"I Don't Want To Be A Soldier"
"How Do You Sleep?"
More from John Lennon
(1970) John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
(1971) Imagine
(1972) Some Time In New York City
(1973) Mind Games
(1974) Walls And Bridges
(1975) Rock 'n' Roll
(1980) Double Fantasy
(1984) Milk And Honey
(1986) Menlove Ave.
"How Do You Sleep?"
by John Lennon
From the album Imagine (1971)
Written by H-Seldon (2)
It's really disappointing to see John Lennon stoop this low. How can the same man who sang about peace and brotherhood in "Imagine" spit such vitriol as is contained in this song?
"How Do You Sleep?" is a mean-spirited attack on Paul McCartney's musical ability, his wife and family, and his life is general. The fact that George Harrison plays on the track just throws salt in the wound.
Given the nature of John's relationship with Yoko, and the influence she clearly had over him, it is almost comical for John to aim the line "Jump when your mama tell you anything" at Paul.
In reality, this song borders on incoherence. Paul chose to marry Linda, and he writes songs which sound like Muzak to John's ears, and because of this he should feel so guilty that he can't sleep at night?
Musically the song is excellent, which makes it even more frustrating. With a different set of lyrics, "How Do You Sleep?" would be one of the standout tracks on Imagine.
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ant Jan 12, 2010 3:43 AM Quote ↓
"How Do You Sleep?" was a vicious attack — and yes, it does seem kind of incongruous placed alongside the peace 'n' love vibe of much of the rest of the record: especially with Hare Krishna Harrison being party to it. Check their chit-chat and run-through in the Imagine movie to see just how savage it got ("How do you sleep, you c**t?!!")
In case anyone managed to miss the point, the album also included a photo of JL tussling with a pig — a clear parody of Macca's photo on his recent Ram LP sleeve.
But let's put it into context: the Beatles' divorce was still pretty recent, the Len/Mac relationship still an open wound. Both had said — and were still saying — a lot of things which they later regretted and/or retracted. I think Lennon was just trying to get it all out of his system: he later stated that the message was aimed as much at himself as at Paul.
As the review says, it is a superb track musically: one hell of a dirty, chugging groove: and I'd argue that the lyric is excellent too, for all its vitriol...
The only thing you done was yesterday,
And since you've gone it's just another day.