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
Part One Of The Cowboy Trilogy
Sean Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Came back the very next day
I decided to drink some wine
Cause I couldn't get my way
Oh I said I'm gonna leave
But I guess I'm gonna stay
If I was a rooster
If I was an eagle
I would try to fly away
Oh I said I'm gonna leave
But I guess I'm gonna stay
How come you never know
What it is I'm trying to say?
Hw come it's freezing cold
Wen we're in the month of may?
Oh I said I'm gonna leave
But I guess I'm gonna stay
The lyrics of Sean Lennon's song Part One Of The Cowboy Trilogy depict the inner turmoil of a man who is stuck in a very complicated and toxic relationship. The song talks about how his partner left him one night, only to return the very next day, leaving the man confused and frustrated. In his frustration, the man turns to drinking wine to try and calm himself down. He knows that he should leave the relationship because it's not healthy, but he can't seem to bring himself to do so. He compares his own behavior to that of a rooster and an eagle, saying that if he were an eagle, he would fly away, but he's not, so he can't.
The chorus of the song, "How come you never know what it is I'm trying to say? How come it's freezing cold when we're in the month of May? Oh, I said I'm gonna leave, but I guess I'm gonna stay" highlights the frustrations of the man in the relationship. He feels like his partner never understands him and that he's stuck in a situation that he can't escape from. Despite his best efforts to leave, he always ends up staying.
Overall, the lyrics of the song paint a very vivid picture of a complicated and frustrating relationship. The man is struggling with his own emotions and feelings, and it seems like he can't find a way out. The song is a beautiful exploration of the complexities of human relationships and the emotional turmoil that can come with them.
Line by Line Meaning
She left me just the other night
My partner broke up with me recently
Came back the very next day
But then she changed her mind and came back soon after
I decided to drink some wine
In response to this emotional turmoil, I chose to have some alcohol
Cause I couldn't get my way
I was feeling powerless and frustrated that things weren't going as planned
Oh I said I'm gonna leave
I threatened to leave the relationship
But I guess I'm gonna stay
But ultimately, I decided to stay put and work things out
If I was a rooster
If I were a rooster, I would crow all day
I would cockadoodle all day
I would be very vocal and expressive if given the chance
If I was an eagle
If I were an eagle, I would try to soar to great heights
I would try to fly away
I would aim for the sky, explore the world, and find new adventures
How come you never know
Why is it that you never seem to understand or comprehend what I'm saying?
What it is I'm trying to say?
I'm struggling to articulate my thoughts and feelings in a way that you can understand
How come it's freezing cold
Why is it that despite it being May, the weather is still so cold and unpleasant?
When we're in the month of May?
It seems odd and out of place for it to still feel like winter when it should be spring
Oh I said I'm gonna leave
Once again, I threatened to leave the relationship
But I guess I'm gonna stay
However, I ultimately decided to stay and try to make things work
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: SEAN ONO LENNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind