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.
Now You're in Heaven
Julian Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah happy in my arms
Ah don't look distracted
I'll use my fatal charms
Well you could be happy
But only with me
If you come alive
You can spend your life with me
Well now you're in heaven
Well now you're in heaven
Well you could be lovin'
Ah lovin' in my arms
It's after you're happy
You need my lovin' charms
Well you could be lovin'
But only with me
Just take hold of my hand
It's a trip in ecstasy
[Chorus]
Well now you're in heaven
(Could be happy, could be lovin')
Well now you're in heaven
(You're in heaven, take hold of my hand)
Well now you're in heaven
You're in heaven with me
Well now that you've loved me
Been happy in my arms
You don't look distracted
You lust my subtle charms
Well what do you think now, baby
Do you like it with me
Tell me what you think
Cause I want to know
Yes, I want to know
[Chorus: Repeats]
The song "Now You're in Heaven" by Julian Lennon is about a man who believes that he can provide everything that a woman needs to be happy in life. He believes that he can bring her happiness and love through his fatal charms, and that she can only be happy and loving if she is with him. The chorus of the song, "now you're in heaven," is a reference to the idea that he has brought her to a place of ultimate happiness and fulfillment.
The lyrics of the song are somewhat controversial and have been seen by some as objectifying women. The lines "It's after you're happy/You need my lovin' charms" have been particularly criticized for suggesting that a woman's happiness is incomplete without the affection of a man. However, the song can also be interpreted as an expression of the artist's own desire for love and companionship.
Overall, the song reflects the poppy, upbeat sound that was popular in the late 1980s, the era in which it was released. It features catchy melodies and simple, straightforward lyrics that are easy to sing along to.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you could be happy
I can make you happy
Ah happy in my arms
By being with me, you can find happiness
Ah don't look distracted
Stay with me and don't let anything distract you
I'll use my fatal charms
I'll use my irresistible qualities to keep you with me
Well you could be happy
I am the key to your happiness
But only with me
Your happiness can only be achieved by staying with me
If you come alive
If you embrace your true self
You can spend your life with me
You can choose to be with me forever
Well now you're in heaven
You have found happiness and contentment with me
Well you could be lovin'
You can find true love with me
Ah lovin' in my arms
You can experience the warmth and affection of being in my arms
It's after you're happy
Only after you find happiness with me
You need my lovin' charms
Will you continue to stay with me if I use my charms to keep you?
But only with me
Love can only be experienced with me
Just take hold of my hand
Let me take you on a journey
It's a trip in ecstasy
It will be a journey full of intense happiness
Well now you're in heaven
You have reached an ultimate state of bliss
You're in heaven with me
You are in this state of bliss because you are with me
Well now that you've loved me
Now that you have experienced love with me
Been happy in my arms
You have found happiness in my embrace
You lust my subtle charms
You are enamored with my subtle qualities
Well what do you think now, baby
What are your thoughts on our relationship now?
Do you like it with me
Are you satisfied being with me?
Tell me what you think
Please share your thoughts and feelings with me
Cause I want to know
Because your feedback is important to me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN M. MCCURRY, JULIAN LENNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vox Populi
Well you could be happy
Ah happy in my arms
Ah don't look distracted
I'll use my fatal charms
Well you could be happy
But only with me
If you come alive
You can spend your life with me
Well now you're in heaven
Well now you're in heaven
Well you could be lovin'
Ah lovin' in my arms
It's after you're happy
You need my lovin' charms
Well you could be lovin'
But only with me
Just take hold of my hand
It's a trip in ecstasy
Well now you're in heaven
(Could be happy, could be lovin')
Well now you're in heaven
(You're in heaven, take hold of my hand)
Well now you're in heaven
You're in heaven with me
Well now that you've loved me
Been happy in my arms
You don't look distracted
You lust my subtle charms
Well what do you think now, baby
Do you like it with me
Tell me what you think
Cause I want to know
Yes, I want to know
Well now you're in heaven
(Could be happy, could be lovin')
Well now you're in heaven
(You're in heaven, take hold of my hand)
Well now you're in heaven
You're in heaven with me
S.A. Hogan
A song that always struck me as surprisingly cool and rockin', with a sound like vintage Bowie.
Cathy Baldry
Ohhh yeah
John Ross
Well spotted 👍 reminds me a little of the cars too
Maria Ines Vargas Ojeda
Totalmente de acuerdo.
Saludos desde Chile
Helen Keenan
yes the song does sound like bowie . love jules hes very .very talented
Cookie Wookie
I was 12 years old when this came out and at almost 39, it is still one of my fave songs. Was pretty big here in Australia... Just like Saltwater... LOVE THAT SONG TOOOO!!! Love your voice julian
Peter G
I was a few years younger but I loved RAGE growing up. This song & U2 "All I Want is You" were brilliant music videos :) I'm 40 now, guess it was a benefit being the youngest of 4 kids. Oh Big Audio Dynamite's "The Globe" and B52 "love shack" were also great haha
OmegaJRZ
@Peter G What does it mean?
Peter G
@OmegaJRZ Fifteen miles to the love shack
Peter G
@The Next Bond Villain Klaus Schwab What about Love SHack ?