Why John Lennon Named an Album ‘Double Fantasy’
The cover of John Lennon‘s Double Fantasy depicts him kissing Yoko Ono. The record’s title is not simply a reference to the two of them working together. John revealed the name has a spiritual meaning.
John Lennon’s ‘Double Fantasy’ was inspired by John’s view of prayer
The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, John revealed his opinions about prayer. “The consciousness is, ‘Let’s see what we shall pray for together. Let’s make it stronger by picturing the same image, projecting the same image,'” he said. “And that is the secret. That is the secret. Because you can be together but projecting different things.”
Yoko said these dual projections were “double fantasies,” alluding to the title of their newest record. “Double fantasies at the same time,” John replied. “And you get whoever’s fantasy is strongest at the time or you get nothing but mishmash. You’re defeated both ways.” John’s views are similar to the widespread spiritual practice of manifesting, also known as the law of attraction. In modern times, the law of attraction was popularized by Rhonda Byrne’s 2006 self-help book The Secret.
Yoko Ono discussed the difference between her and John Lennon
Yoko revealed her opinion of double fantasies. “Of course he has different dreams and I have different dreams, too,” she said. “And that’s a weakness. In other words, when you say two people want the same thing, that doesn’t happen all the time. So when it happens, it’s really powerful.
“Sometimes two people might be praying but at the same time one could be thinking about something else,” the “Walking on Thin Ice” singer continued. “Then it doesn’t happen. That sort of unified wishing or praying doesn’t happen that simply. We go many ways but finally come together and wish that everything is going to be all right.” Her words seem to allude to the title of The Beatles’ “Come Together” as well as the “Don’t you know it’s gonna be all right?” refrain from the Fab Four’s “Revolution.”
‘Double Fantasy’ produced 3 hit singles
Double Fantasy became a massive record in the United States. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for eight weeks, staying on the chart for 77 weeks in total. The record produced three classic singles: “(Just Like) Starting Over,” an homage to Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, “Woman,” a gentle love song that doubles as a feminist anthem, and “Watching the Wheels,” a personal tune about John’s relationships to Yoko and their son, Sean Ono Lennon. Each of those singles reached the top 10 in the U.S.
The Official Charts Company reports Double Fantasy was a smash in the United Kingdom as well. There, the record was No. 1 for two weeks, lasting on the chart for 36 weeks altogether. In the U.K., “(Just Like) Starting Over” and “Woman” reached the top 10 while “Watching the Wheels” did not. A remix of the album called Double Fantasy Stripped Down was a modest hit as well. It charted at No. 80 in the U.K. for a week.
The name Double Fantasy wasn’t simply a cool title — it was a statement of John and Yoko’s metaphysical beliefs.
