James+Sullivan-+John+Lennon

=**John Lennon**=

Across the Universe

[] Words are flowing out like Endless rain into a paper cup They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe. Pools of sorrow waves of joy Are drifting through my opened mind Possessing and caressing me. Jai Guru Deva. Om Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Images of broken light, which Dance before me like a million eyes, They call me on and on across the universe . Thoughts meander like a Restless wind inside a letter box They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe. Jai Guru Deva. Om Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Sounds of laughter, shades of life Are ringing through my opened ears Inciting and inviting me. Limitless undying love, which Shines around me like a million suns, It calls me on and on across the universe Jai Guru Deva. Jai Guru Deva . Jai Guru Deva. Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world Nothing's gonna change my world

This song is one of John Lennon's more experimental and unique sounding songs. Like a few of his other songs, the lyrics make little sense when looked at from an outside prospective. In fact, the song is actually quite poetic, and one of my personal favorites. Inspired by the Beatles time spend in India, the song seems almost like a meditation. . The opening two lines "Words are flowing...a paper cup" is some very vivid imagery. It's almost as if Lennon is overwhelmed with words and that he cannot control what he is saying or thinking. The fact that these words "slither" as they "slip away" gives them an almost animal-like quality that prevents them from being easily grasped. As much as he tries, he cannot grasp these words and express them in the way he wants. In the next few lines, John is once again overwhelmed, except this time it is by conflicting emotions (sorrow and joy). Instead of allowing himself to affected by these feelings, he accepts them with an "open mind" and they end up providing him with comfort. Due to the context of the song and the inclusion of the Sanskrit words "Jai Guru Deva" and the common meditation chant of "Om", its not hard to make the connection to the song being about a possible Hindu religious experience that John had while in India. In fact, "Jai Guru Deva" means "I give thanks to Guru Dev" who was a widely respected guru in India. The song constantly references the Universe, giving it an almost cosmic feel, which goes along with the meditative state that the song seems to be about. In the chorus, John simply repeats the lines "Nothing's gonna change my world" over and over again, making it seem as if he is indifferent to the outside world during his meditations, which are clearly religious for him. John uses more and more imagery about things drawing him deeper into his meditation "across the universe". He is constantly speaking about things such as "broken light", which could possibly stars enticing him and "inviting" him into a deeper meditative state. When he sings "Om", he draws it out, which is the common practice during Hindu meditations. In the last verse, its almost as if his meditations have paid off as John comes to find "limitless undying love", which only seems to continue to keep him going deeper into his mediation. At the end, Lennon confirms what he has said in every chorus: that he wont allow anything to change his world or how he is living.

In My Life [] There are places I'll remember All my life, though some have changed Some forever, not for better Some have gone and some remain All these places had their moments With lovers and friends, I still can recall Some are dead and some are living In my life, I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers There is no one compares with you And these memories lose their meaning When I think of love as something new Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before I know I'll often stop and think about them In my life, I'll love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before I know I'll often stop and think about them In my life, I'll love you more

Another great Beatles song, John Lennon wrote this song (along with some help from his partner Paul McCartney) about his childhood and the memories he had. This song is very reminiscent of of the people and places that he has run into throughout his life, and he acknowledges that these things have changed, though he still feels the same about them. I can kind of relate to John's feelings in this song. He has had some good experiences in life, and though they were in the past, in the present he loves them all and wouldn't want to change them. He starts off the song singing about the places that he remembers from his early life that he remembers. These places have changed ( and not neccessarily for the better), and some are even gone forever. He then goes on to reminisce about the people he associates with these places: the "lovers and friends". Just like the places of the past, some of these people are no longer alive, but John makes it clear that he has loved them all throughout his life. Then he shifts his focus from his fond memories of the past to the present and the current object of his affections. He makes it clear that his past memories pale in comparison to the new love that he has found. While he states that he will "never lose affection" for his memories of the past, in his life, in the present, he knows that he will love this person more than even his fondest of memories. He goes on to repeat this sentiment in the last verse, using the same words as the ending of the second verse. This simply affirms his feelings of love for whoever he is speaking to in the song (possibly his wife Cynthia). Regardless, this is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and sentimental songs written by the Beatles, and it is another one of my personal favorites.

Imagine-
[] //Imagine there's no heaven/ It's easy if you try /No hell below us /Above us only sky/ Imagine all the people /Living for today...// //Imagine there's no countries /It isn't hard to do /Nothing to kill or die for /And no religion too Imagine all the people/ Living life in peace...// //You may say/ I'm a dreamer /But I'm not the only one/ I hope someday you'll join us/ And the world will be as one// //Imagine no possessions/ I wonder if you can/ No need for greed or hunger/ A brotherhood of man /Imagine all the people/ Sharing all the world...// //You may say I'm a dreamer /But I'm not the only one/ I hope someday you'll join us/ And the world will live as one//

In his later years, John Lennon became a very outspoken artist against injustice. In "Imagine" he sings of a world without all the things that lead us to violence. The song contains the word "Imagine" multiple times because John Lennon is speaking in a hypothetical sense about this Utopian world that he is dreaming about. Lennon is hoping for a perfect world free of war, and I find intresting that he used fairly positive ideas, such as countries and religion, and told the listeners to imagine that none of these things existed. Lennon is arguing that it is the fundamental morals that that humanity derives from our religion, our nation,and our lifestyles that separate the human race and lead to violence. One part about the song that I really enjoyed was the chorus "You, you may say I'm a dreamer, but Im not the only one", because it is basically John acknowledging that people may not agree with what he's saying. However, John knows that what he's saying has some truth to it, and all he needs is for each and everyone of us to "join" him so that "the world will live as one".

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds-
[] //Picture yourself in a boat on a river, With tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.// //Cellophane flowers of yellow and green, Towering over your head. Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes, And she's gone.//

//Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain, Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies. Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers, That grow so incredibly high.// //Newspaper taxis appear on the shore, Waiting to take you away. Climb in the back with your head in the clouds, And you're gone.// //Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Ah... Ah...//

//Picture yourself on a train in a station, With plasticine porters with looking glass ties. Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile, The girl with kaleidoscope eyes.//

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This song has been the subject of much controversy, including a temporary ban by the BBC due to suspected drug reference. Its not hard to connect this song to the drug LSD, which is one of the many drugs that the Beatles(including John Lennon) experimented with during their careers. In fact, the initials of the nouns in the song title spell out LSD, which only led to more controversy. However, John firmly denied the drug references in this song, instead stating that his son, Julian, gave him the name for the some from a picture he drew and showed to his father. Either way, the imagery that Lennon used for this song was strange. A lot of it doesn't make sense, and it seems like something inspired by an acid trip. Personally, I think this song does have some intended drug references, but nonetheless it is a beautiful song. John's unique songwriting style is clear in "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", and one image that stood out to me is the "girl with kaleidoscope eyes" that appears multiple times in the song. Personally, I think this image itself is slightly drug related and goes along well with the rest of the song.=====