Mother
Lennon John/Plastic Ono Band Lyrics

Lennon's song "Mother" tackles issues revolving around rejection, abandonment, and parental neglect. The song's opening verses show how Lennon felt rejected by his mother, who gave him up to his aunt, Mimi Smith, to raise because she had to pursue her own passions. Lennon was often bitter about this event, and in the song, he talks about how he wanted his mother, but she didn't want him. The chorus, "Goodbye, goodbye" is his way of expressing the pain of being abandoned by his mother.

In the second verse, Lennon addresses his absent father, who left him and his mother when he was a child. Lennon confesses that he needed his father, but his father didn't need him. Here, Lennon is confronting the pain of being left behind, feeling similarly abandoned as he did when his mother left him.

In the third verse, Lennon addresses his children and advises them not to repeat his mistakes. He acknowledges that he tried to run when he couldn't walk, which suggests that he struggled with his personal demons and couldn't decipher how to overcome them. It's a call to his children to be resilient and learn from their dad's failure.

Overall, Lennon's "Mother" is an emotive recounting of his own pain and the chaos of his childhood. The lyrics are raw and intimate, as Lennon exposes his innermost emotions.