Woman (John Lennon song): Difference between revisions

"Woman"
"Woman"
Song
B-side	"Beautiful Boys" (Yoko Ono)

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"Woman" is a song written and performed by John Lennon from his 1980 album Double Fantasy. The track was chosen by Lennon to be the second single released from the Double Fantasy album, and it was the first Lennon single issued after his death on 8 December 1980.^[1] The B-side of the single is Ono's song "Beautiful Boys".^[1]

Lennon wrote "Woman" as an ode to his wife Yoko Ono, and to all women.^[2] The track begins with Lennon whispering, "For the other half of the sky ...", a paraphrase of a Chinese proverb, once used by Mao Zedong.

Background

In an interview for Rolling Stone magazine on 5 December 1980, Lennon said that "Woman" was a "grown-up version" of his song "Girl".^[3] On 5 June 1981, Geffen re-released "Woman" as a single as part of their "Back to Back Hits" series, with the B-side "(Just Like) Starting Over".^[1] In 1965, Lennon's then-songwriting partner and fellow Beatle band mate, Paul McCartney, had written a different song entitled "Woman" for Peter & Gordon using a pseudonym. Thus, both Lennon and McCartney have individual credit for writing different charting songs with the same title.

Chart performance

The single debuted at number 3 in the UK, then moving to number 2 and finally reaching number 1, where it spent two weeks, knocking off the top spot his own re-released "Imagine". In the US the single peaked at number 2 on Billboard Hot 100 (kept out of the top spot by Blondie's hit "Rapture") while reaching number 1 on the Cashbox Top 100.^[4]

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1981)	Peak position
Australia	4
Austria	3
Canada	1
Germany	4
Netherlands	11
Norway	5
New Zealand	1
Switzerland	2
UK	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks ^[5]	4
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 ^[6]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1981)	Rank
Australia ^[7]	34
Canada	15
New Zealand ^[8]	10
UK ^[9]	14
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 ^[10]	21
U.S. Cash Box ^[11]	16

Personnel

John Lennon - vocals, acoustic guitar
Earl Slick, Hugh McCracken - lead guitar
Tony Levin - bass
George Small - piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano
Michelle Simpson, Cassandra Wooten, Cheryl Mason Jacks, Eric Troyer - backing vocals
Andy Newmark - drums
Arthur Jenkins - percussion

Cover versions

The Shadows did an instrumental version as a medley with 'Imagine' in 1981.

Pop group Brotherhood of Man recorded a version in 1981, which was featured on their album 20 Love Songs.

Ozzy Osbourne recorded this song on his 2005 Under Cover album.

In 2007, Ben Jelen's version appeared on Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur as an iTunes exclusive bonus track.

In popular culture

The 2008 video game by Nintendo Wii Music features this song as playable song.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Blaney, John (2005). John Lennon: Listen to This Book (illustrated ed.). [S.l.]: Paper Jukebox. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-9544528-1-0.
^ Playboy Interview, Sheff, 1980
^ "1980 Rolling Stone Interview with John Lennon by Jonathan Cott". Retrieved October 27, 2006.
^ Blaney, John (2005). John Lennon: Listen to This Book (illustrated ed.). [S.l.]: Paper Jukebox. p. 326. ISBN 978-0-9544528-1-0.
^ http://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1981-03-21
^ http://50.6.195.142/archives/80s_files/19810321.html
^ http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=40275
^ http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=3870
^ http://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1981.shtml
^ http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1981.htm
^ http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1981.htm

External links

Template:MetroLyrics song

Preceded by "Imagine" by John Lennon	UK number one single 7 February 1981 - 14 February 1981	Succeeded by "Shaddap You Face" by Joe Dolce Music Theatre
Preceded by "The Tide Is High" by Blondie	RIANZ (New Zealand) number one single 27 February 1981 - 3 April 1981	Succeeded by "Bridge" by Dean Warentini

[Listen196-1] Blaney, John (2005). John Lennon: Listen to This Book (illustrated ed.). [S.l.]: Paper Jukebox. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-9544528-1-0.

[2] Playboy Interview, Sheff, 1980

[3] "1980 Rolling Stone Interview with John Lennon by Jonathan Cott". Retrieved October 27, 2006.

[Listen326-4] Blaney, John (2005). John Lennon: Listen to This Book (illustrated ed.). [S.l.]: Paper Jukebox. p. 326. ISBN 978-0-9544528-1-0.

[5] ttp://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1981-03-21

[6] ttp://50.6.195.142/archives/80s_files/19810321.html

[7] ttp://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=40275

[8] ttp://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=3870

[9] ttp://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1981.shtml

[10] ttp://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1981.htm

[11] ttp://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1981.htm

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 ==Chart performance==
-The single debuted at number 3 in the UK, then moving to number 2 and finally reaching number 1, where it spent two weeks, knocking off the top spot his own re-released "[[Imagine (John Lennon song)|Imagine]]". In the US the single peaked at number 2 on [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] (kept out of the top spot by Blondie's hit "Rapture") while reaching number 1 on the ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' Top 100.<ref name=Listen326>{{cite book|last=Blaney|first=John|title=John Lennon: Listen to This Book|year=2005|publisher=Paper Jukebox|location=[S.l.]|isbn=978-0-9544528-1-0|edition=illustrated|page=326}}</ref> The single was also a commercial success in New Zealand, where it spent five weeks at number 1.
+The single debuted at number 3 in the UK, then moving to number 2 and finally reaching number 1, where it spent two weeks, knocking off the top spot his own re-released "[[Imagine (John Lennon song)|Imagine]]". In the US the single peaked at number 2 on [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] (kept out of the top spot by Blondie's hit "Rapture") while reaching number 1 on the ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' Top 100.<ref name=Listen326>{{cite book|last=Blaney|first=John|title=John Lennon: Listen to This Book|year=2005|publisher=Paper Jukebox|location=[S.l.]|isbn=978-0-9544528-1-0|edition=illustrated|page=326}}</ref>
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