The Beatles song John Lennon wrote when he had given up on God

Far Out Magazine ^ | Thomas Leatham

[nickcarraway]

While much of the Beatles‘ early work had been comprised of love songs, and towards the end of the 1960s, the changing political state of the world had influenced the Fab Four – and particularly the most revolutionary amongst them, John Lennon – to avert their attention to the global events that were affecting the collective consciousness of society at the time.

One particular track in which Lennon’s newfound penchant for socially-conscious writing came to the fore was ‘Revolution’ from the White Album. It was inspired by the political protests that had taken place across the world, but particularly in America, against the ongoing atrocities of the Vietnam War.

“I wanted to put out what I felt about revolution,” Lennon said. “I thought it was time we [obscene] spoke about it, the same as I thought it was about time we stopped not answering about the Vietnamese war when we were on tour with Brian Epstein and had to tell him, ‘We’re going to talk about the war this time, and we’re not going to just waffle.’ I wanted to say what I thought about revolution.”

“I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India,” Lennon added. “I still had this ‘God will save us’ feeling about it, that it’s going to be all right. That’s why I did it: I wanted to talk, I wanted to say my piece about revolution. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say, ‘What do you say? This is what I say.'”

So while Lennon and the Beatles had initially somewhat averted their eyes from the social horrors of the world whilst they were up in India earlier in 1968 – focusing on meditation and the futility of samsara under the influence of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – something had been stirring in Lennon. He knew that something wasn’t right; seeing as he had such a global reach as the singer of the world’s biggest band, he had a moral responsibility to inform his audience of the social injustices occurring worldwide.

Lennon said: “We recorded the song twice. The Beatles were getting real tense with each other. I did the slow version, and I wanted it out as a single: as a statement of The Beatles’ position on Vietnam and The Beatles’ position on revolution.”

“For years, on The Beatles’ tours, Brian Epstein had stopped us from saying anything about Vietnam or the war,” Lennon added. “And he wouldn’t allow questions about it. But on one of the last tours, I said, ‘I am going to answer about the war. We can’t ignore it.’ I absolutely wanted The Beatles to say something about the war.”

[dfwgator]

"In 1966 the Rutles faced the biggest threat to their careers. Nasty in a widely quoted interview had apparently claimed that the Rutles were bigger than God, and was reported to have gone on to say that God had never had a hit record.

The story spread like wildfire in America. Many fans burnt their albums, many more burnt their fingers attempting to burn their albums. Album sales sky-rocketed. People were buying them just to burn them.

But in fact it was all a ghastly mistake. Nasty, talking to a slightly deaf journalist, had claimed only that the Rutles were bigger than Rod. Rod Stewart would not be big for another eight years, and certainly at this stage hadn’t had a hit. At a press conference, Nasty apologized to God, Rod and the press, and the tour went ahead as planned. It would be the Rutles’ last."

[dfwgator]

I still think Yoko had something to do with his death, if she knew John was changing.

[Macho MAGA Man]

How so?

[dfwgator]

Just a hunch, let’s say John was going conservative and was going to renounce everything, it would tarnish his legacy with his leftist fans, if Yoko knew that, why not have him bumped off to ‘save’ his legacy. Plus she was probably still upset from John cheating on her. I have no proof, of course, but I’m still suspicious.

[SaveFerris]

The movie’s over!

Go home!

[Macho MAGA Man]

You might have a point. I hadn’t even thought about that. May Pang was another oriental and personal confidant of Yoko and John and he cheated on her right under her nose. That would have severely pissed off Yoko, him going after an underling of hers. The press did go wild with the story embarrassing Yoko. Kind of makes you wonder how Chapman out of all those shots fired didn’t hit Yoko right next to John walking in the Dakota’s. And in the end look at the money she got. It’s probably almost up to a billion dollars right now.

[Samurai_Jack]

Steele Dan “Only a fool would say that”
Fegans and Beckers response to Lennon’s imagine.
Worth a listen too I think.

Our world become one
Of salads and sun
Only a fool would say that
A boy with a plan
A natural man
Wearing a white stetson hat

Unhand that gun begone
There’s no one to fire upon
If he’s holding it high
He’s telling a lie
I heard it was you
Talkin’ ‘bout a world
Where all is free
It just couldn’t be
And only a fool would say that

The man in the street
Draggin’ his feet
Don’t wanna hear the bad news
Imagine your face
There is his place
Standing inside his brown shoes

You do his nine to five
Drag yourself home half alive
And there on the screen
A man with a dream
I heard it was you
Talkin’ ‘bout a world
Where all is free
It just couldn’t be
And only a fool would say that

Anybody on the street
Has murder in his eyes
You feel no pain
And you’re younger
Then you realize
Only a fool would say that

Only a foooo oooooo ooooo oooool
I heard it was you
Talkin’ ‘bout a world
Where all is free
It just couldn’t be
And a fool would say that
And a fool would say that
And a fool would say that

[dennisw]

The Rolling Stones were always better and more interesting. The Beatles were boring. So take your John, take your Paul and .........

[Clutch Martin]

Lennon was a pissed off woman beater, I don’t know if Yoko received any beatings but he had a history...

So was Bing and Henry Morgan, but hey...

[Clutch Martin]

““Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue with that; I’m right and I will be proved right.” - John Lennon

I have a prediction... in 50 years nobody will listen to The Beatles anymore or very few.

I have another prediction; everything will finish, come to an end, cease to exist. Lennon wasn’t waxing prophetically at all, There will be another Ice Age there will be another Extinction event and we and everything around us will be another layer of strata... eventually.

I mean come on...

[nickcarraway]

He wasn’t cheating on her, she was cheating on him. The whole time they were together. She had left him to marry her lover, but the the lover wouldn’t marry her. She was having an affair with a much younger man before he died, and she moved him into the Dakota the day after he died.

[beaversmom]

This article is from 2021, but a few decades ago I read the same.

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1455979/the-beatles-john-lennon-affair-may-pang-yoko-ono

For whatever reason, Yoko arranged the affair with Pang.

[NetAddicted]

Yes, supremely interesting that Yoko Ono wasn’t accidentally shot by Chapman.

[grey_whiskers]

The Beatles always sucked.

[NetAddicted]

Tres interessant.

[KevinB]

You might have a point. I hadn’t even thought about that. May Pang was another oriental and personal confidant of Yoko and John and he cheated on her right under her nose. That would have severely pissed off Yoko, him going after an underling of hers.

John did not cheat on Yoko with May Pang. Yoko actually encouraged John and May to get together. They did so with Yoko's permission and support.

[sit-rep]

I have a gut feeling he wouldn’t be on board with the shit happening today...

[NetAddicted]

Reporters used to write [expletive] instead of [obscene].

[ansel12]

Some time ago, (1980s or 1990s?) there was a study that said that our Vietnam war had far fewer American atrocities than other major wars Americans fought such as WWII and Korea, which I think rings true with those of us who read a lot of military history.

Unfortunately once I got on the internet I haven’t really known what to look for or was able to find it, since it doesn’t help the left something like that got no echo or promotion in public mentions and discussions (pre internet).

[Jolla]

From looking at the church today, I am not sure he was wrong. I don’t think the church is bigger and stronger than 50 years ago.