Why the Beatles Never Played This Loving Tribute to John Lennon and Yoko Ono Live

The Beatles never played a lot of their music live, considering the Fab Four called it quits for good just a few years after they retired from touring in 1966. It’s a shame, but we’ve been lucky enough to hear a few Beatles songs performed for the first time by each former member after they kicked off their solo careers.

That being said, quite a few songs still haven’t gotten a live performance. One such song would be the single “The Ballad Of John And Yoko” from 1969. This song didn’t make it to any album. Rather, it was released as a May 1969 single with the B-side “Old Brown Shoe”.

“The Ballad Of John And Yoko” was written by John Lennon and explores the pair’s famous wedding. Lennon wrote the song while he and his new wife were enjoying their honeymoon in Paris, France. It describes their famous “bed-in” in Amsterdam and performance art stunt to demonstrate “bagism”. Lennon even said that the song was less of a love song and more of “a piece of journalism.” The song also happened to be the very last no. 1 single in the UK until the late-released track “Now And Then” came out in 2023.

So, is there a reason why The Beatles never played this lovely little tune in front of a live audience?

Why The Beatles Never Played “The Ballad Of John And Yoko” Live

Well, the answer is pretty simple. The Beatles quit touring a few years before this song was even written and recorded. Just as well, The Beatles were already going through the process of breaking up (even if just mentally) by 1969. 

However, it is worth noting that the recording process was quite a pleasant one in which Paul McCartney and Lennon actually got along.

Lennon took the new song to Paul McCartney’s home in London, determined to record it the same day. McCartney wasn’t thrilled about the references to Christ in the song but agreed to help him record it without George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The latter were traveling abroad and filming a movie, respectively.

[See The Beatles’ Paul McCartney Live In Concert]

McCartney ended up being right about the Christ reference. The lyrics “Christ, you know it ain’t easy / You know how hard it can be / The way things are going / They’re gonna crucify me” felt like a callback to when the Fab Four went under hot water when Lennon said they were “bigger than Jesus.” A lot of listeners weren’t happy with the Christ reference in “The Ballad Of John And Yoko”, and the track was banned from a number of radio stations.

So, is this why Lennon never performed the song live? It’s doubtful. There’s a good chance the song was just too personal to dish out in front of an audience. Either way, we’ll never really know why he never played it live during his solo career.

Photo by George Konig/Shutterstock

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