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.
Sunday Morning
Julian Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watch my lips as i say good-bye
Can't you see i don't want to cry
On this Sunday morning
Drop my change as i move away
Can't you see i just want you to stay
Please don't hate me for being this way
Oh, please don't keep me hanging on
Oh, oh, oh won't you hold me in your arms
Through the window the plane goes by
Waiting for you to call and cry
Please don't do this or i shall die
On this Sunday morning
Oh, please don't keep me hanging on
Oh, oh, oh won't you hold me in your arms
Oh, please don't keep me hanging on
Oh, oh, oh won't you hold me in your arms
On this Sunday morning
The lyrics to Julian Lennon's Sunday Morning tell the story of a man saying goodbye to someone he loves and struggling to hold back his tears. He watches a plane flying by and drops his change as he moves away. The man pleads with the person to stay and not hate him for being the way he is. He is waiting for a call and fears that, if the person doesn't call or cry, he will die. He begs the person not to keep him hanging on and to hold him in their arms.
The lyrics are filled with emotion and vulnerability, as the man struggles to come to terms with his feelings and the separation from the person he loves. The use of descriptive language, such as "through the window the plane goes by," creates a vivid image of the scene, and the repetition of the plea to be held adds to the sense of longing and desperation. Overall, the lyrics are a poignant reminder of the power of love and the pain of separation.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the window the plane goes by
Watching an airplane through the window, flying far away from the loved one.
Watch my lips as i say good-bye
Making the last moment count to say goodbye to the loved one and cherish the memories.
Can't you see i don't want to cry
Trying hard to control the tears while saying farewell to the dear one.
On this Sunday morning
The moment of departure happens on a peaceful Sunday morning.
Drop my change as i move away
Feeling clumsy and disoriented while moving away from someone special.
Can't you see i just want you to stay
Craving for the loved one to stay by his/her side forever and not leave.
Please don't hate me for being this way
Being vulnerable and expressing love should not be judged or hated.
Oh, please don't keep me hanging on
Begging not to be kept waiting forever without knowing whether the loved one cares or not.
Oh, oh, oh won't you hold me in your arms
Longing for a warm and affectionate hug from the loved one, who is miles away.
Waiting for you to call and cry
Expecting the loved one to call and share the same emotional pain and heartache.
Please don't do this or I shall die
The separation causes immense emotional distress and prolonged sadness, which feels like dying.
On this Sunday morning
The day of the week does not matter now, as the pain feels the same every day without the loved one.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JULIAN LENNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nite Flyer
I remain in support of Chapman's Incarceration... doesn't matter what time or what day... I stand with this Family (Lennon)... Eternally... forever freedom remains "DENIED!" is my thought (Chapman)...
the day grows near... the light fails his dreams..!...
Chapman fails... and is lost to the future...!
It shall be made so...
Amen.....
Loveen Beck
a good song like this gives you a vision of the place he is singing about. amazing
Sandra Hawes
Julian has a a wonderful voice
Magali Robinson
Great song. I want to go to church again and wear my cross:)
xxxchrist1
A brilliant album, every song is a gem. 1988 this came out and was largely ignored.
Michael Fleming
1989 Mr. Jordan
Michael Fleming
1989 Mr. Jordan :)
michavandam
Wasn't it in 1989?
Sandra Hawes
Julian's voice is beautiful!
fabianmosq
excelente!!!
Sandra Hawes
Wow love his voice!