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)
Watching The Wheels
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doing what I'm doing
Well, they give me all kinds of warnings
To save me from ruin
When I say that I'm okay, well they look at me kinda strange
"Surely, you're not happy now, you no longer play the game"
People say I'm lazy
Well they give me all kinds of advice
Designed to enlighten me
When I tell them that I'm doing fine watching shadows on the wall
"Don't you miss the big time boy, you're no longer on the ball?"
I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go
Ah, people asking questions
Lost in confusion
Well, I tell them there's no problem
Only solutions
Well, they shake their heads and they look at me, as if I've lost my mind
I tell them there's no hurry, I'm just sitting here doing time
I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go
I just had to let it go
I just had to let it go
John Lennon's "Watching The Wheels" is a song about his decision to walk away from the music industry and fame. He is responding to those who criticize his choice and label him as "crazy" or "lazy." They believe that he is wasting his life by leaving the industry, but Lennon explains that he is content with his decision to simply observe the world and its cycles. He acknowledges that others may not understand his path but remains steadfast in his choice to let go of the pressures of the industry and focus on his own well-being.
Lennon uses the metaphor of watching the wheels go round and round to represent the cyclical nature of life. He emphasizes that he no longer wants to be a part of the "merry-go-round," meaning the rat race of the music industry. Lennon has learned to appreciate the simplicity of life, represented by watching the shadows on the wall. He sees a solution to the confusion caused by the pressure to constantly achieve more: choosing to simply sit back and observe.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I just had to let it go" which is a reflection of Lennon's decision to walk away from fame and instead focus on his family and personal life. The song is a reflection of Lennon's growth and his desire to live a more peaceful and meaningful existence.
Line by Line Meaning
People say I'm crazy
People think that I am out of my mind
Doing what I'm doing
Doing what makes me happy and content
Well, they give me all kinds of warnings
People try to caution me and advise me against my choices
To save me from ruin
They believe that I am headed towards a negative outcome
When I say that I'm okay, well they look at me kinda strange
People don't understand how I can be content without conforming to societal norms
"Surely, you're not happy now, you no longer play the game"
They don't believe that I could be happy by simply watching life unfold
People say I'm lazy
People believe that I should be more productive
Dreaming my life away
Being content with observing and imagining, rather than doing
Well they give me all kinds of advice
They try to coach me on how to be more productive with my life
Designed to enlighten me
They believe that their advice will make me realize the error of my ways
When I tell them that I'm doing fine watching shadows on the wall
I am content with my life as it is, and find joy in simple things
"Don't you miss the big time boy, you're no longer on the ball?"
They don't understand how I can be happy without the hustle and bustle of the big city
I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I am content with observing life and the world
I really love to watch them roll
I find joy in even the simplest things
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I am no longer caught up in the rat race of life
I just had to let it go
I had to let go of societal expectations and live the life that makes me happy
Ah, people asking questions
People are curious about my way of life
Lost in confusion
They are confused as to how I can be happy without chasing the traditional path of success
Well, I tell them there's no problem
I reassure them that there is no issue with my current lifestyle
Only solutions
I believe that every problem has a solution
Well, they shake their heads and they look at me, as if I've lost my mind
People believe that I am making a mistake
I tell them there's no hurry, I'm just sitting here doing time
I explain to them that I am content with the present moment and not in a rush to pursue anything else
I just had to let it go
I had to let go of societal expectations and live the life that makes me happy
I just had to let it go
I had to break free from the pressure to conform and do what makes me happy
I just had to let it go
I had to leave behind the expectations and opinions of others and focus on my own happiness
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alex James
Still one of my top five Lennon solo years compositions
Michael Paikidze
He knew the true life legend
Mike Dole
in his final work he outclassed them all
BlueDude1998
Dude may have been abusive to his wife but he makes some good toons. Hope you're in peace, mean pacifist.
Cozumel
@Radio Rag Dol I'm not very informed, but as far as I get his ex wife said he beated her only once but he regretted and seemd to be really mortified, even after a lot of time.
Radio Rag Dol
Was he?
ula banda
Observando las ruedas.
FrikkiOne
"Marmalade I like marmalade"
Jana Š
Solo Lennon is best, and u can agree or dissagree/idiots who love more McCartney ...but he made message for world :P All you need is love!
Angel Mc faline
dr pimple popper