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)
7. Meat City
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I been Meat City to see for myself
Been Meat City, been Meat
Just got to give me some rock 'n roll
People were dancing like there's no tomorrow
Meat City
Finger lickin', chicken pickin' Meat City shook down U.S.A.
Well, I been the mountain to see for myself
Well, I been the mountain to see for myself
Been the mountain, been the
Just got to give me some rock 'n roll
Snake doctors shakin like there's no tomorrow
Freak City
Chicken suckin', mother-truckin' Meat City shook down U.S.A.
Pig Meat City
Well, I'm gonna China to see for myself
Well, I'm gonna China to see for myself
Gonna China, gonna
Just got to give me some rock 'n roll
People were jumping like there's no tomorrow
Meat City
Finger lickin', chicken pickin' Meat City shook down U.S.A.
Pig Meat City
Well, I'm gonna China
Yes, I'm gonna China
Well, I'm gonna China
Yes, I'm gonna China, come on, woo-hoo-hoo-hoo
Yeah I am, come on
I'm gonna China
Yes, I'm gonna China
Alright
In "Meat City," John Lennon uses imagery of different places and activities to convey his desire for rock 'n roll. The repeated line "Just got to give me some rock 'n roll" emphasizes the importance of the genre to him. Through his lyrics, Lennon expresses his frustration with a sort of mundane and uninspired lifestyle in certain areas of the country, or even the world. He namechecks "Meat City," a place where people are dancing, and a "mountain" where snake doctors are shaking. The song's themes of freedom and rebellion are evident in the line "People were jumping like there's no tomorrow."
The song's repetitive structure and catchy melody help to convey the message of the lyrics, which is essentially that rock 'n roll is the savior for anyone who wants to break free from a dull, uneventful life. The use of different locations and activities serves to emphasize the point that no matter where you go or what you do, if you have rock 'n roll, you can find liberation.
Overall, "Meat City" is a commentary on the power of rock 'n roll and its ability to provide an escape from the mundane. It's a testament to Lennon's belief that music can bring people together and help them to move beyond their troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I been Meat City to see for myself
I went to Meat City personally to witness it
Been Meat City, been Meat
I have been to Meat City multiple times
Just got to give me some rock 'n roll
I need some rock 'n roll music
People were dancing like there's no tomorrow
People were dancing crazily
Finger lickin', chicken pickin' Meat City shook down U.S.A.
Meat City's food and music made a huge impact on the United States
Pig Meat City
Meat City was known for its pork products
Well, I been the mountain to see for myself
I went to the mountain to see it personally
Been the mountain, been the
I have been to the mountain multiple times
Snake doctors shakin' like there's no tomorrow
People were freaking out at the mountain
Freak City
The mountain was known for being strange and unusual
Chicken suckin', mother-truckin' Meat City shook down U.S.A.
Meat City's food and music had a major impact on the entire United States
Well, I'm gonna China to see for myself
I am going to China to see it personally
Gonna China, gonna
I am going to China
People were jumping like there's no tomorrow
People were jumping around energetically
Yes, I'm gonna China
I am definitely going to China
Alright
An expression of assurance or agreement
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Winston Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aguynamed Ricky
Physically John is gone but in our hearts he will live forever same with George!!!!
Aguynamed Ricky
Hello Bert, you can find the complete version on John's "Gimme Some Truth" album. Here is the link for Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Gimme-Some-Truth-John-Lennon/dp/B003Y8YXF8
bert jelmorini
Aguynamed Ricky
Hoi
where can I find the complete version of this mix?
Finally the bass this track needs.
Bert from the Netherlands
WildcatOfficial
how does this sound so much better than the 2010 remaster