John Lennon (Musician)

We're more popular thannow…Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary.

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.

— John Lennon love

I think our opposition, whoever they may be, in all their manifest forms, don't know how to handle humor… we stand a better chance under that guise, because all the serious people, like , and , and , got shot.

— John Lennon humor

— John Lennon war

You feel alone if you're the only one thinking 'wouldn't it be nice if there was peace and nobody was getting killed.' So advertise yourself that you're for peace if you believe in it.

— John Lennon peace

— John Lennon war

The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility.

— John Lennon responsibility

I really thought that love would save us all.

— John Lennon love

Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.

— John Lennon imagination

For our last number, I'd like to ask your help. Would the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands. And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry.

— John Lennon people

No — we need money first.

— John Lennon money

There's only one person in the United States we ever wanted to meet ... not that he wanted us. And we met him last night. We can't tell you how we felt. We just idolised him so much. ... You can't imagine what a thrill that was last night. Nothing really affected me until I heard . If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been the Beatles.

— John Lennon night

"One cave she wolf go too farther, and I wolf leaf her" he said to his fave rave horse. Of course the horse didn't answer, because as you know they cannot speak, least of all to a garlic eating, stinking, little yellow greasy fascist bastard catholic Spaniard. They soon made it up howevans and Jesus and wee Spastic were once morphia unitely in a love that knew no Suzie. The only thing that puzzled Jesus was why his sugarboot got so annoyed when he called her his little Spastic in public.

— John Lennon love

Christianity will go.. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular thannow; I don't know which will go first — rock and roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me.

— John Lennon will

I suppose if I had said television was more popular than Jesus, I would have gotten away with it. I'm sorry I opened my mouth. I'm not anti-God, anti-Christ, or anti-religion. I wasn't knocking it or putting it down. I was just saying it as a fact and it's true more for England than here. I'm not saying that we're better or greater, or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is. I just said what I said and it was wrong. Or it was taken wrong. And now it's all this.

— John Lennon religion

We thought being offered the[Member of the Order of the British Empire] was as funny as everybody else thought it was. Why? What for? We didn't believe it. It was a part we didn't want. We all met and agreed it was daft.

— John Lennon funny

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." 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?

— John Lennon love

That's part of our policy, is not to be taken seriously, because I think our opposition, whoever they may be, in all their manifest forms, don't know how to handle humor. You know, and we are humorous, we are, what are they, . That's John and , and we stand a better chance under that guise, because all the serious people, like , and , and , got shot.

— John Lennon humor

What's Bagism? It's like... a tag for what we all do, we're all in a bag ya know, and we realised that we came from two bags, I was in this pop bag going round and round in my little clique, and she was in her little avant-garde clique going round and round, and you're in your little tele clique and they're in their...ya know? and we all sort of come out and look at each other every now and then, but we don't communicate. And we all intellectualise about how there is no barrier between art, music, poetry... but we're still all "I'm a rock and roller, he's a poet" ... so we just came up with the word so you would ask us what bagism is, and we'd say "WE'RE ALL IN A BAG BABY!"

— John Lennon poetry

We're trying to sell peace, like a product, you know, and sell it like people sell soap or soft drinks. And it's the only way to get people aware that peace is possible, and it isn't just inevitable to have violence. Not just war — all forms of violence. People just accept it and think 'Oh, they did it, ordid it, ordid it,' they're always scapegoating people. And it isn't Nixon's fault. We're all responsible for everything that goes on, you know, we're all responsible for Biafra andand everything. So we're just saying "SELL PEACE" — anybody interested in peace just stick it in the window. It's simple but it lets somebody else know that you want peace too, because you feel alone if you're the only one thinking 'wouldn't it be nice if there was peace and nobody was getting killed.' So advertise yourself that you're for peace if you believe in it.

— John Lennon war

I'd like to say "thank you" on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition.

— John Lennon hope

Closing line of the Beatles' rooftop concert on (30 January 1969), this was also the last line of the Let It Be film and the album version of "Get Back"

— John Lennon sin

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." 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 body

If people take any notice of what we say, we say we've been through the drug scene, man, and there's nothing like being straight.

— John Lennon people

It's just natural, it's not a great disaster. People keep talking about it like it's The End of The Earth. It's only a rock group that split up, it's nothing important. You know, you have all the old records there if you want to reminisce.

— John Lennon art

We announce the birth of a conceptual country, NUTOPIA. Citizenship of the country can be obtained by declaration of your awareness of NUTOPIA.NUTOPIA has no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people. NUTOPIA has no laws other than cosmic. All people of NUTOPIA are ambassadors of the country. As two ambassadors of NUTOPIA, we ask for diplomatic immunity and recognition in the United Nations of our country and our people.

— John Lennon war

' It makes rock concerts look like tea parties.

— John Lennon art

I've always considered my work one piece and I consider that my work won't be finished until I am dead and buried and I hope that's a long, long time.

— John Lennon hope

I've sold my soul to the devil.

— John Lennon soul

Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. ... I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.

— John Lennon people

Well, I just want him to grow up happy. That's the main thing.

— John Lennon happy

If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.

— John Lennon peace

Beforethere was nothing.

— John Lennon

You have to be! (Laughs) You might get shot!

— John Lennon you

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 peace

It can never be again!

— John Lennon

I don't have any romanticism about any part of my past.

— John Lennon art

Part of me suspects that I'm a loser and the other part of me thinks I'm God Almighty.

— John Lennon art

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.is 38. ,— 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 "" is better or worse than "." It is for others to judge. I am doing it. I do. I don't stand back and judge — I do.

— John Lennon life

I don't have any romanticism about any part of my past. I think of it only inasmuch as it gave me pleasure or helped me grow psychologically. That is the only thing that interests me about yesterday. I don't believe in yesterday, by the way. You know I don't believe in yesterday. I am only interested in what I am doing now.

— John Lennon art

Where do people get off saying the Beatles should give $200,000,000 to South America? You know, America has poured billions into places like that. It doesn't mean a damn thing. After they've eaten that meal, then what? It lasts for only a day. After the $200,000,000 is gone, then what? It goes round and round in circles. You can pour money in forever. After Peru, then Harlem, then Britain. There is no one concert. We would have to dedicate the rest of our lives to one world concert tour, and I'm not ready for it. Not in this lifetime, anyway.

— John Lennon life

I've had cocaine, but I don't like it. The Beatles had lots of it in their day, but it's a dumb drug, because you have to have another one 20 minutes later. Your whole concentration goes on getting the next fix. Really, I find caffeine is easier to deal with. ... A little mushroom or peyote is not beyond my scope, you know, maybe twice a year or something. You don't hear about it anymore, but people are still visiting the cosmos. We must always remember to thank the CIA and the Army for LSD. That's what people forget. ... They invented LSD to control people and what they did was give us freedom. Sometimes it works in mysterious ways its wonders to perform.

— John Lennon time

In England, there are only two things to be, basically: You are either for the labor movement or for the capitalist movement. Either you become a right-wingif you are in the class I am in, or you become an instinctive socialist, which I was. That meant I think people should get their false teeth and their health looked after, all the rest of it. But apart from that, I worked for money and I wanted to be rich. So what the hell — if that's a paradox, then I'm a socialist. But I am not anything. What I used to be is guilty about money. That's why I lost it, either by giving it away or by allowing myself to be screwed by so-called managers.

— John Lennon art

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

— John Lennon money

We never made love in a bag. People probably imagined that we were making love. It was just, all of us are in a bag, you know. The point was the outline of the bag, you know, the movement of the bag, how much we see of a person, you know. But, inside, there might be a lot going on. Or maybe nothing's going on.

— John Lennon love

It's better to fade away like an old soldier than to burn out. I don't appreciate worship of deador of deador of dead . It's the same thing. Making Sid Vicious a hero,— it's garbage to me. I worship the people who survive. , .

— John Lennon people

I go to restaurants and the groups always play "." I even signed a guy's violin in Spain after he played us "Yesterday." He couldn't understand that I didn't write the song. But I guess he couldn't have gone from table to table playing "."

— John Lennon pain

Nor do I think we came from monkeys, by the way...That's another piece of garbage. What the hell's it based on? We couldn't've come from anything--fish, maybe, but not monkeys. I don't believe in the evolution of fish to monkeys to men. Why aren't monkeys changing into men now? It's absolute garbage. It's absolutely irrational garbage, as mad as the ones who believe the world was made only four thousand years ago, the fundamentalists. That and the monkey thing are both as insane as the other. I’ve nothing to base it on; it’s only a gut feeling. They always draw that progression-these apes standing up suddenly. The early men are always drawn like apes, right? Because that fits in the theory we have been living with since .

— John Lennon men

Some of this material was not published until the 30th anniversary of his death in 2010

— John Lennon death

These critics with the illusions they've created about artists — it's like idol worship. They only like people when they're on their way up ... I cannot be on the way up again. ... What they want is dead heroes, likeand . I'm not interesting in being a dead (expletive) hero. ... So forget 'em, forget 'em."

— John Lennon art

I'm not claiming divinity. I've never claimed purity of soul. I've never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can ... But I still believe in peace, love and understanding.

— John Lennon love

— John Lennon poetry

I don't mind people putting us down, because if everybody really liked us, it would be a bore.

— John Lennon people

I'm not a god or the God, but we're all God and we're all potentially divine — and potentially evil. We all have everything within us and the Kingdom of Heaven is nigh and within us, and if you look hard enough you'll see it.

— John Lennon god

Don't believe that jazz about there's nothing you can do, "turn on and drop out, man" — because you've got to turn on and drop in, or they're going to drop all over you.

— John Lennon man

Everything is as important as everything else.

— John Lennon

I wouldn't say I was a born writer; I'm a born thinker.

— John Lennon writer

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." 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.

— John Lennon life

I don't mind people putting us down, because if everybody really liked us, it would be a bore. You've got to have people putting you down. It doesn't give any edge to it if everybody just falls flat on their face saying, "You're great." We enjoy some of the criticisms as well, they're quite funny; some of the clever criticisms, not the ones that don't know anything, but some of the clever ones are quite fun.

— John Lennon funny

Happiness is just how you feel when you don't feel miserable.

— John Lennon you

We must always remember to thank the CIA and the Army for LSD, by the way. Everything is the opposite of what it is, isn't it? They brought out LSD to control people, and what they did was give us freedom. Sometimes it works in mysterious ways its wonders to perform. But it sure as hell performs them. If you look a the government report book on acid, the only ones who jumped out of windows because of it were the ones in the Army. I never knew anybody who jumped out of a window or killed themselves because of it.

— John Lennon time

I've never met anybody who's had a flashback in my life and I took millions of trips in the Sixties, and I've never met anybody who had any problem. I've had bad trips, but I've had bad trips in real life. I've had a bad trip on a joint. I can get paranoid just sitting in a restaurant; I don't have to take anything.

— John Lennon life

I don't need to go to church. I respect churches because of the sacredness that's been put on them over the years by people who do believe. But I think a lot of bad things have happened in the name of the church and in the name of Christ. Therefore I shy away from church, and asonce said, "I go to my own church in my own temple once a day." And I think people who need a church should go. And the others who know the church is in your own head should visit that temple because that's where the source is. We're all God. Christ said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you." And the Indians say that and the Zen people say that. We're all God. I'm not a god or the God, but we're all God and we're all potentially divine — and potentially evil. We all have everything within us and the Kingdom of Heaven is nigh and within us, and if you look hard enough you'll see it.

— John Lennon god

She forced me to become avant-garde and take my clothes off, when all I wanted was to be .

— John Lennon want

I think a label like "avant-garde" defeats itself. You learn to have avant-garde exhibitions. The very fact that avant-garde can have an exhibition defeats the purpose of avant-garde, because it's already formalised and ritualised.

— John Lennon purpose

Above all else never let people know how physically unattractive they actually are. Everyone deserves to believe they are beautiful. []

— John Lennon people

Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.

— John Lennon you

The more I see, the less I know for sure.

— John Lennon

You may say Im a dreamer, but Im not the only one. I hope someday youll join us. And the world will live as one.

— John Lennon hope

Weve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You cant just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think its going to get on by itself. Youve got to keep watering it. Youve got to really look after it and nurture it.

— John Lennon love

Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it’ll always get you the right ones.

— John Lennon friends

Life is what happens when youre busy making other plans.

— John Lennon you

Happiness is inside you not with another person.

— John Lennon you

Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.

— John Lennon life

A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.

— John Lennon reality

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

— John Lennon time

Being honest wont get you many friends but itll always get you the right ones.

— John Lennon friends

We live in a world where we have to hide to make love, while violence is practiced in broad daylight.

— John Lennon love

Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.

— John Lennon you

You have to be a bastard to make it, and thats a fact. And the Beatles are the biggest bastards on earth.

— John Lennon art

Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? All the rest of you, if you

— John Lennon people

Life is what happens to you while youre busy making other plans.

— John Lennon life

We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it.

— John Lennon love

Were bigger than Jesus!

— John Lennon jesus

It matters not Who you love, Where you love, Why you love, When you love, Or how you love, It matters only that you love.

— John Lennon love

Love is the flower youve got to let grow.

— John Lennon love

Women should be obscene not heard!

— John Lennon women

Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people sharing all the world.

— John Lennon people

you may say im a dreamer, but im not the only one

— John Lennon dream

I hope someday everyone will live in peaceYou may say Im a dreamer.. but Im not the only one.

— John Lennon hope

Dont hate what you dont understand.

— John Lennon hate

Being honest may not get you many friends but itll always get you the right ones.

— John Lennon friends

Time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time.

— John Lennon time

When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down happy. They told me I didnt understand the assignment, and I told them they didnt understand life.

— John Lennon life

One thing you cant hide - is when youre crippled inside.

— John Lennon you

As a kid I had a dream, I wanted to own my own bicycle. When I got the bike I must have been the happiest boy in Liverpool, maybe the world. I lived for that bike. Most kids left their bike in the backyard at night. Not me. I insisted on taking mine indoors and the first night I even kept it in my bed.

— John Lennon world

If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then thered be peace.

— John Lennon peace

Love is all, love is new. Love is all, love is you

— John Lennon love

Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear.

— John Lennon love

A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.

— John Lennon reality

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