Great raw John song , rarely played . John had a middle class upbringing but always identified with the working classes , the filming is actually Johns childhood home kept as it was , and the gates of course Strawberry fields ! the Beatles changed everything in the 60s, in America they refused to play anywhere that separated Blacks from Whites they revolutionised youth. Nice one Phil , Steve
I think you've put your finger on another important John Lennon music track-"Strawberry Fields", the 1967 Beatles song. Hopefully we might see Philip react to this one not too far in the future on this channel.
Bitter, critical, cynical John was always the best John, at least when it came to songwriting. This song is crazy, because he doesn't even try to pretend to be empathetic. He's not part of the working class and he doesn't hide it. He's just an outside observer telling us what he sees, and what he sees is pretty damn accurate.
When he wrote this he was incredibly wealthy but he was from the working class. When his sailor father abandoned the family they were on social assistance and he lived with his aunts because his mom wasn't capable. He is talking about himself as a warning to others. He said many times, as did George and the others, that success is not as wonderful as it appears. Society is always touting riches and fame as what we should all strive for but it can cause a lot of misery even with all the delights you could ever want at your finger tips.
"Despite the talk of Lennon being working class - as were Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr - he later rejected the idea, saying, "I was a nice clean-cut suburban boy."[43] Later comparing his pre-fame living circumstances at Mendips with those of the other Beatles, he said, "In the class system it was about a half an inch in a higher class than Paul, George and Ringo, who lived in subsidised government houses. We owned our own house, had our own garden. They didn't have anything like that"." In strictly economic terms he would qualify for lower middle class. Socially speaking, with parents abandoning him and being perceived as "different", he was closer to the lower class than the working class.
@@paulknight9998 That still puts him closer to working class than to a life of ease and able to write this great song with authenticity. Let's follow your logic though "A lower middle class hero is something to be" Sounds like a classic already.
Love your analysis of these songs! Always intelligent, interesting and spot on!
great reaction.. great analysis.
As much as I love McCartney there is no way he could write a song like this.
Almost no other pop star would write a song like this. It's one of the greats. Truth!
Paul had a secure family. John didn't have that. Abandoned by both parents essentially.
Excellent analysis! Few songs ever tell the hard truth as clearly as this one.
I really appreciate Jerry Williams' cover of this song (and he kept to the working class up to his death).
Great raw John song , rarely played . John had a middle class upbringing but always identified with the working classes , the filming is actually Johns childhood home kept as it was , and the gates of course Strawberry fields ! the Beatles changed everything in the 60s, in America they refused to play anywhere that separated Blacks from Whites they revolutionised youth. Nice one Phil , Steve
One of your best of all of your Lennon solo reactions! Great program. Really enjoying your take on this one.
Glad you enjoyed it
John Lennon also wrote a lyric in Strawberry Fields…. It’s getting hard to be someone but it all works out. 🤔 it doesn’t matter much to me.
I think you've put your finger on another important John Lennon music track-"Strawberry Fields", the 1967 Beatles song. Hopefully we might see Philip react to this one not too far in the future on this channel.
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Bitter, critical, cynical John was always the best John, at least when it came to songwriting. This song is crazy, because he doesn't even try to pretend to be empathetic. He's not part of the working class and he doesn't hide it. He's just an outside observer telling us what he sees, and what he sees is pretty damn accurate.
When he wrote this he was incredibly wealthy but he was from the working class. When his sailor father abandoned the family they were on social assistance and he lived with his aunts because his mom wasn't capable. He is talking about himself as a warning to others. He said many times, as did George and the others, that success is not as wonderful as it appears. Society is always touting riches and fame as what we should all strive for but it can cause a lot of misery even with all the delights you could ever want at your finger tips.
"Despite the talk of Lennon being working class - as were Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr - he later rejected the idea, saying, "I was a nice clean-cut suburban boy."[43] Later comparing his pre-fame living circumstances at Mendips with those of the other Beatles, he said, "In the class system it was about a half an inch in a higher class than Paul, George and Ringo, who lived in subsidised government houses. We owned our own house, had our own garden. They didn't have anything like that"."
In strictly economic terms he would qualify for lower middle class. Socially speaking, with parents abandoning him and being perceived as "different", he was closer to the lower class than the working class.
@@paulknight9998 That still puts him closer to working class than to a life of ease and able to write this great song with authenticity. Let's follow your logic though "A lower middle class hero is something to be" Sounds like a classic already.