Let’s dive into an intriguing wrinkle in Beatles history! You probably know “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” as John Lennon dominating the B side of Abbey Road**, but behind its powerful grooves lies a lesser-known anecdote illustrating Yoko Ono’s artistic influence and, oddly enough, John’s quiet support of fellow Beatle George Harrison. See, while many associate “A Day in Life” with experimental songwriting pushing rock’s possibilities on The *Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album prior to ABBEY ROAD, it was “The Ballad of John & Yoko” that got fans and critics talking – because, well…It explicitly centered on a hot topic at the time; Lennon’s turbulent relationship with Ono. You know those lines about police chase dramas? And media frenzy over her inclusion in Beatles’ affairs? They weren’t exactly playing around!
And this “John & Yoko ballad,” co-written partly while stuck in traffic thanks to fans crowding John and Yoko was actually a chance Lennon had purposely made sure would fall upon George Harrison as an opportunity. That’s true – by 1968, George felt a musical itch he couldn’t fully squeeze into Beatles framework, but they needed something upbeat at the “Get Back” (film/album) launch before embarking again onto another project – Harrison jumped on that opportunity in place of taking “The Ballad”.
So this moment of quiet understanding – because you want a bandmate to truly use their creative strength and make something that works, yeah? It speaks volumes about their camaraderie within what can be easily perceived (given all Beatles later events) as a complex relationship dynamic.
Get ready, as in the sections to follow we will delve deeper into the exact moments George’s “All Things Must Pass,” “The Ballad of John & Yoko”, and how everything unfolded during The Beatles era for a story of artistry intersections you might not expect.
The anecdote about John Lennon deliberately choosing George Harrison as the writer of “The Ballad Of John & Yoko” for the iconic ABBEY ROAD album has captivated Beatles fans for years, prompting much discussion and debate. Let’s take a closer look at some contrasting viewpoints:
Perspective 1: Acts of Quiet Teamwork in a Competitive Trio
This view posits that John wasn’t trying to literally give in to the other Beatles, it was part of navigating dynamics inside a group constantly grappling with artistic ambition. Paul was pulling heavy creative weight (already writing hits left and right), while George wasn‘t seeing songwriting recognition. This viewpoint hinges on John choosing not to hog what could’ve been solely a “John/Paul” song at a time when Abbey Road felt very much centered – for better or worse – around the “double album concept”.
Evidence: The success of George’s “Here Comes The Sun,” earlier written but kept under Harrison’s wing before hitting that landmark Beatles-project was, for me, important proof everyone was a hitmaker to be leveraged.
Weakness: While this explains John’s action from the broader trio standpoint, would he’ve consciously considered George when deciding about a song with no previous tie between Lennon and Harrison’s styles…?
Perspectives ##2 : John & Yoko as an Artistic Catalyst,
Another perspective argues that John was intentionally framing himself (and often Yoko’s persona) as public-facing while simultaneously letting his brothers keep it professional, no envy, especially after all the talk about The Beatles were. This lens suggests that by using both self-deprecation (the driving narrative here could’ve been “more powerful” than simply giving songwriting power away). Evidence? George’s tracklist decisions for the album prove John didn’t over-protect those in Beatles camp – Paul’s entire suite of ‘The Whole World’, but the Harrison/Lennon collaboration on “Two of Us,” also a bit lighter, were right next to that heavy “Abbey Road” closer
Weakness: How is being public-facing directly connected to making sure George HAD room in the project in an artistic sense when he didn’t previously work WITH John to craft something cohesive?
Conclusion: Finding Room Beneath Both Stories
The truth, as often with complex stories like Beatles history. … It doesn’t have to be ONE absolute perspective. Both can stand. John may have had artistic self-awareness in knowing their dynamic, PLUS genuinely valuing what each member could bring… and wanting George to earn what rightfully should be his moment(s) on an important album cycle. Did Yoko play music direction or influence those writing sessions? That one’s a mystery as vast and deep as their relationship was
But for us music listeners, the result WORKS–a song capturing THAT time brilliantly. And I think George’d probably agree that sometimes even ‘making it work while trying is half- the story,’ in the band.
Tracing back how Beatles’ behind-the-scenes power played out can truly reveal their genius (it’s not JUST Lennon/McCartney, you know!).
What We Learned: Several angles emerge about John prioritizing Georgie on “The Ballad of John & Yoko,”: George genuinely needed the shine as other Beatle projects didn’t suit him THAT WELL by late ’68, but more importantly
- John being super savvy—he KNOWINGLY played himself in those songs to keep people talking AND create that Abbey Road feel where everyone had their solo section for “The Beatles are still about MUSIC!”
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Even within bandmates, competition exists!— BUT it wasn’t always tearing apart friendships/career-sorts of situations
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Yoko’s influence isn’t JUST that tabloid magnet (she’d argue back with that!), it made the creative decisions even MORE fascinating for folks studying their process. Her mere inclusion meant John either felt he needed another partner to make THIS thing work OR she WAS being pulled in as part ‘of her new, artistic side.*
So: Unanswered Questions?!
Did John, despite his “helping George” intentions, really expect a b-side response so ON BEAT the rest that became an enduring Harrison signature hit? Was a full Lennon-esque track on B Side already IN John’s HEAD before he gave it up? Did any Yoko/music partnership truly lead into that “Ballad” ?
The most tantalizing stuff ISN’T in a literal 1 right answer. It’s about how these individual personalities shaped the FINAL thing we got: THAT RECORD
Remember Beatles-era listening wasn’t just tunes, it was figuring out these dynamics! It gets even cooler now because you’re not alone deciphering it