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.
Let Me Be
Julian Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got them myself
But you depend on me to help you out
Please, let me be
Some people tell me you're moving away
I've been assured that you're going to stay
So please let me be
Please, let me be
I've been assured that you're going to stay
So please let me be
Please, let me be
The lyrics of Julian Lennon's Let Me Be express the frustration of being relied on too heavily by someone who is going through difficulties, while also dealing with personal problems. The opening line, "you say you've got problems, I've got them myself" sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer acknowledges the shared struggles they both face. However, the plea to "let me be" suggests that the singer is feeling overwhelmed and needs space to deal with their own issues. The repetition of the chorus, "please, let me be" reinforces this request for space and independence.
The second verse adds another layer to the song, as the singer hears rumors that the person they are addressing might be moving away. The uncertainty of this possibility adds to the singer's feeling of being trapped and unable to escape the burden of someone else's troubles. The repetition of the refrain in this verse drives home the urgency of this plea for space.
Overall, Let Me Be is a poignant song that captures the emotional complexity of helping others while also struggling with personal challenges. By expressing the frustration and exhaustion that comes from being relied on too heavily, Julian Lennon offers a relatable message to listeners who may have experienced similar feelings. Ultimately, the song's message is a reminder that we all need to take care of ourselves in order to be able to help others.
Line by Line Meaning
You say you've got problems
I understand that you have issues to deal with
I've got them myself
And guess what, I have my own problems too
But you depend on me to help you out
However, I can see that you're relying on me to solve your problems
Please, let me be
I need some space to deal with my own issues
Some people tell me you're moving away
I'm hearing rumors that you're planning to leave
I've been assured that you're going to stay
Although someone else has told me that you're definitely staying
So please let me be
Regardless, I still need you to give me some personal space
Please, let me be
Once again, I'm begging you to respect my need for isolation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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