John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 Decem… Read Full Bio ↴John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. His work included music, writing, drawings and film. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history.

Born in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed The Quarrymen, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Sometimes called "the smart Beatle", Lennon initially was the group's de facto leader, a role he gradually ceded to McCartney. Through his songwriting in the Beatles, he embraced myriad musical influences, initially writing and co-writing rock and pop-oriented hit songs in the band's early years, then later incorporating experimental elements into his compositions in the latter half of the Beatles' career as his songs became known for their increasing innovation. Lennon soon expanded his work into other media by participating in numerous films, including How I Won the War, and authoring In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works, both collections of nonsense writings and line drawings. Starting with "All You Need Is Love", his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement and the larger counterculture of the 1960s. In 1969, he started the Plastic Ono Band with his second wife, multimedia artist Yoko Ono, held the two-week-long anti-war demonstration Bed-ins for Peace and left the Beatles to embark on a solo career.

Between 1968 and 1972, Lennon and Ono collaborated on many works, including a trilogy of avant-garde albums, several more films, his solo debut John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and the international top-10 singles "Give Peace a Chance", "Instant Karma!", "Imagine", and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". Moving to New York City in 1971, his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a three-year deportation attempt by the Nixon administration. Lennon and Ono separated from 1973 to 1975, during which time he produced Harry Nilsson's album Pussy Cats. He also had chart-topping collaborations with Elton John ("Whatever Gets You thru the Night") and David Bowie ("Fame"). Following a five-year hiatus, Lennon returned to music in 1980 with the Ono collaboration Double Fantasy. He was murdered by a Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman, three weeks after the album's release.

As a performer, writer or co-writer, Lennon had 25 number-one singles in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Double Fantasy, his best-selling album, won the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. That year, he won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2002, Lennon was voted eighth in a BBC history poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer and 38th greatest artist of all time. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (in 1997) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice, as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994).

Studio albums
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Imagine (1971)
Some Time in New York City (with Yoko Ono, 1972)
Mind Games (1973)
Walls and Bridges (1974)
Rock 'n' Roll (1975)
Double Fantasy (with Yoko Ono, 1980)
Milk and Honey (Posthumous with Yoko Ono, 1984)

Experimental studio albums with Yoko Ono
Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (1968)
Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions (1969)
Wedding Album (1969)

14. Do The "Oz"
John Lennon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Do the oz
Do the oz
Do the oz, babe
Do the oz
Do the oz
Do the oz, babe
Do the oz
Do the oz, babe

Put your left hand in
Your right hand out
Do the oz, babe
Dance all about

Do the oz
Do the oz, babe
Do the oz
Do the oz, babe
Do the oz
Do the oz, babe

Pull your right leg up
Your left leg down
Do the oz, babe
Get it all around

Do the oz
Do the oz
Do it, do it do the oz
Do the oz
Do the oz
Do the oz
Do it, do it, do it
Do it, do it
Do the oz

Pull your left wing in
And put your right wing out
Do the oz, baby
Spread it all about, ow

Do the oz
Uh, uh

Now, now, now, now, now, now, now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it
Do it, do it, do it

Well, do the oz
Yeah, do the oz
Yeah, do the oz, oz, baby
Well, do the oz, oz, baby
Well, do the oz, oz, baby

Well, do the oz, now, baby
Do it

Overall Meaning

The song "Do the Oz" is a playful and upbeat tune that encourages the listener to dance and move to a unique dance called "the Oz". Although there is no known official dance called the "Oz", Lennon is essentially encouraging listeners to dance and move freely without inhibition. The lyrics of the song provide specific instructions on how to move and dance, with lines such as "Put your left hand in, your right hand out" and "Pull your right leg up, your left leg down". These instructions are meant to be taken loosely, encouraging the listener to interpret the dance and put their own twist on it.

The chorus of the song repeats the instruction to "Do the Oz" multiple times, emphasizing the catchiness of the dance and the simplicity of the song. Lennon's vocals are confident and playful in nature, giving the song an overall positive and energetic vibe.

Many fans and critics have interpreted the song as a commentary on the popularity of dance crazes during the time period in which it was released (1970). The references to specific dance moves and the encouragement to "Get it all around" could be seen as an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of dance songs and create a new craze. However, Lennon's tongue-in-cheek attitude and playful lyrics suggest that he may have been poking fun at the idea of creating a new dance craze.

Overall, "Do the Oz" is a fun and lighthearted song that encourages listeners to let loose and dance freely. Although the dance moves are specific, the song ultimately encourages individual interpretation and creativity on the dance floor.

Line by Line Meaning

Do the oz
Perform the dance called the oz

Put your left hand in
Insert your left hand into the dance pattern

Your right hand out
Remove your right hand from the dance pattern

Dance all about
Move freely and happily within the dance

Pull your right leg up
Lift your right leg upward

Your left leg down
Bring your left leg downward

Get it all around
Move fully and completely around the dance area

Pull your left wing in
Bring your left wing inward, possibly referencing a bird-like dance move

And put your right wing out
Extend your right wing outward, possibly referencing a bird-like dance move

Spread it all about, ow
Cast your movements across the entire dance area in an expressive and energetic manner

Now, now, now, now, now, now, now
Emphasizes the present, immediate moment

Yeah, do the oz
Affirmation to continue performing the oz dance

Well, do the oz
Encouragement to engage in the dance called the oz

Do it
Instruction to continue dancing the oz

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN LENNON, YOKO ONO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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