JOHN LENNON QUOTES II

British singer/songwriter (1940-1980)

John Lennon

That's part of our policy, is not to be taken seriously, because I think our opposition, whoever they may be, in all their manifest forms, don't know how to handle humor. You know, and we are humorous, we are, what are they, Laurel and Hardy. That's John and Yoko, and we stand a better chance under that guise, because all the serious people, like Martin Luther King, and Kennedy, and Gandhi, got shot.

JOHN LENNON

BBC interview with David Wigg, May 8, 1969

Tags: humor


Nothing you can know that isn't known
Nothing you can see that isn't shown
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
It's easy

JOHN LENNON

"All You Need Is Love"


We announce the birth of a conceptual country, NUTOPIA.
Citizenship of the country can be obtained by declaration of your awareness of NUTOPIA.
NUTOPIA has no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people.
NUTOPIA has no laws other than cosmic.
All people of NUTOPIA are ambassadors of the country.
As two ambassadors of NUTOPIA, we ask for diplomatic immunity and recognition in the United Nations of our country and our people.

JOHN LENNON

Declaration of Nutopia, co-signed with Yoko Ono, April 1, 1973


Everything is as important as everything else.

JOHN LENNON

The Beatles Anthology


If people take any notice of what we say, we say we've been through the drug scene, man, and there's nothing like being straight.

JOHN LENNON

The Dick Cavett Show, September 24, 1971

Tags: drugs


Children, Don't do what I have done
I couldn't walk so I tried to run

JOHN LENNON

"Mother"


We know how to behave! We've had lessons.

JOHN LENNON

A Hard Day's Night


I go to restaurants and the groups always play "Yesterday." I even signed a guy's violin in Spain after he played us "Yesterday." He couldn't understand that I didn't write the song. But I guess he couldn't have gone from table to table playing "I Am The Walrus."

JOHN LENNON

interview, Playboy, January 1981


God is a concept by which we measure our pain.

JOHN LENNON

"God"

Tags: God


Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever

JOHN LENNON

"Strawberry Fields Forever"


One thing you can't hide is when you're crippled inside.

JOHN LENNON

"Crippled Inside"


Think peace, live peace, and breathe peace and you'll get it as soon as you like. Okay?

JOHN LENNON

statement to the press, July 1969


I'm not claiming divinity. I've never claimed purity of soul. I've never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can.

JOHN LENNON

interview, Rolling Stone, 1980


Everyone deserves to believe they are beautiful.

JOHN LENNON

The Beatles Anthology

Tags: beauty


Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun
If the sun don't come
You get a tan from standing in the English rain

JOHN LENNON

"I Am the Walrus"


Mother, you had me, but I never had you.

JOHN LENNON

"Mother"


Lots of people who complained about us receiving the MBE received theirs for heroism in the war--for killing people. We received ours for entertaining other people. I'd say we deserve ours more.

JOHN LENNON

attributed, Beatles Illustrated Lyrics, vol. I


My role in society, or any artist or poet's role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.

JOHN LENNON

interview, KFRC RKO Radio, December 8, 1980

Tags: artists


We must always remember to thank the CIA and the Army for LSD. That's what people forget.... They invented LSD to control people and what they did was give us freedom.

JOHN LENNON

interview, Playboy, January 1981

Tags: freedom


My defenses were so great. The cocky rock and roll hero who knows all the answers was actually a terrified guy who didn't know how to cry. Simple.

JOHN LENNON

interview, Playboy, September 1980