like McCartney’s assessment was probably true.
2. “Mother”
John Lennon’s best songs are often his most vulnerable, and “Mother” is one of his most heartwrenching explorations of the past. Lennon would later go on to say that “Mother” was about parents in the broad sense. But considering his history, this song is likely very personal.
Lennon had a strained relationship with his parents. Despite having a decent relationship with his mother, he lived with his aunt for a number of years. His mother Julia tragically died in 1958 after being struck by a car. Lennon never really confronted his trauma and grief around his mother’s death, but he did very clearly put his feelings to work on “Mother”.
3. “Woman”
John Lennon had a complex and often unhealthy relationship with women. He was known for bouts of abuse and womanizing throughout his life. He later publicly apologized for his actions and sought to mend his view of women, though we’ll never know how genuine that attempt at redemption was. However, that effort to change did yield the song “Woman”.
Lennon said that he wrote “Woman” about what women do for the world. In a way, it was partly a love song for Yoko Ono, and partly a recognition of what women do for men and the world as a whole and how those efforts are often taken for granted. Some believe the song is an apology of sorts to Ono for Lennon’s “lost weekend”, referring to the 18-month period in which he separated from Ono and dated his assistant.
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