Several of their later albums were released under the name The Plastic Ono Band, and often featured other musicians such as Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman, and Alan White. The Plastic Ono Band's first album, Live Peace in Toronto 1969, was recorded during the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival. The first half of their performance consisted of rock standards, and during the second half, Ono took the microphone and along with the band performed what may be one of the first expressions of the avant garde during a rock concert. The set ended with music that consisted mainly of feedback, while Ono screamed and sang.
Their fifth album together, Some Time in New York City, released in 1972, is fiercely motivated by political issues the couple found themselves confronted with upon moving to New York City in September, 1971. The album was highly controversial but is generally seen as the beginning of Ono's emergence as a songwriter with "Sisters O Sisters", "Born In A Prison", and "We're All Water"
With the birth of their son Sean in 1975, Lennon put his career on hold to raise the boy and rekindle his relationship with his older son Julian. In the summer of 1980, both Lennon and Ono felt ready to resume to work and began composing. They made the decision to release their impending songs together on the same album. Subtitled "A Heart Play", Double Fantasy would be a collection of songs whereby John and Yoko would be singing to each other.
Released in 1984, Milk and Honey is notable for being Lennon's first posthumous release of music, having been recorded in the last months of his life during and following the sessions for Double Fantasy. Though Lennon's death caused a temporary shelving of the project, Ono was later capable of returning to complete it.
Cold Turkey & Drugs
John Lennon & Yoko Ono Lyrics
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Fever is high
Can't see no future
Can't see no sky
My feet are so heavy
So is my head
I wish I was a baby
Cold turkey has got me on the run
My body is aching
Goose-pimple bone
Can't see no body
Leave me alone
My eyes are wide open
Can't get to sleep
One thing I'm sure of
I'm at the deep freeze
Cold turkey has got me on the run
Cold turkey has got me on the run
Thirty-six hours
Rolling in pain
Praying to someone
Free me again
Oh I'll be a good boy
Please make me well
I promise you anything
Get me out of this hell
Cold turkey has got me on the run
The lyrics of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Cold Turkey" song describes the pain and discomfort of withdrawal from drug addiction. The opening lines reveal the physical symptoms of the disease, a high fever mixed with a depressive outlook about the future. The writer can’t look beyond his present condition and feels burdened physically and emotionally. He wishes he was a baby or would rather be dead. The next stanzas allude to the writer's pain, both internal and external, with his goose-pimpled bones and eye wide-open but still struggling to sleep. It is one of the most descriptive accounts of the agonies that come with kicking any drug addiction.
The title, "Cold Turkey," refers to quitting a drug abruptly, without a tapering-off period. The song is about Lennon's experience of going "cold turkey" from heroin, which he was addicted to during a trip to Denmark in December 1968. Upon his return to London, Lennon abruptly quit heroin, with Ono’s help. The song is a memoir of that event with lyrics that are as frank as can be about kick-starting without any assistance or support. Lennon famously declared that he had chained himself to the bedpost while experiencing the physical symptoms. The song was released as a single in 1969, and again as part of the "Anthology" series in the 1990s.
Line by Line Meaning
Temperature's rising
My body is experiencing fever and discomfort as a result of withdrawal
Fever is high
My body temperature is elevated due to withdrawal symptoms
Can't see no future
I am unable to envision any positive outcome or hope for myself
Can't see no sky
I am unable to see the beauty of the world around me
My feet are so heavy
My body feels weighed down by the physical and emotional pain of withdrawal
So is my head
My mind is also burdened by the symptoms of withdrawal
I wish I was a baby
I long for the innocence and protection of childhood
I wish I was dead
I am in so much agony that I wish for the release of death
Cold turkey has got me on the run
I am struggling with the intense and painful withdrawal of quitting cold turkey
My body is aching
I am experiencing physical pain as a result of withdrawal
Goose-pimple bone
I am shivering uncontrollably and my bones feel cold and uncomfortable
Can't see no body
I feel disassociated from my physical body due to the intensity of withdrawal symptoms
Leave me alone
I feel overwhelmed and want to be left in solitude
My eyes are wide open
I am unable to sleep due to the discomfort and restlessness of withdrawal
Can't get to sleep
I am unable to fall asleep due to the intensity of withdrawal symptoms
One thing I'm sure of
The only certainty I have is my current state of torment
I'm at the deep freeze
I feel trapped and frozen in my current state of withdrawal
Thirty-six hours
I have been in withdrawal for a significant amount of time
Rolling in pain
I am experiencing severe pain as a result of withdrawal
Praying to someone
I am pleading to a higher power for relief and help
Free me again
I am desperate to find freedom from the torture of withdrawal
Oh I'll be a good boy
I am promising to behave better in order to receive help and relief
Please make me well
I am desperately asking for healing and relief from withdrawal symptoms
I promise you anything
I am willing to do anything to receive relief and help
Cold turkey has got me on the run
I am still struggling with the painful effects of withdrawing cold turkey
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LENNON, JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind