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)
Nobody Told Me
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, everybody's talking and no one says a word
Everybody's making love and no one really cares
There's matches in the bathroom, just below the stairs
Always something happening and nothing going on
There's always something cooking and nothing in the pot
They're starving back in China so finish what you got
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Strange days indeed
Strange days indeed
Everybody's runnin' and no one makes a move
Well, everybody's a winner
And nothing left to lose
There's a little yellow idol to the north of Katmandu
Everybody's flying and no one leaves the ground
Well, everybody's crying and no one makes a sound
There's a place for us in movies
You just gotta lay around
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Strange days indeed
Most peculiar, mama
Everybody's smoking and no one's getting high
Everybody's flying and never touch the sky
There's UFO's over New York and I ain't too surprised
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Strange days indeed
Most peculiar, Mama, roll
The lyrics to John Lennon's "Nobody Told Me" are full of social commentary and observations on the state of the world. The opening lines, "Well, everybody's talking and no one says a word / Everybody's making love and no one really cares," suggest the idea that people are distracted and disengaged from what's happening in the world around them. The following lines about "matches in the bathroom" and "something cooking but nothing in the pot" reinforce the imagery of people being busy, but ultimately not accomplishing anything meaningful. The reference to people "starving back in China" highlights the contrast between excess and abundance in the West and poverty and need elsewhere in the world.
The chorus of the song, with its repetition of the phrase "nobody told me there'd be days like these" and the comment that these are "strange days indeed," suggests a feeling of disorientation and disconnection with the world. The following verses continue this theme, with lyrics like "everybody's runnin' and no one makes a move" and "everybody's crying and no one makes a sound" painting a picture of a world that is chaotic and confusing, where people are disconnected from one another.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the state of the world in the 1980s, with its focus on consumerism, excess, and disengagement. It also touches on themes of global inequality and the breakdown of communication and community.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, everybody's talking and no one says a word
People are communicating but nothing of importance or meaning is being said
Everybody's making love and no one really cares
People are engaging in sexual activity without any emotional attachment or concern for the other person
There's matches in the bathroom, just below the stairs
There are dangerous items located in an inconspicuous place
Always something happening and nothing going on
There is a lot of activity, but no actual progress is being made
There's always something cooking and nothing in the pot
There are preparations being made, but no tangible results are being achieved
They're starving back in China so finish what you got
There are people in need of resources, so make use of what you have
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
The singer is surprised by the strange events occurring
Strange days indeed
The artist acknowledges the unusual nature of the events
Everybody's runnin' and no one makes a move
People are in a state of frenzied activity without any direction or progress
Well, everybody's a winner/And nothing left to lose
People feel like they are succeeding despite having nothing substantial to gain or lose
There's a little yellow idol to the north of Katmandu
There is a religious figure in a far-off land that holds significance to some people
Everybody's flying and no one leaves the ground
People feel liberated or euphoric, but are not actually achieving any physical change or making any progress
Well, everybody's crying and no one makes a sound
People are in pain or distress but are not expressing it outwardly
There's a place for us in movies/You just gotta lay around
There is a desire to be part of something glamorous or artificial, but without putting in any real effort or work
Everybody's smoking and no one's getting high
People are engaging in activities that don't actually provide any significant or lasting enjoyment
Everybody's flying and never touch the sky
People are in a heightened state of mind or emotion, but never fully experience the real world around them
There's UFO's over New York and I ain't too surprised
The artist has seen so many unusual things lately that even a sighting of an alien spacecraft does not shock them
Most peculiar, mama
The singer finds the current state of events to be bizarre or unusual
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Winston Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ExtremePainGames
Top singer song writers in my opinion. And this doesn't refer to who's the most entertaining but top top writers. In no particular order. Stevie wonder he had 3-4 albums that were masterclass as far as writing and so much fun to sing along to. His greatest work had to be " Songs in the key of life " a double album that entered Stevie's head after a bad car crash. He recovered from the accident and wrote songs like he was pouring water out of a bathtub.
Prince: There is no album comes near the " Purple Rain " album. But again as years passed Prince kept proving he could write.
Michael Jackson: Total genius writer and could make a hit from staring into a dumpster full of garbage.
The writing of Paul McCartney is better than any of the last 3 artists I just mentioned and that is one heck of a thing to say. I lock John Lennon and McCartney into the same box. John was capable of trippier tracks than Paul, Paul had huge huge hits even the magic from WINGS was unreal. Tracks like , Let Em In , Silly Love Songs, Band On The Run, Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-five, With A Little Luck, Juniors Farm, the list goes on and on and on.
But by an edge over Paul. Now Paul had in my mind 5 times the hits John had, But by a millimeter I give John Lennon the top singer songwriter of all time. John's songs were written with more use of manipulating the English language. The journey Paul's songs sent you on were as epic as the journey johns sent you on. But John with songs like : " How " Cold Turkey, Scared, Steal And Glass, Bless You, Jealous Guy, Woman, Just like Startin Over, Watching The Wheels , Nobody Told Me, Gimmie Some Truth, Mother, God. I mean you felt when you were singing Johns tracks that he had a real strong center inside him almost like he had a bus terminal inside his song writing and all us human beings were the buses pulling into the station for recharging. Its very hard to explain.
I can say that I worship Paul McCartney's song. I love them that much. Listened to more of McCartney's material while being alive. But John wins the top spot. His song writing had a purity whereas Paul's a lot of it had chart climbing implants in it. Haha.
John Lennon for me. The G.O.A.T. on writing songs for the world to enjoy.
26 minutes later after playing some Mccartney. The long version of With A little Luck.
I return here to say ....mmmmm no Paul was the song writer of the planet of all time.
Lets just say John is the bus terminal and Paul is the runway at the airport. Both are rocking talents.
Jeeze Im arguing with myself here, hahahaaa.
@AnthonyPoschet
He died in 1980. That's 43 years ago and before I was born. Still, I miss him. What a human. ❤️👏
@JamieJones-gh7kp
I remember that day John was murdered by Mark Chapman you know why? Because of John's remark of saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.
@giseleaponte4516
John Lennon was so way ahead of his time. So missed by (Me) 1 of his fans. You were 1 Big Bright Star J. L. and You will not Ever be Forgotten!!!! ❤❤❤❤
@steveb5210
I’m 61 yrs old and there are some many incredible artist, but Lennon is one of a very few who was a notch above the rest. Just incredible! He was the Beatles!
@ka92010rock
A voice like his is missing in today’s world.
@tbradtbrad
There's plenty of voices worth learning, but no one's listening...
@spkanava
1970
@arconeagain
What, about gun culture in America?
@colton8331
God I miss Harrison and Lennon.
@user-tx6lu6nz5r
We all do😞