john lennon: life is what happens

8/8/2019 John Lennon: Life is What Happens

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A Day in the Life It was a typical Monday evening that quickly turned atypical.

I was sitting in the kitchen of my parents’ suburban California home

on the evening of Dec. 8, 1980, working on a paper for a college

sociology class with Monday Night Football on the television in the

background, when suddenly I was jarred by sportscaster’s Howard

Cosell’s words:

“… John Lennon, outside of his apartment building on the West Side

of New York City, the most famous, perhaps, of all of the Beatles, shot

twice in the back, rushed to Roosevelt Hospital … dead on arrival.”

Cosell’s dramatic intoning of the words “dead on arrival” sent a

shiver down my spine. I dropped my pencil and stared at the small

television screen, anxiously awaiting more information on what

I was sure had to be some sort of horrible mistake. John Lennon

dead? No! Why? His comeback album (a joint release with wife

Yoko Ono) after a self-imposed five-year recording hiatus, Double

Fantasy , had been released just a few weeks earlier, with the ‘50s-

flavored single (Just Like) Starting Over already becoming a top-five

hit. Lennon was clearly back and in peak form, and now … this.

For the next week or so I remained glued to the television and

radio as the tragedy and its aftermath unfolded. As a young and

sensitive Beatles and John Lennon fan, I was swept up in the wave

of emotion, weeping at the drop of a hat as I listened to Lennon’s

recordings for hours on end. Finally, it all became too much for

my old-school father, who had become an avid John Lennon hater

after I had the audacity to play Lennon’s tune God on the family’s

car stereo one too many times. (This was about as rebellious as my

well-behaved, 18-year-old conformist self would ever get.) The lyric,

“I don’t believe in Jesus” in particular raised the hairs on the back ofmy dad’s neck, so he had very little sympathy during my mourning

period. “Why the hell are you crying?” he’d ask me. “It’s not like

you knew him or like he was a member of your family.”

With all due respect to my father, he could not have been more wrong.

I first made John Lennon’s acquaintance as a 5-year-old, when my

father purchased me a copy of the Beatles’ All You Need is Love/

Baby You’re a Rich Man single. It was the beginning of my lifelong

love affair with the music of John Lennon and the Beatles, one that

continues to this day. Why? It’s simple, really. John Lennon was

— and remains — a true legend. Legendary not only for his singing

and songwriting skills, but also because he was a true renaissance

man: author, artist, political activist, pop culture icon, peacenik and

so much more. Lennon and the Beatles were at the forefront of the

cultural revolution of the ‘60s, with an entire generation seemingly

following their lead. Like millions of others, I admired the man who

always stood up for what he believed in, said what was on his mind

and did what he felt was right, consequences be damned.

And of course there were his songs … at turns wistful ( Imagine),

melancholy ( Julia), angry (Gimme Some Truth), playful (Whatever

Gets You Through the Night ), raw (Working Class Hero), controver-

sial (Woman is the Nigger of the World ), autobiographical (Help!)

and quite beautiful (#9 Dream). It is through these and many other

timeless songs that I developed a personal connection with John

Lennon. It was the gift of his music — music in which he often

bared his soul to the world — that allowed me (and millions of oth-

ers) to feel like he was close enough to be family.

Nearly 13 years after John Lennon’s murder, I was visiting my father,

who was very ill with cancer. He was bedridden and by this time

had mellowed considerably. I was talking to my mother in the other

room when suddenly he called to me from his bed. I walked into

the bedroom and he pointed to the television set. “Who sings this

song?” I turned to look at the TV and heard the strains of Imagine

wafting from the tube. “Dad, that’s John Lennon,” I said gently, un-

sure as to how he would react.

“John Lennon,” he whispered. “I love that song. ‘Imagine all the

people living life in peace.’ That’s nice.” I walked over and sat next

to him on the bed and held his hand. “I love it too, dad.”

A few months later, my father passed away. I still find it difficult to

listen to Imagine without tears welling up in my eyes.

Dad, this is for you …

———

My beloved mother, Catherine Borack, passed during the writing of

this book. Her spirit and unwavering love guided me and helped

me to finish the job. I miss you and I love you, mom.

John M. Borack, February 2010

Acknowledgements The author wishes to thank the following friends and

Peter Lindblad, Mark Moran, Olivia Frain, Mike Simm

Christy Zappitelli Borack, and Bob Borack.

Mob scene photographed by Ian Wright on Nov. 30, 1963, at the

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Now, with the pieces finally

all in place, the Beatles had

their recording contract in

their back pocket and were

ready to rock. Lennon felt

confident about their future.

“I always felt I’d make it,”

he said (according to The

Beatles: Quote, Unquote by

Arthur Davis, Crescent Books,

1995). “There were some

moments of doubt, but I knew

something would eventually

happen. When Mimi used to

throw away things I’d written

or drawn, I used to say ‘You’ll

regret that when I’m famous,’

and I meant it.”

J O H N: J O H N:

Going up: Photographer Ian Wrightposed the Beatles in a lift at the Em-

pire Theatre, Sunderland, England,on Feb. 3, 1963, “to signify theirsong Please Please Me was on itsway up the charts.”

“Part of me susp ects that I’m a los

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John Lennon-themed Rickenbacker guitar, #1,536 in a limited e

of 2,000 designed by Greg Rich. Decorated with images of Lennand of characters from Yellow Submarine. It is accompanied by twpickguards — a clear one that allows art on the body to be seenunderneath, and a white one with a Lennon logo printed on it —well as a hard carrying case, sold in 2010 for $8,962.50.

As 1963 neared its end, the Beatles released their second long-player

in the UK, titled With the Beatles. Again, the release shot straight

to no. 1, as all but one of the original Beatles albums would dur-

ing the Beatles’ lifetime (Yellow Submarine charted at no. 3). With

the Beatles was another compelling mixture of Lennon/McCartney

originals, which sat comfortably alongside covers of Chuck Berry (a

smoking Roll Over Beethoven), Smokey Robinson (John and George

harmonizing on You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me) and Motown

(another throat-shredding Lennon lead vocal on Money [That’s WhatI Want].) The album also featured George Harrison’s first composition

on a Beatles record, the speedy-yet-dark-hued Don’t Bother Me.

With the Beatles found the songwriting tandem of Lennon and Mc-

Cartney improving steadily, with tracks such as It Won’t Be Long

(with a typically impassioned Lennon lead vocal) and All My Lov-

ing showing a marked sense of musical growth. (Lennon’s quickly

strummed rhythm guitar on All My Loving is one of his finest six-

string moments, and one that propelled the tune and helped provide

it with its signature sound.)

Kaboodle Kit. Could be used as a lunchbox, Standard Plastics Products Inc., 1964, $200+.

Parlophone PCS 3045, stereo, label has “Parlophone” standing alone inyellow, without “Sold in U.K. subject to resale price conditions, see pricelists” underneath; “Recording first published 1963” at left, perimeter printbegins with the words “THE PARLOPHONE CO. LTD.,” with the publisher of“Money” listed as “Jobete,” 1963, $150+.

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Dolls, Remco, vinyl with large heads and rooted hair, any of the

Not only were the Beatles all over the upper reaches of the world-

wide music charts during 1964, but they became something of an

all-pervasive phenomenon: tons of Beatles toys, dolls, fan magazines

and other assorted memorabilia began popping up and were quickly

snapped up by Beatles-hungry kids (many of these items are valuable collectibles today). Thousands of young men started wear-

ing their hair longer and combed forward to emulate their idols (the Beatles’ haircuts had been “invented” in Germany a few years

earlier by the band’s friend — and Stuart Sutcliffe’s fiancée — Astrid Kirchherr). Many of the Beatles’ musical compatriots from GreatBritain found success once the Beatles opened the door in America and elsewhere, thus making the band the guiding light of what

became known as “the British Invasion.” In addition, garage bands sprung up all over the globe as young men everywhere were

inspired by the lads from Liverpool to make their own music.

And then there were the live shows. Lennon had been justifiably proud of the Beatles’ reputation as a hard-charging, tight rock and

roll unit during their time spent paying their dues at the Cavern Club, Hamburg and other small venues during the early part of the

decade. Less than a year after making it big, however, the Beatles became increasingly disenchanted with touring, due to the simple

fact that the deafening volume level of the constant screaming made it next to impossible for the band to hear themselves (and for

the audience to hear the Beatles). Regarding the screaming fans, Lennon told TV host Tom Snyder in 1975 that, “It was great when it

first happened, but then it became a little boring.”

Meet the Beatles moving-head window display (Capitol, 1964), cardboard

stand-up features the Fab Four. The heads were die-cut and sit about a halfinch from the display; a battery-operated mechanical device in the backcauses the heads to sway back and forth, sold in 2008 for $15,535.

John Lennon continues to play the guitar as he evades a young fayachting-style cap as a souvenir during the Beatles’ concert in R

Capitol T 2047, mono, black label wit h colorband; yellow st ickeron lower lef t f ront cover t hat states “PRESS INFORMAT ION (Inside Jacket) T his Is America’s Best -Selling Album!”; t his version was given t o media member s who att ended a Febr uar y 10, 1964, conference at the Plaza Hot el in New Y or k; a complet e package contains t wo glossy photos, five pages of biography, and a copy of t he “Nat ional Record News”; price is f or cover and r ecor d wit hout ext ra mat er ials, $2,000+.

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“Sgt. Pepper” plush dolls, set of four, made by Applause in 1987 to mark the 20th anniversary of the LP, 22" tallin their respective costumes from the album’s cover, sealed in the original plastic, sold in 2006 for $209.13.

J O H N : J O H N :

The use of illicit drugs was also a fac-

tor in the creation of Sgt. Pepper . Not

only was Lennon using LSD regu-

larly during 1967, but the other three

Beatles were also “visiting the cos-

mos,” as Lennon later called it. (Ironi-

cally, it was McCartney – the Beatle

who probably experimented with LSD the least – who admitted to

the press that he had tried it.) Since the Beatles were always at the

head of the line when it came to changes in music, fashion andthe like, it became fashionable for many to assume that the Beatles

also led youth into the drug culture in the mid-’60s, a charge that

Lennon always denied.

“We just tried everything,” Lennon told a French TV interviewer in

1975. “And because we got famous … they said ‘they’re leading

fashion.’ We were buying the things from the shop.” Later in the

same interview, Lennon became indignant. “Who gave the drugs

to the Beatles?,” he asked. “I didn’t INVENT the stuff! What we did

was wake up the avant-garde in music and film.”

Look Magazinset of four (22

“ You hav e t o be! (L au g hs ) You mi g h t g e t sho t ! ”

R espondin g t o a r epor t er ’s q ues t ion dur in g

t he Bea t les’ Aus t r alian t our , w hen ask ed

if t hey w er e aw ar e of ev er y t hin g

g oin g on ar ound t hem.

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In addition, the long awaitedThe

Beatles: Rock Band video game made

its debut in 2009, with gamers able

to simulate the playing of Beatles

songs on replicas of the band’s

vintage musical equipment, such as

Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo

Jet guitars, a Höfner bass guitar and a

Ludwig drum kit. Paul McCartney and

Ringo Starr gave the interactive game

their blessing, while the late George

Harrison’s son Dhani and Beatles’

producer George Martin’s son Giles

were also involved. Classic John

Lennon Beatles compositions such as

I Feel Fine, Come Together, Revolution and I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

were all included, ensuring that his

music would not only continue to

live on, but also be introduced to a

whole new generation.

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john lennon: life is what happens

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