On the 15th of July 1958, Julia Lennon was hit and killed by a car, leaving her son, John, traumatised and directionless. 12 years prior, Alfred ‘Alf’ Lennon had forced the 5-year-old John to choose between him and his mother, before promptly abandoning the family for nearly 20 years, only returning during the height of ‘Beatlemania’. During those 20 years, The Beatles rose to fame quicker than it’s members were able to cope with. Just 6 years after Julia’s death, the son she left behind was the leader of the biggest band in human history. So rapid was his ascent to stardom that John was not able to properly address the trauma that had defined his childhood until the breakup of The Beatles in September 1969, doing so with one of the most poignant, emotional and introspective albums of all time: Plastic Ono Band.
John had addressed the death of his mother in the Beatles track 'Julia', but Plastic Ono Band takes this to a depth never before seen in popular music. The first word on the first track of John Lennon’s first solo album – “mother”- sets the tone for the kind of experience the listener will have over the course of the album. The track, also called 'Mother' is a shocking yet beautiful exploration of childhood trauma, with the Lyrics “Father, you left me, but I never left you” ringing true, and not just for John. Lennon’s introspective outburst in 'Mother', along with tracks such as 'My Mummy’s Dead' and 'Well Well Well', emerged from therapy he was receiving during the writing of his debut album. Psychologist Arthur Janov’s “Primal Scream” approach focused on the remembering and reliving of past distress, and this philosophy is ever-present in 'Plastic Ono Band', filling the album with releases of long-repressed emotion.
People say we got it made, don’t they know we’re so afraid
John Lennon, Isolation, 1970
Plastic Ono Band is magnificent not just because of its expression of life’s trauma, but for how it manages to balance this with positivity. To quote Bill Nighy’s character in the Doctor Who episode 'Vincent and The Doctor': “He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty”. While obviously in reference to Van Gogh, no phrase could better describe the tracks 'Hold On' and 'Love'. Both tracks follow songs that display Lennon’s anguish, with 'Hold On' coming after the emotional rollercoaster of 'Mother', and 'Love' trailing expressions of anger toward society in 'Working Class Hero' and 'Remember'. The placement of these more positive uplifting songs feels as though John is trying to ground himself, reminding the listener that even amongst hurt, there is refuge and happiness in the kind of love that he found with Yoko Ono. “It’s gonna be alright”, he says, “you’re gonna win the fight”.
The regrettably short songwriting career of ‘The Smart Beatle’ was defined by political activism and anger toward the direction of society. Whether brilliant, like 'Imagine' or woefully misguided, like 'Woman is the N****r of the World', Lennon’s song catalogue reads more like a manifesto than a discography, and Plastic Ono Band laid the foundations for this. The track 'Working Class Hero' – probably the most famous on the album, is a Bob Dylan-esque, damning inditement of the class system, and the militarisation of the youth. 'God', on the other hand is a combination of the album’s main themes. John condemns both religion and his past, delivering the gut punch of a lyric that is “I don’t believe in Beatles”, making it clear to the listener that “the dream is over”, the biggest band in the world is history. This song allowed John to close the door on a defining chapter of his life, putting both his trauma and his band behind him, and expressing hope for a future cut short.
I just wanted to be in a band. Here we are, twenty years later, and some whack job has just shot my mate. I just wanted to play guitar in a band
George Harrison, 1980
On the 8th of December 1980, 22 years, 4 months and 21 days after the death of his mother, John Lennon was shot five times in the back by Mark David Chapman. In the years between Plastic Ono Band and his final album Double Fantasy, Lennon’s music displayed immense healing. From powerful expressions on his first album to a catchy song about baking bread on his final one, Lennon’s debut album was the first step on a long road to recovery for the ex-Beatle – for him, Plastic Ono Band was more than an LP. It is a bitter twist of fate therefore, that a life that began with trauma, ended with trauma. The music, however, will outlive all of us, and Plastic Ono Band will stand as a groundbreaking example of emotional expression, setting the highest possible standards for artists worldwide.
Even after all these years, I miss John. His music and lyrics are still stunning . No one has ever sang the truth like he did.
There was no one like John Lennon. I miss him . When he left this planet, a hole was left in so many hearts ????