John Lennon’s Aunt Shot Down His Father’s Chance at a Relationship With Him in 9 Savage Words
John Lennon knew how to write memorable music. Even his lousy songs became Beatles hits. Yet he never really knew how to make his aunt, Mimi Smith, happy. She cut him down to size throughout his life. Still, her complaints toward him were nothing compared to her brutal message for Lennon’s dad.
John Lennon’s aunt told off his dad: ‘You have made an absolute shambles of your life’
Lennon’s life story well before he died tragically young.
His mother, Julia, got hit by a car and died. Her partner had little interest in helping a young John grieve. Even worse, his dad was virtually absent for his entire childhood. Paul McCartney said his friend never got over his father’s absence. Maybe Lennon’s dad was too scared of aunt Mimi to attempt to get close to his son.
After spending years at sea working as a ship’s steward, Alfred “Alf” Lennon got arrested and sent to jail soon after his return. When he wrote to Mimi from prison asking her to help him be more involved in John’s life upon his release, she didn’t mince words and savagely told him off, starting with nine cutting words (via 150 Glimpses of The Beatles):
“You have made an absolute shambles of your life and have brought shame and scandal upon your family. If you have a shred of decency left in you, I advise you to go to New Zealand alone and put your past life behind you. Surely you don’t want your son to know you’ve been in jail?”
John Lennon’s aunt Mimi to his father
Was that the stint in jail that Alf Lennon lied about just to have an excuse to remain away from his family? It doesn’t really matter. The takeaway is that the one time Alf showed interest in raising John, Mimi drove him away (though not all the way to New Zealand).
Aunt Mimi took aim at John’s father and threw some harsh words in his direction. Still, her nephew never escaped her scathing criticism, either.
Lennon’s aunt Mimi saw herself differently than how others did, according to Cynthia Lennon
Aunt Mimi harsh words for Lennon’s father cut to the bone. She probably saw herself as a caring and protective yet stern mother figure for her nephew. Yet John’s ex-wife Cynthia said that the way Smith portrayed herself in the media stood at odds with how most people viewed her.
John’s aunt outlived him by more than a decade. He couldn’t refute anything she said about herself or their relationship. But Cynthia Lennon witnessed some of the nasty details: Criticizing his friends, his clothes, his music, and how he spoke.
And throwing food. When John introduced Cynthia to his aunt, Mimi flew into a violent rage over the coat John bought for his girlfriend and threw a cooked chicken at her.
Aunt Mimi battered John’s self-confidence at every opportunity, even after he established himself as a quarter of the most popular band in the world.
John and his father barely had a relationship at all
Lennon’s aunt acted cold and callous toward him throughout his life, but at least she was present. As we mentioned, John’s father was absent for most of his life and only tried to reconnect with the Beatles’ founder after he became internationally famous.
Just as aunt Mimi had some harsh words for Lennon’s dad — “you have made a shambles of your life” — Alf made a shambles of his reunion efforts. John could (understandably) barely contain his loathing for his father, and his dad couldn’t help but tell the world about how his famous musician son disappointed him. Lennon’s father sure went about reconciling in a strange, self-sabotaging way.
John Lennon’s aunt criticized him freely and frequently during his life. Still, she might have saved her harshest words of all for John’s father, who felt he had the right to throw his son under the bus when he tried to reconnect with him.
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