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)
Oh Yoko!
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the middle of the night I call your name
Oh, Yoko
Oh, Yoko
My love will turn you on
In the middle of a bath
In the middle of a bath I call your nameOh, Yoko
Oh, Yoko
My love will turn you on
Our love will turn you on
In the middle of a shave
In the middle of a shave I call your name
Oh, Yoko
Oh, Yoko
My love will turn you on
In the middle of a dream
In the middle of a dream I call your name
Oh, Yoko
Oh, Yoko
My love will turn you on
Our love will turn you on (alright)
(Right)
In the middle of a cloud
In the middle of a cloud I call your name
Oh, Yoko
Oh, Yoko
My love will turn you on
Oh, Yoko
Oh, Yoko
Oh, Yoko
Okay
Oh, Yoko
The lyrics to John Lennon's "Oh Yoko!" are a tribute to his wife, Yoko Ono. The song describes how he thinks of her at all hours of the day and night. The repetition of "Oh Yoko!" on each line emphasizes his love and devotion to her.
Each stanza describes a different scenario where he calls out her name. In the middle of the night, a bath, a shave, a dream, and even in the middle of a cloud, he thinks of her. The line "My love will turn you on" is a play on words, with turn on both meaning to excite and to physically turn a switch, representing Lennon's desire to be the light in Yoko's life. The final line, "Okay", serves as a light-hearted conclusion to the ode to his love.
Overall, the lyrics capture the intense love and connection between John Lennon and Yoko Ono. They also showcase Lennon's poetic and playful style.
Line by Line Meaning
In the middle of the night
Even in the darkest and most lonely times
In the middle of the night I call your name
I turn to you for comfort and support
Oh, Yoko
The one who brings light and love into my life
Oh, Yoko
The one who understands and complements me perfectly
My love will turn you on
My passion and devotion will ignite your spirit
In the middle of a bath
During even the most mundane moments
In the middle of a bath I call your name
You are always on my mind and in my heart
Our love will turn you on
Our mutual affection and connection will inspire you
In the middle of a shave
During the routine and repetitive aspects of life
In the middle of a shave I call your name
I am grateful for your presence and influence in my life
In the middle of a dream
Even in the surreal and abstract realm of the mind
In the middle of a dream I call your name
I feel your essence and energy even when I am asleep
Our love will turn you on (alright)
Our shared bond and affection will bring fulfillment and joy
(Right)
Absolutely, wholeheartedly true
In the middle of a cloud
Even amidst confusion or uncertainty
In the middle of a cloud I call your name
I trust and rely on you to guide me through any obstacle
Okay
Affirmative, acknowledging the strength and significance of our relationship
Oh, Yoko
The one who brings me light, love, and inspiration
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gglucs1799
I always sing that song replacing Yoko's name with my girlfriends name. Yoko made John happy, they both loved each other and thats what matters in the end. Happy birthday, Yoko
@jaelge
Yoko the succubus.
@edwardanthony7283
Put the 2 together & look at what we got back then!
@brainwithani5693
To Sean, Julian and Yoko, I'm a fan of you all. Thank you for continuing the legacy of your father and husband. I wish your whole family the best.
@kadamallabergenov1109
И Синтия ❤
@stevezoldowski1447
Naysayers can Kiss My Ass !
@PitchIncorrection
I recently lost the love of my life, and I can’t say I’ve ever been the biggest fan of John’s music, but this song just makes me sob. There is something so viscerally impactful about the completely genuine way he sings about her. For everything that ever happened in their lives, I think the one truth you can claim is that John loved Yoko, and Yoko loved John.
@gglucs1799
My condolences
@PanTheMaid
Hello! How you been?
Truthfulness Compassion and Forbearance is good!
Remember this, that's the reason of existence! That's why everything happens and exist! That's love! 🪷🙏🏻
@Emmachantiri
I know I don't know you but I wish I could hug you and tell you everythings gonna be ok, love is the strongest thing we have and that makes you strong for having it <3