Oh Yoko!

John Lennon used to be my hero. Somewhere between puberty and now i slowly realized that as much as i loved the man's music i couldn't stand the unreal image of the world John so loved to propagate in his music. Maybe because of his unrealistic take on the world that he writes such perfect love songs (that and the man is an incredible musician).

For example a song like Oh Yoko which should feel too private to relate to anyone but Yoko, yet feels so universal.

In the middle of the bath
In the middle of the bath
I call your name
Oh Yoko, oh Yoko,
my love will turn you on
My love will turn you on

In the middle of a shave
In the middle of a shave I call your name
Oh Yoko, oh Yoko, my love will turn you on

In the middle of a dream
In the middle of a dream
I call your name Oh yoko, oh yoko,
my love will turn you on
My love will turn you on

I don't think Chris Martin can do that. Whenever he sings about Green Eyes i think - "Gwyneth has green eyes?" Not so with Lennon, it's personal and yet the song never gets bogged down by narrow details of John and Yoko's love affair. John also has this great ability to make domestic love songs. When i heard "in the middle of a shave" for the first time, i thought i misheard the lyrics. But it was just one of those perfect lyrics, that sounds a bit silly but actually speaks volumes.
After the Beatles broke up, John decided to be a stay at home dad and take care of his son, Sean, retiring from music all together. After his time-off from music he re-grouped and began writing again. He commented, once he realized he didn't have to write (he no longer felt the pressure he did while being a "Beatle") the songs began to flow easily. The writing is true, happy, erotic, vulnerable, and (of all things!) domestic. They are unusual and soothing. So although i might no longer subscribe to same world view as John, i'll keep listening to his beautiful songs.