Why John Lennon Gave Petula Clark Obscene Advice

Petula Clark was heckled by her own audience — and then John Lennon gave her some obscene advice. By accident, the experience helped her become part of one of John’s most significant solo songs. Sometimes, life comes at you fast!

Why John Lennon swore at Petula Clark to make her feel better

Clark is sometimes known as the First Lady of the British Invasion. Why? Well, of the few female singers who were part of that scene, she was the most successful. Several of Clark’s songs became hits in the United States, such as “Don’t Sleep in the Subway,” “My Love,” “This Is My Song,” “I Know a Place,” and, most famously, “Downtown.”

During a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Clark said she once performed in Montreal and sang songs in English and French — the two official languages of Canada. English speakers were upset that she sang in French and vice versa. During that performance, Clark was jeered. Clark then spoke with a rock ‘n’ roll legend who just happened to be in Montreal.

“I really didn’t know what to do and I needed to talk to somebody who I had no connection with, and John was in town with Yoko doing a Bed-In for Peace,” she said. “So after the show one night, I went over [to] the hotel — no security, of course, I just walked in — and said I wanted to see John Lennon. So up I went, and there they were sitting in bed, and he was adorable. He could see I had a problem, and he put his arms around me. I told him what it was all about and, well, he gave me some advice that I can’t repeat.” John told Clark, “F*** ’em.”

Why Petula Clark is on ‘Give Peace a Chance’

Clark found John’s comment “interesting.”  “Anyway, he said it didn’t matter, let them get over it, and he told me to go and have a glass of wine in the living room, and there were a lot of people in there,” she said. “It was just chilling out, nothing weird.”

There, in the hotel room, John started recording his first solo single: “Give Peace a Chance.” Clark sang backing vocals on the track. That’s fascinating since “Give Peace a Chance” is a million miles removed from the typical Clark song. “Give Peace a Chance” is a folk rock protest song that is pretty lo-fi. Meanwhile, Clark’s hits were slick, traditional pop songs that never had anything controversial or political to say, even when they were fun.

Why ‘Give Peace a Chance’ was the perfect John Lennon song for that moment

In a way, Clark’s appearance on “Give Peace a Chance” was the perfect antidote to the experience she just had. Bizarrely, she was subject to both Canada’s anti-Anglophone and anti-Francophone sentiments at the same time. Afterward, she got to hear an upbeat tune about how we just need to come together and realize that all we need is love. If her audience had believed in John’s message, they would have enjoyed her beautiful singing instead of squabbling over language.

Clark had an awful experience at a concert but it led her to have an unforgettable experience with John.