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.
Other Side of Town
Julian Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's raining outside
Drenched in life's misery tonight
This lonely night
Day for day
With the stars falling at our feet
All the time
We were living down on easy street
[Bridge]
She won't be home tonight
Because our luck has changed
And nothing stays the same
[Chorus]
When the sky falls down
Does it make a sound
On the other side of town?
So we live with less
Love and happiness
On the other side of town
I cry to sleep
Wondering who
Cradles you softly and true
Day for day
With the stars falling at our feet
All the time
We were living down on easy street
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
In Julian Lennon's song "Other Side Of Town," the singer opens up the song by asking for someone to open the door to him as it is raining outside. The rain might symbolize something bad happening outside or even washing away past regret and sadness. The words "Drenched in life's misery tonight" suggests that the character is in a bad place and is seeking refuge somewhere. The singer laments that he is experiencing loneliness which might suggest that he is missing someone or feeling disconnected from a certain community. The chorus line "When the sky falls down, does it make a sound on the other side of town?" might suggest that the character feels isolated in his pain and wonders if anyone else understands or is going through something similar.
The second verse continues the theme of loneliness with the character crying himself to sleep while wondering who is cradling the person he misses softly and truly. The lyrics "With the stars falling at our feet, all the time, we were living down on easy street" might refer to a time when things were better or might be used to contrast the current sense of struggle and pain the character is going through. The chorus line "So we live with less love and happiness on the other side of town" also further emphasizes the isolation and sense of being cut off. The song concludes by repeating the bridge and chorus, driving home that things have changed and nothing stays the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Open the door to me
Asking for someone's acceptance and willingness to listen
It's raining outside
The world is full of sadness and gloom
Drenched in life's misery tonight
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed and despairing
This lonely night
Feeling isolated and longing for company
Day for day
Every day is the same, monotonous and bleak
With the stars falling at our feet
Feeling insignificant and helpless as the world changes around us
All the time
Feeling stuck in a rut and unable to escape
We were living down on easy street
Life used to be effortless and carefree, but now it's a struggle
She won't be home tonight
Someone important won't be returning, causing anxiety and uncertainty
Because our luck has changed
Our circumstances have taken a turn for the worse
And nothing stays the same
Change is inevitable, and everything eventually shifts
When the sky falls down
In moments of chaos or trauma, everything feels like it's falling apart
Does it make a sound
Wondering if anyone else is affected by our struggles and hardships
On the other side of town?
Reflecting on how others might be experiencing similar pain and difficulties
So we live with less
We are forced to make do with less than we had before
Love and happiness
Our emotional satisfaction and contentment have been compromised
I cry to sleep
Unable to process emotions during the day, resulting in tears at night
Wondering who
Questioning who is there to comfort and support us
Cradles you softly and true
Wishing for a loving presence that provides safety and security
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JULIAN LENNON, PAUL GERARD BUCHANAN, ROBERT BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind