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
Headlights
Sean Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This wasn't my head you're looking at
Not even my eyes beneath this hat
Let me assure you
Not every one loves to be afraid
Cause nothing feels better than ok
So lets hide
For a rainy day
Never forget to pray
Before you go to bed tonight
You must turn off all your headlights
I'm a believer
Insignificant things can bring you dreams
impeccable sense invisible streams
I'd never leave her
In any other circumstance
Today I'm gonna take my chance
So lets hide
All the diamonds and cocaine
For the rainy day
Never forget to pray
Before you go to bed tonight
You must turn off all your headlights
Count the stars instead of crying
Life is only slowly dying
So lets hide
All the diamonds and cocaine
For the rainy day
Never forget to pray
Before you go to bed tonight
You must turn off all your headlights
Blow out the candles in your mind
You won't be needing them this time
The lyrics of Sean Lennon’s “Headlights” expresses a desire to escape the materialistic and hedonistic urges that can often consume a person's life. The first verse implies that the persona is not who he seems to be on the surface; the hat he wears obscures his eyes as if he wants to remain hidden. He suggests that not everyone likes to be afraid of letting go of their excesses, and that simply feeling ok can be better than being consumed by your fears.
The second verse talks about the idea that little things can make a big difference, and that love and possibility can come from anywhere. The persona claims multiple times that he would never leave ‘her,’ implying the importance of connection over anything else. This is reinforced in the chorus, where the persona urges listeners to turn off their headlights before going to bed. The lyrics suggest that we should all turn away from the artificial light and focus on the infinite possibilities of the universe represented by the stars.
The third verse is a continuation of the idea, suggesting that we should blow out the candles in our minds and stop clinging to our worries or material wants. The persona suggests that life is slowly dying, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t find comfort in the world around you. Ultimately, the lyrics of Sean Lennon’s “Headlights” are about the struggle for peace and meaning, and a call to embrace the moments in which one finds these things.
Line by Line Meaning
What if I told you
Imagine if I confided in you
This wasn't my head you're looking at
The thoughts and ideas I have may go beyond the usual
Not even my eyes beneath this hat
Even though I'm hidden, I'm still observing everything around me
Let me assure you
Let me make it clear to you
Not every one loves to be afraid
Some people don't find comfort in fear
Cause nothing feels better than ok
Feeling okay can be a great comfort
So lets hide
Let's keep our possessions out of sight
All the diamonds and cocaine
Expensive and illegal items
For a rainy day
For the future when it may be needed
Never forget to pray
Don't forget to ask for divine guidance
Before you go to bed tonight
At the end of today
You must turn off all your headlights
You should shut down your mind, relax and be calm
I'm a believer
I have faith in things that I cannot see
Insignificant things can bring you dreams
Little things can inspire you
Impeccable sense invisible streams
Flawless intuition that cannot be seen
I'd never leave her
I wouldn't let her go
In any other circumstance
In other circumstances, it may not be the case
Today I'm gonna take my chance
Today, I'm going to take a risk
Count the stars instead of crying
Don't be sad, look for the positive things around you
Life is only slowly dying
Life is slowly coming to an end
Blow out the candles in your mind
Let go of worries and overthinking
You won't be needing them this time
Those thoughts are unnecessary at the moment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: SEAN ONO LENNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@howan2508
I don't know why many people say that Sean is bad at singing. This is not a John Lennon song, it's written by Sean, he is talented, and this is the truth. The only thing that lets him down is that he is still a Lennon, and will be forever compared to his father.
@karkil8414
Howard Siu He is really bad
@UndeadSoldier103
It’s really hard for him to stand apart from his father when he tries to replicate John’s iconic look and sound lmao
@regulardadhere8832
Good, bad is up to the individual. I dig it. I respect any musicians kid for even making music. Imo dude is overloaded with talent. Kinda to much for his own good in a positive way.
@rizkiambardi2454
da emang jiga bapakna
@synystersay10m35
People are so wrong, Sean has a gorgeous voice..
@dg6845
This is my second time hearing this album. Very good. Sounds like a modern beatles song. Dad would be proud.
@elizabethkrause3657
I love his music and his voice. It is so great and he deserves more credit for his music. He has his own talent and it is unfair to be compared to his father.
@mxkxylplk
been listening to about 7 songs from him so far....based on my opinion, most of his songs and MV's have a very 90s alternative feel that went along with the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins, Mazzy Star or Weezer. He would've done well in that era.
@calebkim2275
I mean he written alot of it when he was younger