What John Lennon Regretted About ‘Power to the People’
One could argue John Lennon‘s “Power to the People” hasn’t aged a day, especially compared to other political songs. Despite the song’s greatness, John had a significant issue with its lyrics in retrospect. He named the political figure who inspired him to write the tune. In addition, John explained why he felt the politics of the 1960s hadn’t made the world more utopian.
John Lennon felt ‘Power to the People’ didn’t portray power correctly
John’s solo oeuvre was a lot more political than The Beatles’. Sure, the Fab Four dabbled in cultural commentary with songs like “Piggies” and “Revolution,” but social issues were a much more prominent theme in John’s work. To this day, “Give Peace a Chance,” “Imagine,” “God,” and “Working Class Hero” are all stirring statements about a world that has changed far too little.
One of his most upbeat political songs was “Power to the People.” During a 1980 RKO General interview recorded by The Nation, John revealed he had issues with the track. “In retrospect, if I were trying to say the same thing again, I would say the people have the power,” he said. “I don’t mean the power of the gun. They have the power to make and create the society they want.”
John Lennon’s ‘Power to the People’ was inspired by the words of a communist writer
The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, John was asked about the origins of “Power to the People.” He said he penned the song after speaking with British communist Tariq Ali. John wanted to turn Ali’s words into a song, but the “Watching the Wheels” singer felt he didn’t stick the landing.
“It was written in the state of being asleep and wanting to be loved by Tariq Ali and his ilk, you see,” he recalled. “I have to admit to that, so I won’t call it hypocrisy. I couldn’t write that today.” It’s not clear what John thought was hypocritical about the song. Regardless, the track still has a great sentiment, and Phil Spector’s production makes it fun (unlike most protest songs).
What the former Beatle thought about 1960s politics in 1980
On RKO General, John seemed to say that the people weren’t harnessing their power properly. “Maybe in the ’60s we were naïve and like children and later everyone went back to their rooms and said, ‘We didn’t get a wonderful world of flowers and peace. The world is a nasty, horrible place because it didn’t give us everything we cried for,'” he said. “Right? Crying for it wasn’t enough.”
However, he also had more positive things to say about that era. “The thing the ’60s did was show us the possibility and the responsibility that we all had,” he said. “It wasn’t the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility.”
The 1960s were a decade filled with promise, and John helped many people see that promise. Also, “Power to the People” is still a jam.
