John Lennon and Yoko Ono were perhaps the most famous couple on Earth in the 1970s. After Lennon left The Beatles, he and Ono formed a creative relationship that spanned continents and showed the world a different side of the former Mop Top.
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Indeed, many even blamed Ono for the breakup of The Beatles. But anyone who saw the 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back knows now that was never the case. Sadly, though, Lennon was murdered in 1980 and any creative collaboration between him and his wife, like their Plastic Ono band, was forced to cease.
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We turned to ChatGPT to see what the artificial intelligence system would create when prompted to pen a new duet in the styles of the two iconic artists.
“A Scream of Passion”
(Verse 1 – Yoko Ono)
Yoko: (Sings in her characteristic avant-garde style)
A scream of passion, a whisper of the soul,
In the universe, we find our role,
Let the silence speak, let the heart’s song unfold,
In this love story, forever, we’ll be bold.
(Verse 2 – John Lennon)
John: (Sings in his melodic, introspective style)
In the city’s chaos, or a quiet country lane,
Through every joy and all the pain,
We’ll find the peace through the pouring rain,
In your love, Yoko, there’s nothing to explain.
(Chorus – Yoko and John)
Yoko: (Experimental vocalizations)
John: (Harmonizing with Yoko)
Side by side, hand in hand, we stand,
In our hearts, we’ll build a promised land,
Through the strife, through the fights we’ll understand,
In our love, we’ll make a stand.
(Verse 3 – Yoko Ono)
Yoko: (Expressive, abstract vocalizations)
A canvas of emotions, colors of the heart,
In your arms, I found my missing part,
Through the avant-garde, and the pop art,
Our love’s a masterpiece, a work of art.
(Verse 4 – John Lennon)
John: (Singing with deep emotion)
Through the songs we’ve sung, and the stories told,
With you, my love, I’ll never grow old,
In your touch, I find a love untold,
In this journey, we’ll watch our love unfold.
(Chorus – Yoko and John)
Yoko: (Experimental vocalizations)
John: (Harmonizing with Yoko)
Side by side, hand in hand, we stand,
In our hearts, we’ll build a promised land,
Through the strife, through the fights we’ll understand,
In our love, we’ll make a stand.
(Bridge – Yoko and John)
Yoko: (Abstract vocalizations)
John: (Singing with passion)
Together, we’re one, like the moon and the sun,
Our love shines bright when the day is done,
In this world of chaos, we’ll find the fun,
In your arms, Yoko, you’re the only one.
(Chorus – Yoko and John)
Yoko: (Experimental vocalizations)
John: (Harmonizing with Yoko)
Side by side, hand in hand, we stand,
In our hearts, we’ll build a promised land,
Through the strife, through the fights we’ll understand,
In our love, we’ll make a stand.
(Outro – Yoko and John)
Yoko: (Expressive vocalizations)
John: (Singing with love)
In this duet of life, you and I,
Under the vast, infinite sky,
In our love, we’ll reach so high,
Together, we’ll never say goodbye.
Final Thoughts
ChatGPT really nailed the dynamic. Down to the screams and the introspective quality of the lyrics. While of course, it would be impossible for any computer to totally mimic these two outside-the-box thinkers, it’s a pleasure to imagine them together again, on some mattress, making the music their hearts desire.
Photo by PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty Images
