John Lennon is most commonly lauded for his lead vocals and songwriting abilities while with the Beatles. But, his lead guitar efforts are similarly impressive. He delivered many memorable riffs across his tenure. Revisit three of his best guitar bouts while with the Fab Four, below.
Videos by American Songwriter
John Lennon’s Best Lead Guitar Moments in the Beatles
1. “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”
This main riff in “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is deeply memorable and insatiably catchy. Though the vocal melody is equally as enticing, it’s really Lennon’s playing that gives this song its wings. Though George Harrison also adds a guitar line, we have to give Lennon his props here.
I want you
I want you so bad
I want you
I want you so bad
It’s driving me mad, it’s driving me mad
I want you
I want you so bad, babe
I want you
I want you so bad
It’s driving me mad, it’s driving me
2. “Get Back”
Lennon filled in for Harrison–who had recently decided to take a break from the band–on “Get Back.” Though Harrison’s absence was felt, Lennon more than rose to the occasion. The band ventured into hard-edged rock with this track and Lennon’s playing was the perfect edition to that goal.
Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner
But he knew it couldn’t last
Jojo left his home in Tucson, Arizona
For some California grass
Get back, get back
Get back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back
Get back to where you once belonged
Get back Jojo
3. “Day Tripper” (with George Harrison)
“Day Tripper” features one of the band’s most famous riffs. When this song comes on that familiar trill is instantly recognizable. That’s all thanks to Lennon and his astute playing. Again, Harrison helped out in the guitar department, but we count it as one of Lennon’s best efforts on his instrument.
She was a day tripper
A one way ticket, yeah
It took me so long to find out
And I found out
She’s a big teaser
She took me half the way there
She’s a big teaser
She took me half the way there, now
John Lennon On Stage 1980 (Photo by MediaPunch/Shutterstock)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.