Welcome to this groovy page! This page contains various random things that John
wrote. Again, all grammer, punctation
and word usage are translated exactly as published. The sources will be with
each item. All of these can be found in Ray Coleman's wonderful book LENNON: A
DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY or JOHN LENNON: IN HIS OWN WORDS, another great book.
Enjoy!
I can't remember anything without a sadness
So deep that it hardly becomes known to me
So deep that its tears leave me a spectator of my own stupidity.
This is a sleeve note written by John for an orchestrated album of Beatle hits released by George Martin.
George Martin is a tall man. He is also a musician with short hair. In spite of this he records rock groups such as (Beatles, Billy J. Kramer, Gerry and the Pacemakers) to name four, and has earned the respect of everone in the business (what business you might well ask). We all owe a great deal of our success to George, especially for his patient guidance of our enthusiasm in the right direction (it was a patient George Martin who, on one of our early sessions, explained to a puzzled Ringo that it was a bit much playing a full drum kit, tambourine and maracas at the same time).
Us Beatles are genuinely flattered that a 'real musician' as we call him should turn his talents to arranging an L.P. of our songs, considering that he has previously worked with such great artisits as Peter Sellers, Shirley Bassey, Jimmy Shand and a machine that sings 'Daisy Daisy'. Some of the sounds on the album may be new to you (and me), that's 'cause George has a great habit of matching unlikely instruments together (like a Jew's harp and a twelve-stringed finger) but the results are great and I think he should get a raise. So plug yourselves in and listen.
P.S. Please tell all your friends to buy it too, so George can be rich and famous--after all why not?
Good George Martin is our friend
Buddy Pal and Mate
Buy this record and he'll send
A dog for your front gate
CHORUS: With an arf arf here
And an arf arf there, etc.
Sung to the tune of Old McDonald Had An Arm by the Beatles a band.
John's Own Words About the Day He Met Paul
"There was a friend of mine called Ivan who lived at the back of my house and he went to the same school as Paul McCartney -- The Liverpool Institute High School. It was through Ivan that I first met Paul. Seems that he knew Paul was always dickering around in music and thought that he would be a good lad to have in the group.
So one day when we were playing at Woolton he brought him along. We can both remember it quite well. We've even got the date down. It was June 15th 1955. The Quarrymen were playing on a raised platform and there was a good crowd because it was a warm sunny day.
I'd been kingpen up to then. Now, I thought, if I take him on, what will happen? But he was good. He also looked like Elvis.
I had a group, I was the singer and the leader; I met Paul and made a decsion whether to -- and he made a descion too -- have him in the group; was it better to have a guy who was better than the people I had in, obviously, or not? To make the group stronger or to let me be stronger? That decision was to let Paul in and make the group stronger."
"Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against 'Cold Turkey' slipping down in the charts.
With love,
John Lennon"
November 25, 1969
I was sent a cease and desist letter by Bill Haley of Mersey Beat, for reproducing "On the Dubious Origin of Beatles" on this site. It is a very funny little story written by John, first published in Mersey Beat in 1963, on how the Beatles supposedly got together. So, I can't post it here, but you can find it here, until this guy gets caught.
[Other Writings] [Links][Winners of My Award][Awards I've Won][Webrings]
Get your own Free Home Page