Remember (John Lennon song)

1970 song by John Lennon

"Remember"

Song by John Lennon
from the album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Released| 11 December 1970
Recorded| 9 October 1970
Studio| EMI, London
Length| 4:36
Label| Apple
Songwriter(s)| John Lennon
Producer(s)| John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band track listing

11 tracks

Side one

1. "Mother"
2. "Hold On"
3. "I Found Out"
4. "Working Class Hero"
5. "Isolation"

Side two

1.   2. "Remember"
3. "Love"
4. "Well Well Well"
5. "Look at Me"
6. "God"
7. "My Mummy's Dead"

"Remember" is a song by English rock musician John Lennon from his 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.

## Contents

* 1 Background and composition
* 2 Recording
* 3 Interpretations
* 4 Personnel
* 5 References

## Background and composition[edit]

Lennon played the piano riff that he would later develop for "Remember" at the end of the Beatles' July 1969 recording of George Harrison's song "Something".[1] An unplanned improvisation, it led to an extended coda that was soon cut from the Beatles track.[1][2]

When writing "Remember" in 1970, Lennon was influenced by his primal therapy sessions with Arthur Janov, and the lyrics reflect things typically remembered in therapy.[3] The memories described are unpleasant ones, of conflict with family, authority and peers. The lyrics say "the hero was never hung, always got away", and describe parents "wishin' for movie stardom, always playin' a part".

At one point, the beat slows down and Lennon sings to himself that when things get crazy in the future, he should try to remember his current moment of respite.[4] Rogan thinks that the moment of respite Lennon wants to remind himself to remember in crazy times is in his childhood, rather than the present day.[5] Mellers explains that the song's construction creates for the listener by using a vocal melody that has no line but is rather made up of pentatonic fragments, and by using odd tonality which moves between unrelated chords.[6]

At the end of the song, Lennon sings the lines "Remember, remember / The Fifth of November", followed by the sound of an explosion.[7] The words are from the English nursery rhyme "Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November",[8] and refer to Guy Fawkes Night, a British public holiday that is celebrated with fireworks and bonfires.[9] Lennon told Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone that it was part of a lengthy ad-lib, and said he later decided that this line ought to be the culmination of the song.[10][4] Whereas Guy Fawkes had failed in his plot to launch a Catholic uprising against James I in November 1605, Lennon believed it was an effective joke to suggest "we should blow up the Houses of Parliament".[9]

One line from the song "If you ever change your mind about leaving it all behind" was borrowed from the opening line of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me",[11] which Lennon later covered on Rock 'n' Roll.[12] However, whereas Cooke was inviting a lover to come home to him, Lennon uses the line to suggest that "leaving it all behind" is impossible, and one should always be aware of one's past. Lennon goes on to sing that one should not feel sorry about or worry about the past.[11]

## Recording[edit]

Lennon recorded "Remember" at EMI Studios on 9 October 1970, his 30th birthday. Earlier that day was the occasion of Lennon's last ever meeting with his father, Alf Lennon, who visited Lennon at his Tittenhurst Park home. The meeting was unsuccessful, as Lennon went into a primal therapy-inspired tirade against his father.[13] Alf Lennon later recalled the meeting in a handwritten four-page statement, saying:

> He launched into an account of his recent visit to America, and as the story unfolded, so the self-inflicted torture began to show in his face, and his voice rose to a scream as he likened himself to "Jimi Hendrix" and other pop stars who had recently departed from the scene, ending in a crescendo as he admitted he was "Bloody Mad, Insane" and due for an early demise ... There was no doubt whatsoever in my mind, that he meant every word he spoke. His countenance was frightful to behold.[14]

In contrast to the raw emotion evident in Lennon's songs for the Plastic Ono Band album, the session on 9 October was a lighthearted occasion.[15][16] During an early take of "Remember", Lennon sings "Happy Birthday ... to me ..." as drummer Ringo Starr and bassist Klaus Voormann play the backing track.[16] The tapes also captured a visit by Harrison,[15] who gave Lennon his new recording "It's Johnny's Birthday",[17] and Lennon's delight at his former bandmate's arrival.[18] Pop historian Robert Rodriguez highlights the warm exchange between Lennon, Harrison and Starr as a sign of the "'us against Paul [McCartney]' zeitgeist" that prevailed in the months following the Beatles' break-up in April.[19]

Lennon plays piano on the track in staccato fashion.[4] Rodriguez comments that early in the song, when Lennon begins to sing, Starr has to "compensate for John's erratic sense of rhythm", an example of the benefit to Lennon of working with a musician familiar with his quirks.[20]

The original version of "Remember" was over eight minutes long.[3] This version contained an organ overdub, more double-tracked vocals, and a Jew's harp. Lennon cut the recording down and added the closing explosion.[3] A rehearsal take of "Remember", showing the musicians working on the song's tempo, appears on the 1998 box set John Lennon Anthology.[21]

## Interpretations[edit]

"Remember" is one of several songs on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band that Rodriguez views as documenting "a litany of letdowns".[22] Music critic Wilfrid Mellers regards the theme of "Remember" to be the debunking of parents' dreams for their children as being as phony as television or movie scripts.[6] Music critic Johnny Rogan raises similar issues, stating that the song addresses childhood years when morality is black and white and heroes and villains fit into their predefined roles with inevitable results.[5]

According to Mellers, the song "literally" blows up the past with the Guy Fawkes Day explosion.[6] Rogan believes that the quicker tempo and more prominent piano and drum playing leading up to the conclusion increase the drama and humour of the Guy Fawkes explosion.[5] Rogan's interprets the explosion as being Lennon dramatising an alternate history in which the radical Fawkes succeeds.[5] Authors Ken Bielen and Ben Urish consider the explosion "a stark ending to a surprisingly poignant song, the rupture of childhood trauma echoing in the adult in the form of half-recalled nursery rhymes".[23]

## Personnel[edit]

The musicians who performed on the original recording were as follows:[24]

* John Lennon – vocals, piano
* Ringo Starr – drums
* Klaus Voormann – bass guitar

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b MacDonald 1998, p. 306.
2. ^ Unterberger 2006, p. 269.
3. ^ a b c "Remember". The Beatles Bible. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
4. ^ a b c Jackson 2012, pp. 68–69.
5. ^ a b c d Rogan, Johnny (1997). The Complete Guide to the Music of John Lennon. Omnius Press. p. 42\. ISBN 0711955999.
6. ^ a b c Mellers, W. (1973). Twilight of the Gods. The Music of the Beatles. Schirmer Books. p. 163. ISBN 0-670-73598-1.
7. ^ Urish & Bielen 2007, pp. 21–22.
8. ^ "Remember, remember! The fifth of November, The gunpowder, treason and plot; I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason, Should ever be forgot!" English Folk Verse (c.1870): The Fifth of November, Poem of the Week, PotW.org
9. ^ a b Spizer 2005, p. 35.
10. ^ John Lennon: The Rolling Stone Interview : Rolling Stone
11. ^ a b Urish & Bielen 2007, p. 21.
12. ^ Rodriguez 2010, p. 351.
13. ^ Norman 2008, pp. 652–53.
14. ^ Norman 2008, pp. 653–54.
15. ^ a b Unterberger 2006, p. 294.
16. ^ a b Hertsgaard 1996, pp. 307–08.
17. ^ Doggett 2011, pp. 144–45.
18. ^ Hertsgaard 1996, p. 308.
19. ^ Rodriguez 2010, p. 28.
20. ^ Rodriguez 2010, pp. 27–28.
21. ^ Unterberger 2006, pp. 293–94.
22. ^ Rodriguez 2010, p. 150.
23. ^ Urish & Bielen 2007, p. 22.
24. ^ Spizer 2005, pp. 34, 35.

Sources

* Doggett, Peter (2011). You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup. New York, NY: It Books. ISBN 978-0-06-177418-8.
* Hertsgaard, Mark (1996). A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles. London: Pan Books. ISBN 0-330-33891-9.
* Jackson, Andrew Grant (2012). Still the Greatest: The Essential Solo Beatles Songs. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-8222-5.
* MacDonald, Ian (1998). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties. London: Pimlico. ISBN 978-0-7126-6697-8.
* Norman, Philip (2008). John Lennon: The Life. New York, NY: Ecco. ISBN 978-0-06-075402-0.
* Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980. Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-9093-4.
* Spizer, Bruce (2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. New Orleans, LA: 498 Productions. ISBN 0-9662649-5-9.
* Unterberger, Richie (2006). The Unreleased Beatles: Music & Film. San Francisco, CA: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-892-6.
* Urish, Ben; Bielen, Kenneth G. (2007). The Words and Music of John Lennon. Westport, CT: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-275-99180-7.

* v
* t
* e

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

Songs|

| Side one|

* "Mother"
* "Hold On"
* "I Found Out"
* "Working Class Hero"
* "Isolation"

|

Side two|

* "Remember"
* "Love"
* "Well Well Well"
* "Look at Me"
* "God"
* "My Mummy's Dead"

2000 reissue
bonus tracks|

* "Power to the People"
* "Do the Oz"

Related|

* John Lennon discography
* Plastic Ono Band
* Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band
* Primal therapy
* Lennon Remembers

* John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
* Imagine
* Some Time in New York City
* Mind Games
* Walls and Bridges
* Rock 'n' Roll

* v
* t
* e

John Lennon

* Discography
* Instruments
* Jukebox
* Song list
* Death

Studio albums|

* John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
* Imagine
* Mind Games
* Walls and Bridges
* Rock 'n' Roll

with Yoko Ono|

* Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins
* Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions
* Wedding Album
* Some Time in New York City
* Double Fantasy
* Milk and Honey

Live albums|

* Live Peace in Toronto 1969
* Live Jam
* Live in New York City

Compilations|

| Hits|

* Shaved Fish
* The John Lennon Collection
* Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon
* Instant Karma: All-Time Greatest Hits
* Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon
* Power to the People: The Hits
* Icon

|

Themed|

* Menlove Ave.
* Wonsaponatime
* Acoustic
* Peace, Love & Truth

Box sets|

* Lennon
* John Lennon Anthology
* John Lennon Signature Box
* Gimme Some Truth
* Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes

Video|

* The John Lennon Video Collection
* Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon

Books|

* In His Own Write
* A Spaniard in the Works
* Skywriting by Word of Mouth

Films|

* Self-Portrait (1969)
* Apotheosis (1970)
* Fly (1970)
* Erection (1971)
* Up Your Legs Forever (1971)
* Live in New York City (1972)
* Imagine (1972)

Bootlegs|

* A Toot and a Snore in '74
* S.I.R. John Winston Ono Lennon

Family|

* Cynthia Lennon (first wife)
* Yoko Ono (second wife)
* Julian Lennon (son)
* Sean Lennon (son)
* Alfred Lennon (father)
* Julia Lennon (mother)
* Julia Baird (half-sister)
* Mimi Smith (aunt)
* George Smith (marital uncle)

Associates|

* The Quarrymen
* The Beatles
* Plastic Ono Band
* David Peel
* The Lower East Side Band
* The Dirty Mac
* May Pang
* Harry Nilsson
* John Sinclair
* Rosaura Lopez

Fictionalised|

* Chapter 27
* In His Life: The John Lennon Story
* John and Yoko: A Love Story
* The Killing of John Lennon
* Lennon Naked
* Birth of the Beatles
* Nowhere Boy
* Backbeat
* Two of Us
* The Lennon Report
* Yesterday

Tributes and
memorials|

* The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute: Live from the Beacon Theatre, NYC
* "All Those Years Ago"
* Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music
* "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)"
* "Here Today"
* Imagine Peace Tower
* "The Immigrant"
* Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
* John Lennon Art and Design Building
* John Lennon Museum
* John Lennon Park
* John Lennon Peace Monument
* John Lennon Educational Tour Bus
* "The Late Great Johnny Ace"
* Lennon (musical)
* Lennon Bermuda
* Lennon Wall
* "Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)"
* Liverpool John Lennon Airport
* Non-Violence
* Strawberry Fields
* "Roll On John"
* Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon

Related media|

* Imagine: John Lennon
* soundtrack
* I Met the Walrus
* John (book)
* John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky
* Lennon Remembers
* LennoNYC
* The Lives of John Lennon
* The Lost Lennon Tapes
* Marx & Lennon: The Parallel Sayings
* Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon
* The Pope Smokes Dope
* Pussy Cats
* The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
* Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits
* "That's My Life (My Love and My Home)"
* The U.S. vs. John Lennon
* soundtrack

Other topics|

* 251 Menlove Avenue
* Kenwood
* Tittenhurst Park
* The Dakota
* Bagism
* Bed-Ins for Peace
* Imagine Piano Peace Project
* Lennon–McCartney
* LennonOno Grant for Peace
* Mark David Chapman
* "More popular than Jesus"
* Nutopia
* Toronto Rock and Roll Revival
* Sweet Toronto

* Category

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