John Lennon: Trending quotes

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John Lennon: 456 quotes382 likes

“I think our society is run by insane people for insane objectives... I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends, you know... I’d be very pleased to know what they think they’re doing. I think they’re all insane. But I am liable to be put away as insane for expressing that, you know. That’s what is insane about it.”

John Lennon

Source: Lennon “Our society is run by insane people”, Interview, June 6, 1968, Educate Inspire Change https://educateinspirechange.org/john-lennon-society-run-insane-people/John June 10, 2014

“If you want to change the system, change the system. It's no good shooting people.”

John Lennon

Playboy interview (1980)

“Every child is an artist until he's told he's not an artist.”

John Lennon

“The newspapers said,
"Say, what you're doing in bed?"”

John Lennon

I said "We're only trying to get us some peace."
"Ballad of John and Yoko" (1969), referring to his "bed-in" honeymoon of March 1969.
Lyrics

“It was just a gradual development over the years. Last year was "All You Need Is Love." This year it's "Give Peace a Chance."”

John Lennon

Remember love. The only hope for any of us is peace. Violence begets violence. If you want to get peace, you can get it as soon as you like if we all pull together. You're all geniuses and you're all beautiful. You don't need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are. Get out there and get peace. Think peace, live peace, and breathe peace and you'll get it as soon as you like. Okay?
Statement to the press in July 1969 after the release of the Plastic Ono Band's single "Give Peace a Chance", as quoted in The Beatles: An Oral History by David Pritchard and Alan Lysaght (1998) New York: Hyperion. ISBN: 0786864362. OCLC: 39093547. p. 285.

“When I was about twelve, I used to think I must be a genius, but nobody's noticed. Either I'm a genius or I'm mad, which is it? "No," I said, "I can't be mad because nobody's put me away; therefore I'm a genius."”

John Lennon

Genius is a form of madness and we're all that way. But I used to be coy about it, like me guitar playing. But if there's such a thing as genius — I am one. And if there isn't, I don't care.
John Lennon interview with Rolling Stone magazine (December 1970)

“When we say "War is over if you want it," we mean that if everyone demanded peace instead of another TV set, we'd have peace.”

John Lennon

During the Bed-In for Peace in Montreal, Canada (1 June 1969)

“Don't believe that jazz about there's nothing you can do, "turn on and drop out, man"”

John Lennon

because you've got to turn on and drop in, or they're going to drop all over you.
Source: The Beatles Anthology (2000), p. 263

“They keep you doped with religion and sex and TV,
And you think you're so clever, and classless and free,
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see.”

John Lennon

"Working Class Hero"
Lyrics, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)

“Imagine there's no countries,
It isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
And no religion, too,
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace…”

John Lennon

Lyrics, Imagine (1971 album)

“How can I give love when I don't know what it is I'm giving?
"How?"”

John Lennon

Lyrics, Imagine (1971 album)

“It can never be again! Everyone always talks about a good thing coming to an end, as if life was over. But I'll be 40 when this interview comes out. Paul is 38. Elton John, Bob Dylan — we're all relatively young people. The game isn't over yet. Everyone talks in terms of the last record or the last Beatle concert — but, God willing, there are another 40 years of productivity to go. I'm not judging whether "I Am The Walrus" is better or worse than "Imagine."”

John Lennon

It is for others to judge. I am doing it. I do. I don't stand back and judge — I do.
On talk of a Beatles re-union
Playboy interview (1980)

“What would you suggest I do? Give everything away and walk the streets? The Buddhist says, "Get rid of the possessions of the mind."”

John Lennon

Walking away from all the money would not accomplish that. It's like the Beatles. I couldn't walk away from the Beatles. That's one possession that's still tagging along, right?
Playboy interview (1980)

“I go to restaurants and the groups always play "Yesterday." I even signed a guy's violin in Spain after he played us "Yesterday."”

John Lennon

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."
On the song "Yesterday", written by Paul McCartney
Playboy interview (1980)

“All kids draw and write poetry and everything, and some of us last until we're about eighteen, but most drop off at about twelve when some guy comes up and says, "You're no good." That's all we get told all our lives. "You haven't got the ability. You're a cobbler."”

John Lennon

It happened to all of us, but if somebody had told me all my life, "Yeah, you're a great artist," I would have been a more secure person.
Source: The Beatles Anthology (2000), p. 9

“Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out.
It doesn't matter much to me. 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" (1967)
Lyrics

“Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Everyone you meet Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on Earth are you there
When you're everywhere
Gonna get your share Well, we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah, we all shine on
C'mon and on and on, on, on”

John Lennon

John Lennon, in "Instant Karma!" (written 27 January 1970)
Lyrics

“Don´t trust anyone over 30.”

John Lennon

“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. ”

John Lennon