John Lennon Once Expressed ‘Resent’ for Being an Artist and ‘Performing for F***ing Idiots’

After leaving The Beatles, John Lennon was often critical of his time with the band. He has trashed his songs and even shared details about the band conflicting with one another. John Lennon tried to live a simpler lifestyle as a solo artist and once said he resented the fame that came with his success. 

John Lennon never toured as a solo artist

While John Lennon continued to make music as a solo artist, he never toured. He did perform now and then, but it was a rarity. His final performance in front of a large-scale concert crowd was with Elton John at Madison Square Garden in New York City. When asked about going on tour in an interview with Spin, Lennon said he thought touring would “be a drag.”

“I think it would be a drag,” Lennon said. “I am sure I enjoyed parts of it, but not much of it. My decision was already made on touring, long time ago. I always changed my mind about things; and then everybody got angry, and said, “… but he said …” I don’t know if I’ll ever tour again; I can’t say. But just the idea of it … it’s just … you gotta pull a group together, invent a group. And then you gotta whip them into life, make them a real group, and not a bunch of guys. Then you gotta go around all those snotty little dressing rooms — and all you get is money. That’s all you get from a tour: cash.”

John Lennon resented ‘performing for ‘f***ing idiots’

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon talked about what he would be if he weren’t a successful musician. He said if he were able to be anything else than an artist, he would. However, he desired to express his pain through music, even if he resents performing for “f***ing idiots.” 

“I resent being an artist, in that respect, I resent performing for f***ing idiots who don’t know anything. They can’t feel. I’m the one that’s feeling, because I’m the one that is expressing. They live vicariously through me and other artists, and we are the ones… even with the boxers— when Oscar comes in the ring, they’re booing the s*** out of him, he only hits Clay once and they’re all cheering him. I’d sooner be in the audience, really, but I’m not capable of it. One of my big things is that I wish to be a fisherman. I know it sounds silly— and I’d sooner be rich than poor, and all the rest of that s***— but I wish the pain was ignorance or bliss or something. If you don’t know, man, then there’s no pain; that’s how I express it.”

Lennon was often critical of his work

John Lennon often criticized his music as an artist, especially songs he wrote and performed for The Beatles. Ulimateclassicrock.com shared a list of songs he publicly scorned. Some of these songs include “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” “Across the Universe,” “Lady Madonna,” and “Helllo Goodbye.” “Sun King” and “Dig a Pony” he referred to as “piece[s] of garbage.”

While Lennon may be harsher toward his work, his fans regard many of these songs as classics.