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)
We all shine on
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna knock you right on the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead
What in the world you thinking of
Laughing in the face of love
What on earth you tryin' to do
It's up to you, yeah you
Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
Better get yourself together darlin'
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see
Laughin' at fools like me
Who in the hell d'you think you are
A super star
Well, right you are
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Ev'ryone come on
Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Ev'ryone you meet
Why in the world are we here
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you're ev'rywhere
Come and get your share
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
Come on and on and on on on
Yeah yeah, alright, uh huh, ah
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
On and on and on on and on
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
The song "Instant Karma" by John Lennon And Yoko Ono With The Plastic Ono Band is a call to action for individuals to take responsibility for their actions and join together in solidarity to create a better world. The lyrics are a warning to those who live their lives with negativity, laughing at love and mocking those who try to make a difference. Lennon sings that "Instant Karma's gonna get you" and encourages listeners to join the human race and recognize their brothers and sisters in the world, to live without pain and fear, and to all shine on like the moon and the stars and the sun.
The repeating chorus of "Well we all shine on" serves as a reminder that no matter who we are or where we come from, we all have the capacity to make a positive impact in the world. The use of the word "Instant" in the title and throughout the song speaks to the urgency of the message, emphasizing that we should act now to make a difference rather than wait for some distant future.
Line by Line Meaning
Instant Karma's gonna get you
The consequences of your actions will catch up with you.
Gonna knock you right on the head
The consequences will be significant and possibly painful.
You better get yourself together
You need to start acting responsibly.
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead
If you don't change your ways, your fate is sealed.
What in the world you thinking of
Your actions are foolish and thoughtless.
Laughing in the face of love
You are disrespectful and not taking love seriously.
What on earth you tryin' to do
Your motives are unclear and possibly harmful.
It's up to you, yeah you
You have the power to change your destiny.
Better get yourself together darlin'
Start acting responsibly and join the rest of humanity.
Join the human race
Accept and embrace the diversity of people around you.
How in the world you gonna see
You lack empathy and understanding for others.
Laughin' at fools like me
You are arrogant and dismissive of those you consider beneath you.
Who in the hell d'you think you are
You are not as important or powerful as you think you are.
A super star
Your ego and self-importance are misplaced.
Well we all shine on
We all have inherent value and should be treated equally.
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Just like celestial bodies, we all have a unique part to play in the universe.
Ev'ryone come on
We should all come together and be united.
Better recognize your brothers
We should acknowledge and respect every other human as our equal.
Why in the world are we here
We should question our purpose and strive for something meaningful.
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Our purpose is not to suffer, but to live a fulfilling life.
Why on earth are you there
We should reflect on our current situation and strive for something better.
When you're ev'rywhere
We are all connected and should take responsibility for our collective well-being.
Come and get your share
There is enough abundance for everyone, so we should share and help each other.
On and on and on on and on
We should continue to strive for progress and equality for all.
Yeah yeah, alright, uh huh, ah
We should express ourselves freely and enjoy the journey of life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rhagedorn
John's vocals in this song were incredible.
@sonoyta5386
Drum beat is kool
@pimprijs8836
Its also an effect he is using
@Slutuppnu
Yes! His voice was more steely here than ever.
@bluethunder6801
Yeeeep
@christined2495
Yesssssss! My favorite Lennon Song. Miss him
Drums can’t be beat
@romcallis
Mind boggling to think of all the great songs John would have created if he were still with us
@fougee1
Yes and the monster that took him is still alive. Lennon was talking
about a tour.Also a Beatles reunion possibly in the future. Miss him
every day.
@maxwellk10
WAP Remix - Cardi feat. John Lennon, city gurlz, machine gun Kelly, and t swizzle. This could’ve been a reality
@TheBCBuddy
....just imagine....❤