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)
8. How Do You Sleep
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You better see right through that mother's eyes
Those freaks was right when they said you was dead
The one mistake you made was in your head
Ah, how do you sleep
Ah, how do you sleep at night
Jump when your momma tell you anything
The only thing you done was yesterday
And since you're gone you're just another day
Ah, how do you sleep
Ah, how do you sleep at night
Ah, how do you sleep
Ah, how do you sleep at night
A pretty face may last a year or two
But pretty soon they'll see what you can do
The sound you make is muzak to my ears
You must have learned something in all those years
Ah, how do you sleep
Ah, how do you sleep at night
The song "How Do You Sleep?" is a scathing indictment of Paul McCartney by John Lennon. The first verse refers to the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," which was released by The Beatles in 1967. Lennon mocks McCartney for being surprised by the success of the album and warns him to see the world through his mother's eyes, meaning to have a perspective that is more grounded and less affected by fame. The line "Those freaks was right when they said you was dead" is a reference to the "Paul is Dead" conspiracy theory that was circulating at the time, suggesting that McCartney had been replaced by a lookalike.
The chorus is a direct attack on McCartney's character, questioning how he can sleep at night with his actions and choices. Lennon accuses McCartney of living with people who always agree with him ("straights who tell you, you was king") and blindly following his mother's wishes. The line "The only thing you done was yesterday, and since you're gone you're just another day" is a dig at McCartney's song "Yesterday" and suggests that without The Beatles, he is no longer special.
In the final verse, Lennon suggests that McCartney's talent is superficial and predictable. He implies that McCartney's music is nothing more than background noise ("The sound you make is muzak to my ears") and questions whether he has really grown or learned anything from his years in the music industry.
Overall, "How Do You Sleep?" is a biting and personal attack on Paul McCartney, who was once a close friend and bandmate of Lennon. The song reflects the tension and animosity that had developed between the two musicians and their divergent artistic paths after the breakup of The Beatles.
Line by Line Meaning
So Sgt. Pepper took you by surprise
You were caught off guard by the success of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
You better see right through that mother's eyes
You should have seen the truth about the person who raised you.
Those freaks was right when they said you was dead
The people who called you a failure were correct in their assessment.
The one mistake you made was in your head
Your biggest error was believing in your own hype.
Ah, how do you sleep
A rhetorical question about how you live with yourself and your actions.
Ah, how do you sleep at night
A rhetorical question implying that you cannot be at peace with yourself due to your actions or character.
You live with straights who tell you, you was king
You surround yourself with people who inflate your ego and encourage delusions of grandeur.
Jump when your momma tell you anything
You blindly follow authority figures without questioning their motivations or intentions.
The only thing you done was yesterday
Your only accomplishment was in the past, and you have not achieved anything significant since then.
And since you're gone you're just another day
After your death or absence, the world has continued on without any meaningful change or impact from your life.
A pretty face may last a year or two
Superficial appearances can be appealing for a short time but will quickly fade or lose their appeal.
But pretty soon they'll see what you can do
Eventually, people will see past the outward appearance and recognize your lack of substance or talent.
The sound you make is muzak to my ears
Your art or output lacks originality or value, and it is akin to elevator music or background noise.
You must have learned something in all those years
Despite your lack of noteworthy achievements, it is assumed that you gained some wisdom or experience from your time alive.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN WINSTON LENNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dulce Natalia Hernandez
on Imagine - 2010 - Remaster
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