His first appearance on record was on Ono's album Season of Glass (1981), reciting a story that his father used to tell him. At the age of 9, he performed the song "It's Alright" on the Yoko Ono tribute album Every Man Has A Woman (1984). In 1988 Sean was featured in the cast of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker. He has recalled working with Jackson as a positive experience. Later in life, his initial efforts as a serious musician came as collaborations: he appeared on Lenny Kravitz's album Mama Said (1991) and formed backing-band IMA for his mother's album Rising (1995).
In 1997 Lennon (along with fellow IMA member Timo Ellis) joined New York-based Japanese duo Cibo Matto (Miho Hatori & Yuka Honda) for their second EP, Super Relax. Through his association with Cibo Matto, he was approached by the Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch, who expressed an interest in his music. Lennon's debut solo album, Into the Sun, was released in 1998 on the Beastie Boys' record label, Grand Royal Records. Regarding Grand Royal, Sean has said, "I think I found the only label on the planet who doesn't care who my parents are and what my name is. It's a good feeling to know that I wouldn't have gotten the offer if they wouldn't have liked my songs. That's pretty rare in the music business!". Into the Sun was produced by fellow Cibo Matto member and then girlfriend, Yuka Honda, who Sean claimed was his inspiration for the album. A music video for "Home", a single from the album, was directed by Spike Jonze and enjoyed extended airplay on MTV. Cibo Matto played as Sean's backing band on Into The Sun and joined him during the closing scene in the "Home" music video.
In 1999, Sean's EP Half Horse, Half Musician was released featuring new tracks such as "Heart & Lung" and "Happiness" as well as remixes of songs from Into The Sun. Later in the year, Cibo Matto released their second album Stereo Type A. To the dismay of many Cibo Matto fans Stereo Type A was to be their final album and the group has since disbanded. The Millennium saw Sean briefly stepping into the world of Hip Hop, contributing vocals to Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Handsome Boy Modeling School (in which he performed a duet on "Sunshine" with musician Josh Haden). In 2001, Sean performed "This Boy" and "Across The Universe" live with Rufus Wainwright and Moby for Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music. In the following years Sean stayed out of the spotlight (aside from gaining minor media attention when he dated Elizabeth Jagger). However he collaborated with various bands and artists either as a session musician or as a producer.
After Grand Royal Records' demise in 2001, Sean signed with Capitol Records, yet no solo material surfaced until early February 2006, when "Dead Meat" was released as the first single from his new album, Friendly Fire. A promotional trailer for the CD/DVD package of Friendly Fire was leaked online in early 2006. The trailer featured scenes from the film version of the album, a DVD of music videos comprised into a film. In actuality, the videos were screen tests for Coin Locker Babies, another project on which Lennon is working, and rather than waste film, he decided to create a cinematic counterpart to his new album. Friendly Fire went on to be released in October, 2006. Though mixed reviews (however mostly positive) came from the music press, the album was highly praised by fans and many [attribution needed] consider it to be Sean's strongest work to date. The night the album was released, Lennon made his first major television appearance since 2001, performing "Dead Meat" live on the Late Show with David Letterman. Lennon has since appeared on The Sharon Osbourne Show (UK) and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Aside from his solo music, 2006 also saw Lennon collaborating with Jordan Galland and his band Dopo Yume for their album The Secret Show as well as The Strokes guitar player Albert Hammond, Jr. on his debut solo album Yours to Keep. Since 2006, Sean has been touring extensively in promotion of Friendly Fire and while in France remixed his song "Parachute" in collaboration with French artist -M-. The remix is entitled "L'éclipse".
Albums
(1998) Into the Sun
(2006) Friendly Fire
EPs
(1999) Half Horse, Half Musician
Singles
(1998) "Home"
(1999) "Queue (Radio Mix)"
(2006) "Dead Meat"
Producer
(1999) Sean Lennon, Half Horse Half Musician
(2001) Valentine Original Soundtrack
(2005) Esthero, Wikked Lil' Grrrls
(2006) Sean Lennon, Friendly Fire
(2007) Irina Lazareanu, Some Place Along the Way
Actor
(1988) Moonwalker
(2006) Friendly Fire
(2008) (in production) Coin Locker Babies
Writer
(2005) Smile For The Camera
(2006) Friendly Fire
(2008) (in production) Coin Locker Babies
Happiness
Sean Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That everyone around you knows the deal
Except you
And it makes you feel
Like a moray eel
Green and blue
But listen up because
In life
Have you ever felt uncool
On the way to school, you drag your feet around.
Sometimes you act like a fool
Just to get her to look over at you
But listen up because I know just how it feels
To be the only one without a clue
Happiness is when you're not stressed
Though you messed up many things
And all the rest
You can forget 'cause it's not worth suffering
Maybe I'm not all that you expect me to be
But one day
I'll show you all I can be
In Sean Lennon's song "Happiness," the lyrics are talking about feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. The opening lines describe a common human experience of feeling like an outsider, as if everyone else around you knows what's going on, but you don't. This can make you feel like you're floundering, like a "moray eel, green and blue." In the following lines, Lennon offers a small bit of solace to the listener, by saying that he can relate to feeling like you want more out of life than what you have so far.
The second stanza takes the feelings of not belonging and feeling left out a step further, by describing the experience of feeling uncool and like a fool. Trying to get noticed by someone you have a crush on even if that means sacrificing your dignity. The lyrics suggest that this is something that everyone has experienced at some point in their life. The chorus reminds us of the importance of not stressing too much and not dwelling on our past mistakes. Happiness is about being able to let go of the things that hold us back so that we can focus on the people and experiences that make us happy.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever felt before
Have you ever experienced a feeling earlier where you think everybody around you understands what is going on except you, and it makes you feel like a multicolored eel.
That everyone around you knows the deal
The people around you possess information that you lack.
Except you
You are the only one who does not understand what is going on.
And it makes you feel
This realization makes you feel a certain way.
Like a moray eel
You feel green and blue like a moray eel.
But listen up because
Listen very carefully now.
I know just how it feels to want more than you have
I know the feeling of wanting more than you possess.
In life
In the context of one's life.
Have you ever felt uncool
Have you ever had the feeling of not being cool.
On the way to school, you drag your feet around.
You move your feet without enthusiasm on your way to school.
Sometimes you act like a fool
At times you behave foolishly.
Just to get her to look over at you
To get her to notice you, you act in a foolish manner.
But listen up because I know just how it feels
Listen to me, I entirely understand how you feel.
To be the only one without a clue
To be the solely clueless one.
Happiness is when you're not stressed
Happiness is achieved when you are free of stress.
Though you messed up many things
Even when you have erred in many things.
And all the rest
And every other thing that might have gone wrong.
You can forget 'cause it's not worth suffering
You can forget about them because there is no point in suffering for it.
Maybe I'm not all that you expect me to be
It is possible that I am not everything you expect me to be.
But one day
Someday in the future.
I'll show you all I can be
I will demonstrate what I am capable of.
Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tinfoilhatter
best song of the twentieth century, unless you consider the 'into the sun' cd, that whole damn thing's gold as well! and everything by julian too~
@christianchavez386
Have you ever felt before
That everyone around you knows the deal
Except you
And it makes you feel
Like a moray eel
Green and blue
But listen up because
I know just how it feels to want more than you have
In life
Have you ever felt uncool
On the way to school, you drag your feet around.
Sometimes you act like a fool
Just to get her to look over at you
But listen up because i know just how it feels
To be the only one without a clue
Happiness is when you're not stressed
Though you messed up many things
And all the rest
You can forget 'cause it's not worth suffering
Maybe i'm not all that you expect me to be
But one day
I'll show you all i can be… 😭
@happymethehappyone8300
What's Wild To Me Is That He Sounds Like His Dad,, BUT,, Also A Little Bit Like Paul McCartney
..Think About That The Next Time You Listen To Him & I'll Bet That You Will Hear That Too.
@DCNRS90YT
Beautiful song! :D
@tinfoilhatter
yes it is! it seems to grow! [no, it really means more than it used to!] even as 'simple' and harmless as it is, it might take over the whole world if [the world] would just stop and listen about seven times! [what a track! there's no tellin' where this one's goin', it ain't stoppin', man!]
@franciscocilloniz4216
The Sag Rescue .. ☠
@joseraul2454
Please upload to your channel all the songs of this album! :3
@tinfoilhatter
yeah, man, like, how many were there, yo?