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TL;DR:

  • John Lennon said “Jealous Guy” is about wanting to lock “his woman in a little box.”
  • He revealed the song expressed the side of him that was possessive and insecure.
  • The track was based on another song he wrote during his time in India.
John Lennon wearing blue during his "Jealous Guy" era
John Lennon | Ron Howard/Redferns

John Lennon‘s “Jealous Guy” was originally about wanting to lock “his woman in a little box.” In addition, he said “Jealous Guy” was based on a different song he wrote while he was in India. The original song was based on the words of one of the most famous spiritual gurus of the era.

John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’ was based on a song with a different name

The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, John said a lecture from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi inspired him to write a song called “Child of Nature” while he was in India.  

Afterward, John turned the demo of “Child of Nature” into a track called “Jealous Guy.” Subsequently, John commented on the meaning of “Jealous Guy.” “I was a very jealous, possessive guy,” he said. “Toward everything. A very insecure male. 

“A guy who wants to put his woman in a little box, lock her up, and just bring her out when he feels like playing with her,” he added. “She’s not allowed to communicate with the outside world — outside of me — because it makes me feel insecure.”

John Lennon explained why his music was so personal

Subsequently, John was asked why he was so open in his music. “I made the decision at sixteen or seventeen that what I did, I wanted everybody to see,” he replied. “I wasn’t going after the asceticism or the monastery or the lone artist who supposedly doesn’t care what people think about his work.” 

John said he had thin skin when it came to his art. “I care a lot whether people hate it or love it, because it’s part of me and it hurts me when they hate it, or hate me, and it’s pleasing when they like it,” he said. “But, as many public figures have said, ‘The praise is never enough, and the criticism always bites deep.’ That’s just the predicament of being some … artist.”

How ‘Jealous Guy’ performed on the charts

“Jealous Guy” was barely a hit in the United States. The tune reached No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for a total of four weeks. The tune appeared on the album Imagine, which topped the Billboard 200 for a single week. The album spent 47 weeks on the chart altogether.

According to The Official Charts Company, “Jealous Guy” peaked at No. 65 and stayed on the chart for two weeks. A rerelease of the track with “Imagine” hit No. 45 and remained on the chart for five weeks. Meanwhile, Imagine topped the U.K. for two of its 101 weeks on the chart. Imagine lasted longer on the U.K. chart than any of John’s other post-Beatles albums.

“Jealous Guy” was not one of John’s big hits but it gave fans a look into his psyche.

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