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TL;DR:

  • John Lennon said his mother and his father were unable to “give” anything to him.
  • He said his relationship to his parents made him feel terrible.
  • John’s mother inspired one of the tracks from The Beatles’ The White Album.
John Lennon and his mother, Julia Lennon, in black-and-white
John Lennon and his mother, Julia Lennon | Icon and Image / Contributor

John Lennon‘s mother and father did not want him. The singer said this explained his emotional state. Despite John’s issues with his parents, his mother inspired one of The Beatles’ songs and two of his solo songs.

John Lennon’s mother and father never gave him the impression they wanted to have him

The book Lennon on Lennon: Conversations with John Lennon includes an interview from 1971. In it, John discusses his feelings about his parents. “They can’t give because they’ve never been given to,” he said. “But the problem for most people, and extraordinarily enough for me, who’d had no real impression that my mother actually wanted me — or father — because she wasn’t there.

“But still one of the hardest things is to realize that actually they didn’t want you: you’re just the result of a f***,” he added. “Not many of us are planned. And in fact, their own need is so great that they cannot possibly give to you.”

John Lennon said people are afraid to reveal they desire the love of others

John then discussed his ideas about love. “So to allow yourself to feel your own want is a big problem,” he said. “The thing we all seem to greatly fear is to show the want we have of love from other people, especially parents.

“To feel it and acknowledge it in your mind: ‘No, they didn’t want me. That is a fact. I was not wanted. No wonder I feel s*****,'” he said. “‘Cause I couldn’t explain it as a child.”

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Paul McCartney Didn’t Realize 1 Beatles Song Could’ve Been About John Lennon’s Mother Until Way After the Fact

Julia Lennon inspired the songs ‘Julia,’ ‘Mother,’ and ‘My Mummy’s Dead’

John’s parents became a source of inspiration in his music. The White Album includes a folk ballad called “Julia.” In 2016, the singer Donovan told Vulture the song was about John’s mother, Julia Lennon. The “Imagine” singer sang about both of his parents in “Mother,” the opening track of his album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. The song is a wail of grief about his relationships with his mother and father.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band ends with the very brief song “My Mummy’s Dead,” which has a tune similar to “Three Blind Mice.” The entire album is about John’s grievances with the world. Beginning and ending it with songs about Julia suggests his dissatisfaction ultimately stemmed from his feelings about his mother.

John had some negative things to say about his parents but they still inspired him.

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