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TL;DR:

  • John Lennon’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, inspired the Caribbean song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).”
  • Sean said he has very mixed feelings about the song.
  • Celine Dion covered “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” for one of her albums.
John Lennon wearing blue
John Lennon | Ron Howard/Redferns

John Lennon‘s son, Sean Ono Lennon, inspired his dad’s song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).” Sean remastered “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” for an album of his father’s songs. Subsequently, Sean said some very positive things about the track and some very negative things about the track.

John Lennon’s son felt his father’s album ‘Double Fantasy’ is too slick for its own good

During a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, Sean discussed working on a compilation album of his father’s songs called Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes. He said he wanted kids to be exposed to his father’s music and message. In addition, Sean felt John would have liked to retain his ubiquity.

Sean revealed he wasn’t a big fan of his father’s final album, Double Fantasy. In his opinion, the production of Double Fantasy was too slick. He said it was difficult to choose a favorite track from the LP, though he expressed fondness for the depth of “Watching the Wheels” and the carnality of “I’m Losing You.”

John Lennon’s son said ‘Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)’ makes him feel infantilized even though he’s ‘an old man’

During a 2020 interview with the Associated Press, Sean was asked about mixing a song from Double Fantasy that’s about him: “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).” “Honestly, it was my least favorite experience,” he said. “It’s just kind of awkward. 

“That song makes me feel like I’m infantilized or something,” he added. “People always play that song and look at me with a smile like, ‘Isn’t that sweet?’ I’m like, ‘Oh God, I’m an old man. I’m not some smiling baby in a baby food commercial.'” 

Sean then expressed mixed feelings about “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).” “To be honest, that song is touching to me, but as a musician and a songwriter and a producer, it’s sort of my least favorite song musically, because it’s so saccharine,” Sena revealed. “It’s great. I love it. Maybe it’s impossible for me to be objective about it.”

Sean contrasted the track with his sound. “‘Beautiful Boy’ is a very sort of family-friendly sound,” he said. “It’s not my aesthetic. Having said that, it was a privilege to help work on a mix of a song that was about me and is very touching. And yes, I was very touched by hearing my dad say my name.”

How the song impacted Celine Dion and some famous cartoon characters

“Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” became the B-side to “Watching the Wheels.” While it’s not as famous as some of John’s other songs, “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” has a legacy. Celine Dion recorded the tune for her album Miracle. “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” also appeared in the movies Mr. Holland’s Opus and Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

John’s “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” is a heartfelt song even if Sean has conflicting emotions about it.

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