10. “Whatever Gets You Through the Night”
It seems hard to believe that this was John Lennon’s only #1 solo single in his lifetime. While fellow bandmates Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr all racked up such hits early on, it was working with Elton John (who was recording a version of the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”) that brought out the artist’s considered commerciality. It also happened with David Bowie, when Lennon collaborated on the track “Fame”. As it rollicks back and forth, horns blaring the announcement of purpose, this likeable ode to hedonism reflects a thoughtful performer trying to have fun… perhaps too much fun.
9. “Working Class Hero”
Lennon always had an issue with his fame. He felt burdened by the expectations of his fans and the critical eye of the media. For this simple boy from Liverpool, talent was not enough to put things into perspective, on any side of the situation. So, when looking at the lyrics to this undeniably strong track, it’s important to sift through at all the angles: the childhood traumas; the corrupting social ills; the fool’s paradise of participation (or lack thereof); the need to come together and forge some manner of change. Quite a switch from the simple plaintive “All You Need Is Love” lament.
8. “Out the Blue”
For the most part, Lennon wrote songs about one subject and one subject exclusively, his complicated relationship with wife and muse Yoko Ono. She was the breath of fresh air this suffocating superstar needed, and even when their marriage became strained in the early ’70s, he returned to her life-changing effects again and again. Without the older Japanese performance artist as part of his process, it’s impossible to comprehend what Lennon would have done. As this song suggests, the lightning bolt she provided was the answer to a myriad of miseries. While some have suggested it’s really about then mistress May Pang, it’s clearly a ode Yoko — as were many of his solo songs.
7. “Imagine”
Had it not become the “Amazing Grace” of a postmodern PC world, has it not been overplayed on every oldies station on the planet, this song would rank right up near the top. It is indeed a beautiful musical masterwork. But the decision to drum the dreamy chord changes into everyone’s brain brings two distinct complaints. Aside from the old musical maxim of familiarity breeding contempt, there’s also the constant misconstruction and misuse of Lennon’s message. Paraphrasing the classic line in Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters, if Lennon were alive today to see what’s being said in his name, he’d never stop throwing up.
6. “Jealous Guy”
Though the melody dated back to his days as a Beatle (composed during the infamous trip to India, specifically), the lyrics came together during the Imagine sessions, resulting in the greatest non-singles in Lennon’s catalog. One of the most unique love songs ever written, the unusually paranoid perspective (he sings of “shivering inside” and losing “control” throughout) offers an emotional core far more striking than the standard “Moon/June/Spoon” conceits. While it’s hard to imagine anyone being this concerned over their proposed soulmate, Lennon was clearly uneasy. Given his history — and what was to come — he had a right to be.
5. “God”
Anyone needing a perfect postscript to the Beatles era need look no further than this stunning gospel tinged track. As with most of Plastic Ono Band, the starkness adds to the song’s power, a stinging denouncement to everything the previous decade stood for. Though many would see the lyrics as yet another rebuke of religion (like the infamous “bigger than Jesus” remark), the truth is a lot more subtle. With the line “God is a concept by which we measure our pain”, Lennon was looking inward instead of skyward, with the only real Heaven a clarity of self, not some pearly gated community.
4. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”
Leave it to John Lennon to combine Christmas with a more militant demand for world peace. As part of his unusual approach to revolution — bagism, Nutopia, bed-ins — he argued that a true end to war was only a vocal visualization away. With the proposal seemed overly simplistic, he actually had a point. If all the people in the world used their inherent power to demand change, only the corrupt and despotic could deny them same. As a challenge, as a reminder that time keeps passing and that holidays are meant for joy, not pain, this subversive song is more command than carol.
3. “Woman”
Fans love to mock this dreamy bit of pure pop bliss as nothing more than middling MOR muzak, but nothing could be further from the truth. As a confessional, as a way for Lennon to explain his ongoing fascination with Yoko and the lingering power of the female, it’s a million miles away from Plastic Ono Band‘s “Mother”, but the emotion remains the same. Instead of a stark appeal for missing maternal love, Lennon recognizes his own flaws and pleads guilty to being unappreciative of what he did/does have. It’s the gorgeous sonic backdrop that makes the mea culpa go down that much easier.
2. “#9 Dream”
Only John Lennon could get away with a song like this. Had his pals Paul or George recorded something similar, they’d be dismissed as slick, syrupy and way too superficial. Like a companion piece to his Sgt. Pepper‘s phase, the swirling symphonic backdrop belies an enlightened excursion into the singer’s subconscious… and it’s one weird trip. The female voice whispering John’s name is not Yoko, but then mistress May Pang, making the otherworldly message of personal transcendence even more perplexing. With a nonsense chorus and an unusual time signature and structure, it shouldn’t work. But Lennon finds a way to make it come together, resulting in one of his best, more beautiful songs.
1. “Instant Karma (We All Shine On)”
Encompassing everything Lennon stood for — peace, love, understanding, involvement, and just a sneaky bit of internal/external vitriol — this masterpiece of pop songwriting is so gloriously schizophrenic that you’re never sure if it’s a harsh rebuff or a communal call to arms. While the course tries to link all mankind together in a sort of shout-along group hug, the verses vent at the undecided, the undeclared, and the uninspired. In something like “Imagine”, Lennon used a more wistful, calming tone to get his point across. From the slap backbeat of the drums to the pounding piano, this sonic sledgehammer is far more pointed and powerful.