Lennon was given his first guitar by his father at age 11 and formed his first band at age 13 with school friend Justin Clayton, who has since played on each of Lennon’s albums. “Justin and I spent all our time learning the classic rock and roll songs, like ‘Roll Over Beethoven,’ Lennon recalls. “As I got older, I began to listen to the Beatles more carefully and became fascinated by the intelligence that went into their songwriting — the arrangements, melodies, and lyrics, which was great as I began to write my own songs. Crafting a great song is always my final goal.”
Though Lennon was also interested in pursuing acting (and was offered an education through the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company), he decided to stick with music. “I'd fallen madly in love with being able to play three or four chords, and everybody standing up and yelling and screaming,” he says. “The simplicity and ease of it drove me toward a career in music more than anything else.”
In 1983 Lennon, then aged 20, was offered his first record deal and released Valotte the following year. Produced by Phil Ramone, the album was certified platinum and earned Lennon a Grammy Award nomination for “Best New Artist.” It also included two major hits, the title track, which was a fixture on the Billboard Top 40 chart for 12 weeks, peaking at No. 9, followed by Too Late For Goodbyes, which spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Noted film director Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch, The Getaway) directed the videos for both singles, the success of which made Lennon an international star, necessitating a global tour of Asia, Europe, the U.S., and Australia. “It was bonkers,” Lennon says. “Coming out of hotels, people would literally trying to rip the clothes off you. I had spent my last year of school in the middle of nowhere in North Wales. To go from that to doing a world tour and having screaming girls after you was crazy.”
Because of his popularity, the record company urged Lennon to make a follow-up album immediately, which he did, releasing The Secret Value of Daydreaming in March 1986. Though Lennon felt he did not have enough time to write or record the album, Daydreaming (also produced by Phil Ramone) went on to gold certification and spawned the hit “Stick Around,” which earned him his first No. 1 on the Billboard Rock chart. (Eighties stars Michael J. Fox and Jami Gertz appear in the song’s video.) After taking a much-needed break, Lennon released the vocally experimental Mr. Jordan in 1989, which featured the rock radio hit Now You’re In Heaven, followed by 1991’s Help Yourself, whose highlights include Saltwater, a plea for environmental responsibility, and Other Side of Town, featuring Blue Nile singer Paul Buchanan.
Lennon decided to take a hiatus following the release of Help Yourself to focus on other creative pursuits, including his interest in acting. In 1993, he was featured as the voice of David Copperfield in an animated NBC special of the Dickens classic. In 1995, film director Mike Figgis asked Lennon to make a cameo in his new film Leaving Las Vegas. “I was told to dress like an ’80s English rock and roll bartender,” Lennon says, “So I rode my Harley to the set wearing clothes I would normally wear and Mike said, ‘That’s great!’” (Nicolas Cage, who won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his role, orders a beer from Lennon’s bartender character before getting head-butted by another patron and thrown out by Lennon.)
In 1996, Lennon contributed the original composition “Cole’s Song” to the soundtrack to the film Mr. Holland’s Opus, which starred Richard Dreyfuss and featured a score by the late renowned composer Michael Kamen. “I’d met Michael a few times and thought he was an incredible writer and orchestrator,” Lennon says. “I got word that he thought of me for writing this song, not only because of the subject matter, but because two of Dad’s songs were also in the film,” Lennon says. “He thought it would be a nice touch for me to come up with something that would work at the end of the film.” Also that year, Lennon made a cameo in the independent comedy film Cannes Man, directed by Richard Martini and starring Seymour Cassel and Francesco Quinn.
Lennon returned to the music business in 1998 with Photograph Smile.
In 2002, he recorded a version of "When I'm Sixty-Four", from the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, for an Allstate Insurance commercial.
In 2009, Lennon released a tribute song and EP, "Lucy", honouring the memory of Lucy Vodden (née O'Donnell), the little girl who inspired the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".
Lennon released his sixth solo album, the self-produced Everything Changes, in the UK on September 26th, 2011, through British independent label Conehead Management Ltd.
The seventh studio album by Lennon, Jude, was released on 9 September 2022. The album's title is a reference to the Beatles 1968 song "Hey Jude", written by Paul McCartney (and credited to Lennon–McCartney) for the then five-year-old Julian.
Just For You
Julian Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pour another drink and try to make it last
Thinking of you, thinking of you
I go out in the car, I drive around the block
And I don't hear a thing but the ticking of the clock
Thinking of you, thinking of you
Hung with the Bodhisattva for the one I love the most
And I've danced with the fallen angels, calmed down the turbulent too
Sold my soul to the shadow mind just for you, just for you
This is my confession, can someone take it down?
It's [Incomprehensible] in the hallway, love can't help me now
Love won't help me now
You know I've talked to the Virgin Mary, prayed to the Holy Ghost
Hung with the Bodhisattva for the one I love the most
And I've danced with the fallen angels, calmed down the turbulent too
Sold my soul to the shadow mind just for you
Someone to love you
(Just for you)
Someone to care
(Just for you)
Someone to hold you
(Just for you)
When you are scared
When you are scared
You know I've talked to the Virgin Mary, prayed to the Holy Ghost
Hung with the Bodhisattva for the one I love the most
And I've danced with the fallen angels, calmed down the turbulent too
Sold my soul to the shadow mind just for you
Talked to the Virgin Mary, prayed to the Holy Ghost
Hung with the Bodhisattva for the one I love the most
And I've danced with the fallen angels, calmed down the turbulent too
Sold my soul to the shadow mind just for you
Just for you
Just for you
Just for you.
The lyrics of Julian Lennon's "Just for You" convey a sense of desperation and longing for a lost love. The singer is lost in thoughts of the person they love, constantly seeking ways to distract themselves from the pain. They try to make time go slower by drinking, but the memories of their loved one stay with them. They drive around aimlessly, but the ticking of the clock reminds them of the time they have lost. Despite their attempts to move on, thoughts of the person they love continue to consume them.
The singer then goes on to describe how desperately they have searched for guidance and comfort. They have turned to religion, seeking solace in the Virgin Mary and the Holy Ghost, and even spent time with Bodhisattva in search of answers. They have danced with fallen angels, tried to calm the turbulent emotions within them, and even sold their soul to the shadow mind just to have that one person by their side. The lyrics convey a sense of deep yearning and heartache.
In the chorus, the singer expresses the need for someone to love and care for them, to hold them when they are scared, and to be there for them. The repeated phrase "just for you" could imply that the singer is willing to do anything and everything for their love, but it is all in vain without the other person's reciprocation.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of longing, desperation, and heartache that many people may relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk around the house, sit out on the grass
I am aimlessly moving around the house and sitting on the grass, lost in my thoughts about you
Pour another drink and try to make it last
I am drinking to cope with my emotions, hoping to make the drink last longer to prolong the feeling of relief it brings
Thinking of you, thinking of you
My thoughts are consumed by you, and I cannot help but think about you constantly
I go out in the car, I drive around the block
I am trying to distract myself by going out for a drive, but end up driving around the same block, unable to get you off my mind
And I don't hear a thing but the ticking of the clock
I am so lost in my thoughts that I am not even aware of my surroundings, all I hear is the sound of time passing
You know I've talked to the Virgin Mary, prayed to the Holy Ghost
I have turned to religion in desperation, seeking guidance and hope from the divine powers
Hung with the Bodhisattva for the one I love the most
I have sought solace and wisdom from a spiritual teacher, hoping to find a way to ease my love for you
And I've danced with the fallen angels, calmed down the turbulent too
I have sought advice from unlikely sources, and found some peace amidst my inner turmoil
Sold my soul to the shadow mind just for you, just for you
I am willing to make sacrifices and endure pain for you, even if it costs me my own sanity and well-being
This is my confession, can someone take it down?
I am confessing my innermost feelings and thoughts, but I am unsure if anyone will hear me and understand me
It's [Incomprehensible] in the hallway, love can't help me now
There is some kind of disturbance in the hallway, and at this point, love is not enough to bring me peace or salvation
Someone to love you (Just for you)
I wish there was someone who loves you as deeply and truly as I do, and only you
Someone to care (Just for you)
I wish there was someone who cares for you as much as I do, and only you
Someone to hold you (Just for you)
I wish there was someone who could hold and comfort you in your times of need, and only you
When you are scared
I want to be the one you turn to when you are frightened or vulnerable
Talked to the Virgin Mary, prayed to the Holy Ghost
I will continue to seek guidance from higher powers, still hopeful for a way to cope with my love for you
Hung with the Bodhisattva for the one I love the most
I will continue to seek counsel from wise mentors, still searching for a way to alleviate my love for you
And I've danced with the fallen angels, calmed down the turbulent too
I will continue to search for ways to find peace in my inner turmoil, even if it means seeking guidance from unlikely sources
Sold my soul to the shadow mind just for you
I will do whatever it takes, even if it costs me my own sanity and well-being, just to be with you
Just for you
Everything I do, I do for you, and only you
Contributed by Andrew B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Angela Terace Trippe
Beautiful lyrics, gorgeous melody and the sweetest guitar.. Love it Julian I could listen to you all day long.!
Sandra Hawes
Me too!
Lizeth
Sólo diré que me encanta tu música <3 , tienes un gran talento Julian y un hermoso corazón.
Gloria Bornn
This song is one of many that i love. You can never lose a admirer ever. Listening to the words, instruments and your voice melts together. Love this video as well watching your fingers softly glide over your strings that we don't get to see now. You are your own person and i love it. Thank you for being you🙏🎶
Karma H
I never get tired of hearing this song. Beautiful ♡
robyn larson
I love your new album. As I have said I really do believe your music speaks directly to the soul of a person.
Krisztina
It's incredibly good, I can't stop listening to this song! When the perfect melody meets the perfect lyrics and the most talented performer... Thank you Julian!
Sandra Hawes
Julian is so great my words cannot express it enough
Jean Perea
love love love seeing you sing the lyrics, play the guitar. So love the song. Total devotion. You are a far better song writer than your predecessor.The bridge gave me chills. Outstanding work
Billy Carmen
Amazing talent! Great song.