The words and songs of John Lennon: #2 / Strawberry Fields Forever
Posted: Wednesday, April 27, 2011
by Kenny St.pierre
Let me take you down cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields, nothing is real, and nothing to get hung-about. Strawberry Fields forever.
Living is easy with eyes closed. Misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone, but it all works out.
It doesn't matter much to me.
Let me take you down cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields, nothing is real, and nothing to get hung-about. Strawberry Fields forever.
That is you can't you know, tune in, but it's all right.
That is I think it's not too bad.
Let me take you down cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields, nothing is real, and nothing to get hung-about. Strawberry Fields forever.
Always, no sometimes, I think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream.
I think I know I mean a yes, but it's all wrong.
That is I think I disagree.
Let me take you down cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields, nothing is real, and nothing to get hung-about. Strawberry Fields forever. Strawberry Fields forever. Strawberry Fields forever.
To those reading this, all I wish to do is keep the torch of creative brilliance alive when I write my series on the songs and lyrics of John Lennon. There is no other human, either in my personal life or universally, who has had more of an impact on my mind, spirit, and love of mankind than John Lennon did. Thus, I wish to pass along my personal thoughts and feelings about the lyrical genius of this man, in the hopes that more humans may understand and appreciate the natural might of the man who exemplified the possibilities and simplest powers within the notion of "Love, love, love." Any man that could express poetic words with such musical grace and warmth as John Lennon did, was, for me, a very personal and instinctive awakening! Thank You John!!!
The song opens with the chorus, "Let me take you down cos I'm going to, Strawberry Fields, nothing is real, and nothing to get hung-about. Strawberry Fields forever."
It was written during the time of the Beatles, and has both figurative and metaphorical representations. One, it is an actual place John went to visit often - Strawberry Fields being an orphanage near John's home in Liverpool where he went as a young boy to escape his troubles – And two, this song is also using Strawberry Fields symbolically - a place he mentally wanders to forget his stress - yearning for simpler times. He also is frustrated and disillusioned with those who go through life blind to things going on around them, and too there are indications of Lennon's own insecurities about his genius. John invites us to come on "down" and join him into a world where there is no fussing, fighting, or killing.
"Living is easy with eyes closed. Misunderstanding all you see.
This is so true when you deliberate about how easy life is when you accept things superficially and don't utilize research. However, John knew that living life shallowly is not really living at all.
"It's getting hard to be someone, but it all works out."
John finds seeing things as they really are is no easy task, but he trust that in the end it will all work out.
"It doesn't matter much to me."
And John figures if things don't work out "it doesn't matter much..." because there is no way he is turning back and giving up on the road less traveled.
The next verse begins, "No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low."
It's apparent John is struggling with the notion that maybe he is not a genius after all. There's a saying, "There's a fine line between genius and insanity," and John may, at that point in time, have questioned his sanity even for a brief time.
"That is you can't you know, tune in, but it's all right. That is I think it's not too bad."
John lets us know that the mental state he is in is not a place where many minds "tune in," "but it's alright." John's okay with knowing his psychic state is not for everyone, but hopes that there are enough intelligent and well-informed people to acknowledge brilliance and a greater message. Lennon tapped into primal emotions that never left his consciousness.
"Always, know sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream."
I don't have the facts here in front of me, but I'm guessing John's confused about who he is at times. He reassures us though that even when he may be in doubt and "thinks it's him," he is quite certain he "...know when it's a dream."
Before repeating the chorus one last time, John ends with, "I think I know I mean a yes, but it's all wrong. That is I think I disagree."
Again, the fine line of genius and insanity is gripping. John want's to agree with society, but he knows society is "all wrong," forcing him to disagree with it's direction and conditions. John felt mankind could build reality from it's dreams.
This Article has been viewed 864 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Hi Kenny. Nice work! I too love taking songs and seeing what we can glean from them. Thanks for sharing this interesting piece of musical history. Blessings to you! Teresa
Thanks for writing this, Kenny. I love John Lennon's music, and reading your article has revived it for me. I also was too young to really understand what the words meant, but I came to appreciate them as I got older. I agree, he's timeless.Thank you Teresa and Jennifer... Of course my hope is to bring understanding, pleasure, and hope to those who care to acknowledge. I am just a moron to the likes of John Lennon, but at least I am sensible enough to know greatness when I see or hear it just as you two do...Thank you and take care.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.