John Lennon fans may be a bit surprised to see an interview in the new documentary, Beatles Stories, with Lennon’s long time friend Fred Seaman. Seaman says that Lennon had moved away from his early radicalism and became a fan of . . . wait for it . . . Ronald Reagan.
By the time of his death in 1980, Seaman say that Lennon was supportive of Ronald Reagan over Jimmy Carter.
Just imagine the following lyrics being used as a call to a Reagan fundraiser:
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
It is enough to put even the most stalwart liberal into a fetal position.
Source: Toronto Sun
Ted Nugent–not just a musician but a friend of FOX personalities Mike Huckabee and Sean Hannity. He’s a real class act!
“Honestly I’d say The Beatles were much better entertainers then they were musicians.”
Gyges,
I completely defer to your expertise on musical talent. As to Dylan and Zappa, both were profound and in a very real sense more honest about their views. However, the fact that I know instantly every Beatle song and the words, is a testimony to the powerful effect of their music. To be honest Sgt. Pepper was not my favorite album of theirs. My personal ranking would be the “White Album,” Rubber Soul” and “Revolver,” in that order. Of course mixed in with those purely visceral feelings was the resonance they had with the state of my life at the time they came out.
As to my own musical predilections today I listen mainly to Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen and Warren Zevon. In a general sense though I was a “Deadhead” and have been to many Willie Nelson concerts.
I love Rock, Bluegrass, 20’s and 30’s Jazz and “The Blues.” Lacking both an ability to sing on key and any ability as a musician, musics for me is judged viscerally. If it moves me I love it and if it brings me to tears, I’m in heaven.
By the way I never liked “Imagine,” since I thought it pretentious. The “Ballad of John and Yoko,” however, pleased me even with its’ pretensions, because of the comic irony and the music.
Mike S,
Honestly I’d say The Beatles were much better entertainers then they were musicians. That’s not to say they were talentless hacks, they were skilled musicians, but compare Lennon Or McCartney’s songwriting to Dylan, Zappa, or any number of other folks at the time, and they fall a bit short.
Sgt. Pepper’s was such a blatant rip off, Zappa’s next album was “We’re Only In it For the Money” with a cover spoofing Sgt. Peppers.
@Mespo
“I’m no Lennon fan, but it seems you have insight into his character and history that his mother would envy.”
Stop being an idiot for awhile.
Youtube is your friend for watching old Beatles videos. Go watch a few and makes your own judgments.
I like the guy and his music, but he sure comes off as a self-centered, abrasive, egotistical ass and there’s lots of people on the record that share that opinion of his personal character. Google is also your friend.
Dear fans,
Just because someone is a great showman, doesn’t mean his views on anything else are worth listening to.
OT,
I recently watchedIt Might Get Loud. I’m not quite sure how they picked The Edge to be on there with Jimmy Page and Jack White, but it’s well worth watching. Two of the three can rock so hard there’s a change in the Earth Orbit every time they get on stage.
mespo,
kd is not doing to be da man today….lol
kderosa:
“No, he always was a self-centered egotistical ass.”
****************************
I’m no Lennon fan, but it seems you have insight into his character and history that his mother would envy.
Anyway, here’s a Bible quote to appeal to your fundie sensibilities: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” And here’s another: [Troll] heal thyself!
I anxiously await your acrimony-free reply. Also still waiting for that stand-up schedule. You’re a hypocritical hoot!
“He really did become a self-centered egotistical ass”
No, he always was a self-centered egotistical ass.
Whether true or not it’s immaterial. Lennon left behind a geniuses body of work, was a great singer and a fine musician. The truth of a poets insights,
once written, doesn’t deteriorate as the poet ages into other views of life. If the thoughts themselves, at the time when written provide people with nuggets of truth regarding life, they then become eternal whether or not the writer remains true to them.
Bob Dylan, another genius from the same era wrote lines that I live by:
“Don’t follow leaders, watch your parking meters.”
Seemingly simple advice, with real depth of practical meaning. Dylan, even during the height of his early fame was bemused by people looking to him as a leader of anything. He saw himself clearly as just a poet and entertainer. That many of my generation looked to him for guidance, is a reflection of our own loss of focus. However this is true of humans in general. From our own life experiences, using ourselves as models, we know how frail are human’s intentions. People who follow any political leader, confident in their prescience, are usually doomed to disappointment.
I think we are seeing another little bit of revisionist history here. Thirty years later and this comes up now?
I’m with Dredd on this one. Seaman’s past is questionable and certainly not squeaky clean – theft, perjury, and so on. Sued by Yoko for a variety of issues.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/sep/28/arts.artsnews
I’d say that thirty years after Lennon’s death he is trying hard for his 15 minutes.
He really did become a self-centered egotistical ass so it isn’t hard to imagine that he would support those that made him feel better about himself as opposed to those who wanted to do better.
Also please explain how one can be “wisely skeptical” but still assume that the embrace of Christianity is only a matter of time? See, if you are going to troll well you need to try to pick a better handle so that the bullshit is not so obvious.
For years I have believed that religious conservatives who raise their children to be afraid of asking questions would have seen too many adult atheists in their family get togethers. On the same theme, it would only have been a matter of time and experience for the peace loving John Lennon to embrace an artistic but also mainstream form of Christianity . John Lennon’s assassin could have saved his friends and music fans years of bitter recrimination by allowing John Lennon to live his life as a maturing, thoughtful Dad and an eccentric genius .
The fellow worked for Lennon for about 1 year. Not enough for such against-the-grain assertions.
I haven’t heard a lot of those quoting Reagan saying “give peace a chance” for about a decade or so.
This story is part of the Republican presidential campaign which is trying to pull people from Obama, who is helping them do so.
Thats nice bd….
A 95% tax rate has a way of turning anyone to the dark side.
The anecdote I heard was that one day John was complaining about having to pay bills and the complexity of having a large estate to his manager. The manager started singing him the lyrics to Imagine (… imagine no possessions …).John’s response, “It’s only a fucking song.”
I voted for Reagan twice and Bush Sr once. That doesn’t make me a teabagger today. Nor does it suggest that atheist John Lennon would long tolerate the convergence, or more accurately, the absorbtion of the Republican Party by the Christian Coalition or their intolerance toward their fellow man.
Hey Republicans, who are the dirty hippies now?
I have considered the Beatles “one” hit wonders…they always kept reinventing themselves….
So this really does not surprise me…..
I will buy that when Yoko says it, not some “friend”.
John Lennon’s conversion omes later than usual for the new rich. Examples of celebrities turning into Republicans as their wealth rises is not that unusual. One example is former funny man Dennis Miller.