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)
2. Working Class Hero
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By giving you no time instead of it all
'Til the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
When they've tortured and scared you for twenty-odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me
In "Working Class Hero," John Lennon paints a bleak picture of working-class life. The song starts off by referencing the idea that society withholds time from individuals, making them feel incredibly small in the process. The reference to pain that's so big it makes one feel nothing is a clear indication of the burden that society places on the working class. Yet despite the pain, Lennon sees the working class as heroes, something that society ought to honor rather than despise.
Throughout the song, Lennon highlights the various ways in which society mistreats and abuses the working class. They're hurt at home and school, and the intelligent are hated while fools are despised. This, in turn, leads many people to feel like they're going crazy and unable to follow society's rules. Lennon sees this as society's way of dehumanizing the working class, making them feel like they're worthless and don't deserve happiness.
Ultimately, the song implores listeners to recognize their value and significance as members of the working class. While society may have tried to convince them otherwise, Lennon sees working-class individuals as true heroes, worthy of recognition and dignity.
Line by Line Meaning
As soon as you're born they make you feel small
From the moment you enter the world, society and those around you make you feel powerless and insignificant.
By giving you no time instead of it all
Rather than allowing you to grow and develop at your own pace, society demands that you conform to its schedule and expectations.
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
The constant pressure exerted by society can become overwhelming, causing individuals to become numb to their emotions and experiences.
They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
The abuse and mistreatment experienced by individuals is not limited to external forces, but can also come from those closest to them like family and educational institutions.
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
Regardless of intelligence or skill level, individuals are still subject to societal expectations and prejudices that can lead to discrimination and marginalization.
Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
The constant pressure and abuse can push individuals to their breaking point, making it impossible for them to continue conforming to societal expectations.
When they've tortured and scared you for twenty-odd years
The trauma and mistreatment that individuals experience can be ongoing and continue for decades.
Then they expect you to pick a career
Despite the years of abuse and mistreatment, society still demands that individuals conform to its expectations by selecting a career path.
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
The damage inflicted by society can impair an individual's ability to function normally and can cause them to live in constant fear.
Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
Society uses various methods to manipulate and control individuals, such as distracting them with religious beliefs, sexual desire, and television.
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
Despite the illusion of freedom and equality, individuals are still subject to the societal expectations and prejudices that can limit their opportunities.
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
Despite the claims of equality, societal hierarchies still exist, and those at the bottom continue to be viewed and treated as inferior.
There's room at the top they're telling you still
Despite the struggles faced by individuals at the bottom, society still promotes the idea that success and upward mobility are possible for all.
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
To succeed within societal hierarchies, individuals must often adopt ruthless and cutthroat tactics that require them to suppress their emotions and humanity.
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
If individuals want to join the ranks of the successful and wealthy, they must emulate the behavior and mindset of those who have already achieved that status.
A working class hero is something to be
Despite the struggles faced by those at the bottom of the societal hierarchy, they can still find value and worth in their experiences and perspectives.
If you want to be a hero well just follow me
Individuals who aspire to be working class heroes should follow the example of those who have challenged societal expectations and fought for change.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Winston Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@michelle88960
Such a true, hard hitting song. So many of the lyrics I can relate to, as I'm sure many other people can.
The line 'They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool.' Really gets to me. When I was at school, dyslexia hadn't been heard of, so I was picked on for not being able to read or write well. Nowadays kids would get extra tuition. But not then, I was put in the class for kids with low IQ's. The teachers were not interested in teaching you, if you didn't understand you were just ignored.
My dad worked all the hours god sent in a factory 6am-2pm one week, 2pm-10pm the next and 10pm-6am the next. He had been very clever at school but he married young and needed to make a living and I believe that caused his death aged 52, he was my working class hero.
I was also bullied really bad, not just by the kids but by the teachers. I remember a teacher telling me to fo to her office, and then she he proceeded to call me an ugly bitch, and slapped me in the face,
Anyway, I did discover something I was good at, and I excelled at, and that was science, So I decided to study biomedical science. So now I work in a lab looking at tissue samples to see if they're malignant or benign. My spelling and grammar is still shit (thank god for Google spell check, or this would look like Swahili!)
Don't ever let anybody put you down, or say you will never become anything. And even if you don't have a 'professional' career, a working class hero is something to be, and something to be proud of.
@Samantha_C1
These lyrics are absolutely relevant in today’s society/world.
As soon as you're born, they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
'Til the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
'Til you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
When they've tortured and scared you for 20 odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function, you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
If you want to be a hero, well, just follow me
If you want to be a hero, well, just follow me
@Xxmeca421xX
This is one of the best songs ever written and recorded on the planet Earth.
@mctavish23
Well said.
@ronnienaidoo3249
Agree !!! It's timeless.
@blairdawson9506
Yes
@somone2525
I like this song a lot but I wouldn’t go that far 😅
@AN-yr7nm
Imho one of the most true
@plodo1
"They hate if you're clever, but despise a fool" great lyric
@philturner1242
I'm not a massive solo Lennon fan and I never generally read deep & meaninglful things into his lyrics - but with that particular line, he was bang on the money.
@bigpaulie806
Amen. We can't win. I love those lines. A true rock in a hard place
@jangiram1511
Plz tell me what did he mean with this?🙏