How a John Lennon Song Inspired Justin Timberlake’s ‘Selfish’

Justin Timberlake‘s “Selfish” is a lot funkier than John Lennon’s songs. However, Timberlake said “Selfish” was influenced by a cover of one of John’s solo songs. The “Imagine” singer explained why the tune in question was so honest and revealing.

‘Selfish’ singer Justin Timberlake implied Generation Z doesn’t know John Lennon songs

During a 2024 interview with Apple Music, Timberlake discussed listening to a John cover. “A friend of mine, who’s also my music director, … Adam Blackstone, he was doing these small jazz nights at a place in LA,” Timberlake recalled. “And he invited me to come down and he said, ‘Hey, man.’ He was like, ‘You want to come up and sing something?’

“And I randomly threw out, ‘Oh, yeah, let’s do Donny Hathaway’s cover of ‘Jealous Guy’ by Lennon,'” he said. “By the way, if you’re a Gen-Zer right now, you have no idea who I’m talking about!” It’s not clear if the “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” singer was saying Generation Z is unfamiliar with John, Hathaway, or both. At the very least, Generation Z should know John’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” and Hathaway’s “This Christmas.”

Justin Timberlake wanted ‘Selfish’ to be vulnerable even he wasn’t raised that way

Timberlake was moved by “Jealous Guy.” “So we were talking about the song itself and just breaking down the idea that you just don’t hear that from men often, that they would express an emotion that makes them vulnerable,” he said. “And then growing up the way I grew up, you’re taught not to do that.”

“Jealous Guy” inspired Timberlake to write “Selfish.” He felt that the latter was revealing. He also enjoyed its simplicity. “Selfish” is more electronic than “Jealous Guy,” but the similarity is unmistakable.

John Lennon revealed what he was trying to accomplish with ‘Jealous Guy’

The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, a reporter asked John about the origin of “Jealous Guy.” The “Imagine” singer said he wrote the song’s melody while The Beatles were in India learning meditation from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

The Maharishi gave a lecture that inspired John to write the initial version of “Jealous Guy,” which was called “I’m Just a Child of Nature.” That lecture also influenced The Beatles’ “Mother Nature’s Son.”

John said the lyrics of “Jealous Guy” came from a period of his life when he was insecure. During that time, he was controlling toward women, viewing them less as humans and more as toys.

John said he wrote “Jealous Guy” because he wanted his art to be honest to the public at all times. He never censored his music for being too revealing. John said he wasn’t one of those artists who wanted to cut himself off from the rest of the world.

Timberlake learned a musical lesson from John and it was a lesson John thought was vital.