John Lennon Explained the Nonviolent Meaning of The Beatles’ ‘Revolution’
John Lennon said The Beatles‘ “Revolution” was a statement about the Vietnam War and revolution in general. In addition, John said the song promoted nonviolence. Notably, the song performed differently on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In 1980, John Lennon said he stood by the lyrics of The Beatles’ ‘Revolution’
The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono includes an interview from 1980. In it, John was asked which of The Beatles wrote “Revolution.” “Completely me,” he recalled. “We recorded the song twice. The Beatles were getting real tense with each other.”
John discussed the political meaning of “Revolution.” “I did the slow version and I wanted it out as a single: as a statement of The Beatles’ position on Vietnam and The Beatles’ position on revolution,” he said. John revealed The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, did not want the band to discuss the war at all.
Many years after recording the track, John stood by its lyrics. “The statement in ‘Revolution’ was mine,” he said. “The lyrics stand today. They’re still my feeling about politics: I want to see the plan.”
The Beatles’ John Lennon said there was no point in bombing Wall Street
John revealed he had issues with counterculture activists Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman. “That is what I used to say to Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman,” he said. “Count me out if it’s for violence. Don’t expect me on the barricades unless it is with flowers.”
John didn’t seem to want to change society too radically. “As far as overthrowing something in the name of Marxism or Christianity, I want to know what you’re going to do after you’ve knocked it all down,” John revealed. “I mean, can’t we use some of it?”
John again reiterated his belief in nonviolence. “What’s the point of bombing Wall Street?” he asked. “If you want to change the system, change the system. It’s no good shooting people.”
How ‘Revolution’ performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom
“Revolution” became a hit in the United States. The song reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 11 weeks. A version of the track appeared on The White Album. The album topped the Billboard 200 for nine weeks, staying on the chart for 215 weeks in total.
“Revolution” was not a single in the United Kingdom, so The Official Charts Company reports it did not chart there. Meanwhile, The White Album was a hit in the U.K. The album topped the chart for eight weeks, staying on the chart for 37 weeks altogether.
While revolutions are violent, “Revolution” promoted no such thing.
