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)
Look at Me
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who am I supposed to be?
Who am I supposed to be?
Look at me
What am I supposed to be?
What am I supposed to be?
Look at me
Oh my love, oh my love
Here I am
What am I supposed to do?
What am I supposed to do?
Here I am
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
Here I am
Oh my love oh my love
Oh my love
Look at me
Oh, please look at me
My love
Here I am
Oh my love
Who am I?
Nobody knows but me
Nobody knows but me
Who am I?
Nobody else can see
Just you and me
Who are we?
Oh my love, oh my love
Oh my love
In John Lennon's song "Look at Me," the lyrics suggest a sense of uncertainty and yearning for validation. The repeated phrase "Who am I supposed to be?" suggests a lack of direction or purpose, while "Look at me, oh my love" suggests a desire for recognition and attention from a loved one. The repetition of "oh my love" throughout the song adds an emotional depth and vulnerability, as if the singer is searching for a sense of belonging and connection.
The phrase "What can I do for you?" suggests a willingness to please and serve, but also a sense of subservience and uncertainty about one's own value. The repetition of "Here I am" reinforces this idea of being present but unsure of one's role or identity.
Overall, the song expresses a sense of longing and ambiguity about one's place in the world, and the search for love and validation as a means of finding meaning and purpose. The lyrics are simple yet poignant, and the vulnerability and sincerity in Lennon's voice add to the emotional impact of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at me
I want your attention, please focus on me
Who am I supposed to be?
I am lost and I need direction in life
What am I supposed to be?
I am confused and I need guidance to find my true identity
Oh my love, oh my love
My love is my anchor, my support, my guide
Here I am
I am present, I exist, I am alive
What am I supposed to do?
I need a purpose, a meaning, a goal to pursue
What can I do for you?
I want to be useful, to contribute, to make a difference
Oh my love oh my love
My love is my motivation, my inspiration, my reason to live
Who am I?
I am a complex, unique, multifaceted individual
Nobody knows but me
Only I can truly know myself, my thoughts, my feelings, my dreams
Nobody else can see
Others can only perceive me through their own biases, perspectives, and prejudices
Just you and me
Our connection, our relationship, our love is what truly matters
Who are we?
Together, we are more than the sum of our parts, we are a team, a family, a community
Oh my love, oh my love
My love is my salvation, my redemption, my hope
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Winston Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Vista6002
If any of you are listening to this just know this.
You all have great music taste!
@CryptoMakson
💚
@antoniodepaiva3503
I liove John. He IS a genius
@justadudeinmusicandfilm
so do u!
@lusoricanbro
John, Paul, Ringo and George helped get me through this pandemic. Their music has helped me become a better person. I hope generations later than my lifetime will still listen to their music.
@solitaryjewel307
he's ethereal. so beautiful. so unique. you'd recognise his silhouette. amazing man, such a genius and sweetie at heart. 🎀💓💓💓🎀
@loosilu
Been a Beatles fan for 40 years. Only now realizing his beauty.
@sylviaelizabethclarecholic2073
Yes, ETHEREAL! 🙋♥️
@stewiedarkinvisibleid
Everytime I see footage of John Lennon, the silent tears, they flow like rain. He touched the hearts and minds of millions of people he never knew, mine included.
@legittrip
41 years without John, still here , still legend