Profile of a Songwriter: John Lennon

John Winston Ono Lennon (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most famous songwriter of all times. He was best known as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the English music group The Beatles. As the partner of the legendary songwriting duo Lennon-McCartney team, his heavy influence on the phenomenal growth of rock music with introduction of more advanced multi-layered arrangements, mature lyrical sentiments and musical eclecticism echoes to this day.

Lennon had a deep influence on rock and roll and in developing the genre during the 1960s. He is considered together with his songwriting partner Paul McCartney, as one of the most influential singer-songwriter-musicians of the 20th century. A number of the songs he wrote feature reflective pieces usually in the first person as opposed to McCartney's style of writing. His most wonderful pieces of songwriting, "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "I Am the Walrus", reflect the best examples of his unique style. Lennon provided the sad, personal style of writing which complemented Paul’s upbeat positive outlook.

Songwriting Career

The amazingly effective simple chord in Lennon songs has baffled songwriters for years. For instance, “Strawberry Fields Forever”: The verse concludes with a classic I–vi–IV–V progression, then the chorus jumps off a harmonic cliff, plunging to the v (minor) and VI7 (now major) as we arrive at the place where “nothing is real.” It is easy to analyze Lennon’s work but the magic it creates is beyond our grasps.

A number of Lennon songs use harmonic vertigo, implementing a simple chord switch from major to minor and vice versa, variations into sudden keys, the occasional augmented or ninth chord. For instance “Real Love,” the Lennon-written Beatles track on the posthumous Anthology 2. The falsetto lines that lead into the chorus, “Why must we be alone? / Why must we be alone?” which are complemented by an unusual shift from D (I) to C9 (bVII9) and back again.

The Acoustic collection provides a very personal portrait of Lennon the songwriter and guitarist, playing songs in unplugged form. Highlights include “Watching the Wheels,” which sounds downright folksy compared to the version on Double Fantasy, and “Real Love”.

In the Beatles, Lennon mostly provided the rhythmic side, playing the singular changes (often using full barre chords) and allowing Harrison to add ornamentation and texture. On rare occasions Lennon would want to lead which is apparent in “Get Back”. After the White Album, he recorded some beautiful stand-alone accompaniment parts, such as the superb fingerstyle “Dear Prudence.”

As Lennon’s harmonic sense keep getting better so did his lyric writing. Looking back at his contributions to the Beatles album, Lennon once commented that his most personal writing turned out to be his best work such as the songs “Help!” “Strawberry Fields,” and “In My Life”.

In his solo years, Lennon wanted to reveal the truth and take away the art and pretense. Plastic Ono Band, released in 1970 after the Beatles lost its luster and when he was hospitalized in Dr. Arthur Janov’s Primal Center, sounds surprisingly raw despite the rising number of singer-songwriters revealing their innermost thoughts stripped of deceit for therapy and art throughout the decades.

Lennon’s writing on Plastic Ono Band and the gentler follow-up, Imagine was due to his personal experience on the process of self-discovery rather than expressing a very smart idea. Lennon merely expresses himself and his take on matters. Unlike some early Beatles songs, they are not intended to be genre pieces.

Six songs from Plastic Ono Band showed on Acoustic, including the little gem “Love” and the melancholy “Look at Me.” At times he felt resentment for way people put the Beatles on the lofty pedestal even to the point of saying “I don’t believe in Beatles,” in the song he wrote “God”. At the same time, Lennon is also very much aware of the fact that his music provides a great avenue for him to broadcast his messages to the world. He had the knack of compressing an idea down into a catchphrase or slogan such as “All you need is love.” “Power to the people.” “Give peace a chance.”

His lyrics showcase his wide range of musical ability. It could be abstract and complex or extremely simple and honest stripped of pretence. Whatever it is Lennon wants to display often ends up providing a great range of color and creativity through the use of metaphor and simile. John possessed a keen mind, quick wit and sharp tongue. He was always searching for something that could fill the emptiness he felt inside and give him the happiness and direction he so desperately needed. He somehow found what he was searching for in Yoko Ono’s side which led to the disbandment of the greatest rock group of all times the Beatles. He told Paul in 1971, "I want a divorce" and the Beatles were formally dissolved by January of 1971, each pursuing separate ways.