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)
Yer Blues
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Want to die
Yes I'm lonely
Want to die
If I ain't dead already
Oh girl you know the reason why
In the morning
In the evening
Want to die
If I ain't dead already
Oh girl you know the reason why
My mother was of the sky
My father was of the earth
But I am of the universe
And you know what it's worth
I'm lonely
Want to die
If I ain't dead already
Oh girl you know the reason why
The eagle picks my eye
The worm he licks my bone
I feel so suicidal
Just like Dylan's Mr. Jones
Lonely
Want to die
If I ain't dead already
Oh girl you know the reason why
Black cloud crossed my mind
Blue mist round my soul
Feel so suicidal
Even hate my rock and roll
Want to die
Yeah
Want to die
If I ain't dead already
Oh girl you know the reason why
The lyrics to Yer Blues express John Lennon's feeling of loneliness and desire to die. The repetition of "Yes I'm lonely, want to die" throughout the song reinforces this emotion, as well as the line "If I ain't dead already, oh girl you know the reason why." This line suggests that there is a cause for his melancholy state, possibly a failed relationship or personal struggle.
Lennon's search for identity is also present in the line "My mother was of the sky, my father was of the earth, but I am of the universe and you know what it's worth." Here, Lennon is expressing a sense of not belonging to any particular place or group, but rather being a part of something bigger. The reference to Bob Dylan's Mr. Jones, who famously felt out of place in society, further reinforces this theme.
The mention of the eagle picking his eye and the worm licking his bone is a metaphor for feeling drained and destroyed by life's struggles, both physically and emotionally. The black cloud crossing his mind and the blue mist around his soul are further indications of his depressive state. Even his love for rock and roll, usually a source of passion and joy for him, has turned into something he hates.
Overall, Yer Blues is a powerful expression of Lennon's deep sadness and suicidal thoughts, while also serving as a commentary on the human search for identity and belonging in a complex and ever-changing world.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes I'm lonely
I am feeling lonely and disconnected from others.
Want to die
I am feeling so hopeless and desperate that I wish I could end my own life.
Yes I'm lonely
Again, I am emphasizing just how much I feel isolated and alone.
Want to die
I can't emphasize enough how much I just want to give up and die.
If I ain't dead already
I may not have actually died yet, but I feel like a part of me has already passed on.
Oh girl you know the reason why
You know that the reason for my intense pain and suffering is because of our separation.
In the morning
Even in the start of a new day, I cannot shake off the feeling of wanting to die.
Want to die
I still have this intense desire to end my life and escape this pain.
In the evening
As the day goes on, my pain and loneliness only seem to grow worse.
Want to die
Despite trying to distract myself, all I can think about is how much I want to die.
If I ain't dead already
Reiterating that while I may not have physically died yet, I feel a deep emotional and mental pain that feels just as bad as death.
Oh girl you know the reason why
You are the cause of my pain and sadness, because I miss you so much.
My mother was of the sky
I am trying to explain where I come from and who I am.
My father was of the earth
I come from a lineage of human beings who have existed on this planet for generations.
But I am of the universe
Despite my physical body being made up of earthly materials, I am still a part of the vast and expansive universe.
And you know what it's worth
This is something that is incredibly valuable and meaningful to me, and I hope you can see that too.
The eagle picks my eye
I feel like the world and all of its harshness and criticisms are attacking me and destroying me.
The worm he licks my bone
I feel like I am being consumed from the inside out, like a rotting corpse.
I feel so suicidal
All of these experiences are driving me to an incredibly dark and hopeless place.
Just like Dylan's Mr. Jones
I can relate to the sense of alienation and emptiness that is present in Bob Dylan's song 'Ballad of a Thin Man.'
Black cloud crossed my mind
I feel like there is a thick, heavy weight of darkness that is settling in my mind and heart.
Blue mist round my soul
I am completely engulfed in a sense of sadness and despair that is hard to explain or escape from.
Feel so suicidal
All I can think about is how much I want to end my own life, because the pain is just too much to bear.
Even hate my rock and roll
I am at such a low point that I can't even find joy in the music and art that used to mean so much to me.
Want to die
Again, just emphasizing that my desire to die is still incredibly strong.
Yeah
A simple interjection, to express and reinforce the gravity of my situation and feelings.
Want to die
This is still the most prominent and overwhelming emotion I am experiencing.
If I ain't dead already
Even though I haven't died yet, I feel like parts of me are already gone or have checked out.
Oh girl you know the reason why
You are the reason for my pain and heartbreak, and I so badly wish I could be with you again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pablofichaje
Lyrics to sing along
Yes, I'm lonely, wanna die
Yes, I'm lonely, wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Girl, you know the reason why
In the morning, wanna die
In the evening, wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Girl, you know the reason why
My mother was of the sky
My father was of the earth
But I am of the universe
And you know what it's worth
I'm lonely, wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Girl, you know the reason why
The eagle picks my eye
The worm he licks my bone
I feel so suicidal just like Dylan's Mr. Jones
I'm lonely, wanna die
If I ain't dead already, yeah
Girl, you know the reason why
Black cloud crossed my mind
Blue mist round my soul
Feel so suicidal
Even hate my rock and roll
I'm lonely, wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Ooh girl, you know the reason why
@firmpimphand
What a band. John Lennon on vocals, Eric Clapton on guitar, Mitch Mitchell on drums, Keith Richards on bass and Yoko Ono on blanket
@LeMusicienDuPasse
Yoko in the bag, not a blanket
@UpInSmokeHq
@David Massicotte Shame she couldn't have been left in the car
@jvs333
Yes keep yoko under a bag/blanket and away from any mic
@kristen8101
🤣
@LaCasadelSensorNicaragua
Crazy woman hahahha
@WarrenPeace007
This is what YouTube should be for. Discovering stuff like this. Can’t stop playing it. Lennon’s voice was made for rock and roll.
@LactatingFly
his voice is rock and roll as far as im concerned
@FlyingTeacup
This been on here since the early days, not by this ABKCO-VEVO channel tho. Back in the day it was way easier to get cool recommendations because there were ACTUAL recommendations instead of stuff you have already watched on the right. You could find the coolest things. Like with this you would get Rory Gallagher - Bullfrog Blues (Live) and Jimi Hendrix - Fire (Live at Woodstock) and Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird (Live). Last 10-12 years you don't get anything of the sort, and it sucks lol.
@danielhughes5250
One of the best tunes and performances Ive ever seen