The Ballad of John and Yoko
| "The Ballad of John and Yoko" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"The Ballad of John and Yoko" is a Beatles song written by John Lennon. It chronicled the events surrounding Lennon's marriage to Yoko Ono and their subsequent activities together, including their infamous first Bed-In, and demonstration of bagism. It was released while the couple was in the middle of their second Bed-In.
Although sounding like a straightforward recording of the full band, "The Ballad of John and Yoko" was performed by just Lennon and Paul McCartney. Lennon had a sudden inspiration for the song and called on McCartney, suggesting the two of them record it immediately without waiting for the other Beatles. (George Harrison was on holiday, and Ringo Starr was filming The Magic Christian with Peter Sellers.)
John was on lead vocal, and played lead guitar and acoustic guitar. Paul sang harmony vocals and played bass, drums, piano, and maracas. The outro guitar riff was inspired by the Dorsey and Johnny Burnette song, "Lonesome Tears in My Eyes," notably covered by the Beatles in their early years and released on the double-disc Live at the BBC
The session recordings reveal this amusing exchange:
- Lennon (playing guitar): Go a bit faster, Ringo!
- McCartney (playing drums): OK, George!
The song was banned in several US states due to Lennon's use of the word "Christ" so soon after his "Jesus" comment in 1966, which contributed to the fact that it reached number one in the UK but not in the US.
References
- The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn, ISBN 0681031891, pp. 14 and 173.