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.
Keep the People Working
Julian Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep the people working, working
Keep the people working, working
Keep the people working, working
Gotta keep the people working
In the bed of iron they cast the final weapon
Just to keep the people working, got to keep the people working
From the mines of anatolia to the isle of mandalay
Along the coast of sullen africa, they're queuing up to pay
No cause, I don't discriminate, I sell to those who buy
There never was an innocent who didn't want to die
And with demand upon the increase what could keep the cost down
If I keep the people fighting, I can really go to town
No surprise, the cash you borrow, we can close the deal tomorrow
Just swiss francs or dollars won't cause me any borrow, boy
In a bed of iron they cast the final weapon
Just to keep the people working, got to keep the people working
In a bed of iron they cast the final weapon
Just to keep the people working, got to keep the people working
Everybody itching for someone to serve the task
I'll arm the politician for the coup, the crew, the cast,
I have a score of different faces, I can look like a lord
Seen in high places, flying on the concorde
Well you can marvel at precision, you can dial a telephone
Call up color vision from the safety of your home
You can mount the great offensive from a button by the chair
If you arm the right system, you can ionize the air
In a bed of iron, they cast the final weapon
Just to keep the people working, got to keep the people working
In a bed or iron they cast the final weapon
Just to keep the people working, got to keep the people working
Like the wind across the frontier or the breaking light of day
I push across the mountains, all around the bay of biscay
Freeze in north america, boil in pakistan
All along the amazon, from the fire to the frying pan
Whether air, sea or battle ground, desert sand or snow
When they sell the final weapon we can all watch it blow
The song "Keep The People Working" by Julian Lennon is a commentary on the military-industrial complex and the idea that war and conflict are often perpetuated for the sake of profit and job creation. The first verse speaks to the idea that the final weapon being sold could lead to destruction and chaos, but as long as people are working, it doesn't matter. The chorus, "Keep the people working, working", is repeated three times, emphasizing the importance of keeping people employed to prevent unrest and upheaval.
The second verse speaks to the global nature of the arms trade, with references to countries like Anatolia and Mandalay, as well as a nod to the idea that there are no innocent parties in wars. The singer states that as demand for weapons increases, the cost goes down, incentivizing the arms dealers to keep people fighting. The third verse references the ease with which modern warfare can be waged, with people controlling drones and other weapons systems from the safety of their homes. The final verse speaks to the worldwide impact of conflict and the fact that it affects people in all corners of the globe.
Overall, the song is a call to arms (no pun intended) for people to recognize the dangers inherent in the arms trade and the military-industrial complex, and to work towards a more peaceful and equitable world.
Line by Line Meaning
When they sell the final weapon, we can all watch it blow
If someone sells the ultimate weapon, it will lead to disaster and destruction.
Keep the people working, working
It is essential to keep people employed and busy.
Gotta keep the people working
It is necessary to maintain employment to foster growth and stability.
In the bed of iron they cast the final weapon
The ultimate weapon is made with strong, durable materials.
Just to keep the people working, got to keep the people working
The weapon is made to maintain employment and production.
From the mines of anatolia to the isle of mandalay
The weapon is sold to customers worldwide.
Along the coast of sullen africa, they're queuing up to pay
There are customers in Africa waiting to purchase the weapon.
No cause, I don't discriminate, I sell to those who buy
The seller is indiscriminate and will sell the weapon to anyone who can afford it.
There never was an innocent who didn't want to die
There are no innocent people, and everyone has some desire to harm others.
And with demand upon the increase what could keep the cost down
Since there is high demand for the weapon, it maintains a reasonable cost.
If I keep the people fighting, I can really go to town
By promoting conflict, there is a greater opportunity for weapon sales.
No surprise, the cash you borrow, we can close the deal tomorrow
Financing is available, and a deal can be made swiftly.
Just swiss francs or dollars won't cause me any borrow, boy
The seller is not worried about repayment, as they accept major currencies.
Everybody itching for someone to serve the task
People are eager to serve in any capacity.
I'll arm the politician for the coup, the crew, the cast
The seller will sell weapons to politicians, military groups, and actors.
I have a score of different faces, I can look like a lord
The seller can appear to be anyone and has many aliases and identities.
Seen in high places, flying on the concorde
The seller has connections and is often seen traveling in luxury.
Well you can marvel at precision, you can dial a telephone
The weapon is sophisticated and can be operated remotely.
Call up color vision from the safety of your home
You can operate the weapon from the safety of your home.
You can mount the great offensive from a button by the chair
You can initiate significant attacks from the comfort of your chair.
If you arm the right system, you can ionize the air
The weapon can cause a significant environmental impact by ionizing the air.
Like the wind across the frontier or the breaking light of day
The weapon has a far-reaching impact.
I push across the mountains, all around the bay of biscay
The weapon and its effects are vast and widespread.
Freeze in north america, boil in pakistan
The weapon can cause extreme temperature changes in different parts of the world.
All along the amazon, from the fire to the frying pan
The weapon can impact the Amazon rainforest and local communities.
Whether air, sea or battle ground, desert sand or snow
The weapon is capable of causing destruction in any environment.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network
Written by: A. MOORE, Anthony Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind