Remembering When John Lennon Wrote a Nasty Song About the Guru He Just Visited in 1968

You might think it would be a thrill to inspire a Beatles song. Well, only if it were a complimentary track. If you landed on their bad side, especially John Lennon’s, you might end up immortalized for all the wrong reasons.

Videos by American Songwriter

In 1968, Lennon wrote a stinging rebuke that wound up on The White Album later that year. Ironically, it targeted a person who had only recently been the subject of Lennon’s sincere admiration.

A Fateful Retreat

The Beatles headed to India in 1968, intent on studying meditation from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. After the death of their manager Brian Epstein the previous year, the band was seeking new challenges and inspirational guidance.

John Lennon was all-in with the project when he arrived. He felt that the Maharishi, who seemed to always be smiling, was as good a guru as any to follow. Lennon and the other Beatles received their mantras and did their meditating. They spent the idle hours writing dozens of songs, many of which appeared on The White Album later that year.

There are conflicting reports about how and why John Lennon soured on the Maharishi. The arrival of his friend Alexis Madras in India seems to have been a catalyst. Reports suggest that “Magic Alex,” as he was informally known, didn’t like the influence that the “Giggling Guru” was exerting.

Seeds of Doubt

At some point, John Lennon lost the awe factor when it came to the Maharishi. He didn’t like reports (which may or may not have been circulated by Madras) that the older man had been getting too familiar with some of the female guests at the retreat.

Lennon soon decided that it was time to leave this idyll behind. (The fact that he had recently struck up his relationship with Yoko Ono and wanted to get back to her could have had something to do with his impatience.) He grew frustrated with how long it was taking for a cab to come and drive him to the airport in Delhi.

While he was waiting for this transport, he wrote a song detailing what he really thought of his host. He titled it “Maharishi”. And the lyrics weren’t exactly laudatory: “What have you done/You made a fool of everyone.”

Who is This Sadie?

Lennon sang the song for George Harrison as the two made their way out of the camp. Harrison immediately suggested that Lennon change the title. After all, Harrison didn’t think that the Maharishi had done anything to deserve the castigation. And he rightly assumed that The Beatles might get in legal hot water if they called him out like that in a song.

Taking Harrison’s advice, Lennon changed the title to “Sexy Sadie” to stick with the metrical pattern he had already developed. When the song appeared on The White Album, many likely assumed that Lennon was referring to a devious ex-girlfriend. Little did they know at the time that his knives were out for his meditation instructor.

Photo by Murphy/Daily Herald/Mirrorpix via Getty Images