The Song Where John Lennon Doubled Down After the “Bigger Than Jesus” Backlash

The most controversial moment in The Beatles’ career was certainly when John Lennon called the band “bigger than Jesus.” While the comment was meant to be a bit of hyperbole about how big Beatle mania was, it was taken literally. Many album-burnings later, The Beatles lost their seemingly unshakeable grip on the world.

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While Lennon apologized for his comments, it never truly erased this dark spot on the band’s tenure. As the band’s time together drew to a close, Lennon became more and more open about his lack of faith in religion, as well as other systems of belief. This change didn’t help his case with the infamous “Jesus” comment. After shouldering a pretty big PR crisis during his band years, Lennon proved he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind in his solo career, releasing a song that felt like him doubling down on his prior controversy.

[RELATED: Remember When John Lennon Made One of the Most Controversial Statements of the 1960s?]

The Song Where John Lennon Doubled Down

Lennon famously pondered a world without religion in “Imagine.” He wasn’t shy about his opinion that many organized religions did more harm than good. His solo career was riddled with songs that explore the idea of “false idols,” including the topic of conversation today: “God.”

Lennon wasn’t an avid atheist. He often explored spirituality and religion, but in the end, he always returned to his view that belief is usually misguided. In “God,” Lennon rejects pretty much everything other than the one force he did believe in: love.

“I Just Believe In Me”

Lennon starts this song harshly. “God is a concept by which we measure our pain,” he sings in the opening verse. This quickly orients the listener as to what kind of song they are about to hear. The rest of the lyrics continue to dismantle various ways of life and belief systems.

“I don’t believe in magic / I don’t believe in I-ching / I don’t believe in Bible / I don’t believe in Tarot / I don’t believe in Hitler / I don’t believe in Jesus,” the chorus of this song reads. Lennon didn’t pull any punches while writing “God,” completely laughing in the face of any opinion his listeners could have.

He ends his tirade by submitting two people he does believe in: “I just believe in me, Yoko, and me, and that’s reality.”

The bold message in this song can best be explained by Lennon’s final verse. “The dream is over,” he says, essentially giving up on any north star in his life. It’s quite a depressing song when you get down to it, but Lennon was an artist who wasn’t afraid to explore his thoughts and feelings, even when those things were averse to his audience’s wishes.

(Photo by Art Zelin/Getty Images)