God (John Lennon song)
"God" | |
---|---|
![]() Cover to promo single issued by Odeon in Spain in 1988 | |
Song by John Lennon | |
from the album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band | |
Released | 11 December 1970 |
Recorded | 26 September – 9 October 1970 [1] |
Length | 4:09 |
Label | Apple/EMI |
Songwriter(s) | John Lennon |
Producer(s) | John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector |
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band track listing | |
show
11 tracks |
"God" is a song by English musician John Lennon, from his first post-Beatles solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. The album was released on 11 December 1970 in the United States and the United Kingdom.[2]
Meaning[]
There are three sections in the song. In the first section, John Lennon describes God as "a concept by which we measure our pain". In the second, Lennon lists many movements that he does not believe in, ending by stating that he just believes in himself (individuality) and Yoko (his wife). He rejects magic, the I Ching, the Bible, tarot, Hitler, Jesus, Kennedy, the Buddha, mantra, the Gita, yoga, kings, Elvis, Zimmerman (Bob Dylan) and the Beatles.[3] The final section describes Lennon's change since the break-up of the Beatles. While the Beatles were basically his family throughout the 1960s,[2] he states that he is no longer the "Dreamweaver" or "The Walrus", but just "John". The final line of the song, "The dream is over,” in effect officially declared the end of the 1960s and its quest for meaning in utopian movements. Lennon is saying that meaning lies within oneself. "If there is a God," Lennon explained, "we're all it."[4]
Personnel[]
The musicians who performed on the original recording were as follows:[5]
- John Lennon – vocals, tack piano[6]
- Billy Preston – grand piano[6]
- Ringo Starr – drums
- Klaus Voormann – bass guitar
Notes[]
- ^ https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/john-lennon/songs/god/
- ^ Jump up to: a b "God". The Beatles Bible. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ Wiener, Jon. (1991). Come together : John Lennon in his time (Illini books ed.). Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06131-4. OCLC 21907530.
- ^ Wenner, Jann S. (2000). Lennon Remembers. London: Verso. p. 48. ISBN 1-85984-376-X.
- ^ Blaney, John (2005). John Lennon: Listen To This Book. Guildford, Great Britain: Biddles Ltd. p. 61. ISBN 0-9544528-1-X.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "God (p. 2)". The Beatles Bible. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
External links[]
- 1970 songs
- John Lennon songs
- List songs
- Song recordings produced by John Lennon
- Song recordings produced by Phil Spector
- Song recordings produced by Yoko Ono
- Songs critical of religion
- Songs written by John Lennon
- Songs about the Beatles
- Songs about John Lennon
- Songs about Yoko Ono
- Plastic Ono Band songs