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    • Mar 9, 2022
    • 3 min read

John Lennon's three Odes to Love.

John Lennon was a child of the street, a tough guy who, as a youth, seldom backed down from a fight. But he had a sensitive side, too, that he revealed as a member of the Beatles, beginning with their 1965 album "Rubber Soul". The first song was "The Word". What follows are the lyrics:



Say the word and you'll be free // Say the word and be like me

Say the word I'm thinking of // Have you heard the word is love?


It's so fine, it's sunshine // It's the word, love


In the beginning I misunderstood // But now I got it, and the word is good


Spread the word and you'll be free // Spread the word and be like me

Spread the word I'm thinking of // Have you heard the word is love?


It's so fine, it's sunshine // It's the word, love


Every where I go I hear it said // In the good and the bad books I have read


Say the word and you'll be free // Say the word and be like me

Say the word I'm thinking of // Have you heard the word is love?


It's so fine, it's sunshine // It's the word, love


Now I know what I feel must be right // I'm here to show everybody the light


Give the word a chance to say // That the word is just the way

It's the word I'm thinking of // And the only word is love


It's so fine, it's sunshine // It's the word, love


Say the word is love // Say the word is love

Say the word is love // Say the word is love


###


Lennon's second ode to love was composed in 1967, "All You Need is Love". The lyrics are:


Love, love, love // Love, love, love // Love, love, love


There's nothin' you can do that can't be done // Nothin' you can sing that hasn't been sung // It's easy // Nothin' you can make that can't be made // No one you can save that can't be saved // Nothin' you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time // It's easy


All you need is love // All you need is love

All you need is love, love // Love is all you need


There's nothin' you can know that isn't known // Nothin' you can see that isn't shown // There's nothin' you can be that isn't meant to be be// It easy


All you need is love // All you need is love

All you need is love, love // Love is all you need

Love is all you need (all together now) // All you need is love (everybody) // All you need is love, love

All you need is love


Love is all you need (love is all you need)


###


Lennon's third ode to love song was composed in 1970, for his first solo album. It's simply entitled, "Love"


(Verse 1)


Love is real, // real is love // love // Love is a feeling, // feeling love // Love is wanting to // be loved


(Verse 2)


Love is touch, touch // is love // Love is reaching, // reaching love // Love is asking to be // loved


(Bridge)


Love is you, // you and me // Love is knowing we // can be


(Verse 3)


Love is free, // free is love // Love is needing to // be loved


- END -

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