1970 single by John Lennon
"
Mother
" is a song by English musician
John Lennon
, first released on his 1970 album
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
. An edited version of the song was issued as a
single
in the United States on
Apple Records
, on 28 December 1970.
[1]
The single edit runs 1:41 shorter than the album due to removing the tolling bells that start the song and a quicker fade-out. The
B-side
features "
Why
" by
Yoko Ono
. The song peaked in the United States at number 19 on the
Cashbox
Top 100
[2]
and number 43 on the
Billboard
Hot 100
.
[2]
In
Canada
the song reached number 12.
[3]
Conception
[
edit
]
The lyrics of "Mother" address both of Lennon's parents, each of whom abandoned him in his childhood.
[4]
His father,
Alf
, left the family when John was an infant.
[4]
His mother,
Julia
, did not live with her son, although they had a good relationship; she was hit and killed in a car accident on 15 July 1958 by an off-duty policeman named Eric Clague, when Lennon was 17.
[4]
In one of his last concerts, Lennon stated that the song was not just about his parents, but was rather "about 99% of the parents, alive or half dead".
[5]
[
page needed
]
"Mother" opens the album, starting with a
funeral
bell tolling slowly, four times. The song ends with Lennon repeating the phrase
"Mama don't go, daddy come home"
, each time increasing in intensity until he screams the line as the song fades out.
[6]
Lennon was inspired to write the song after undergoing
primal therapy
with
Arthur Janov
, originally at his home at
Tittenhurst Park
and then at the Primal Institute, California, where he remained for four months. Lennon, who eventually derided Janov, initially described the therapy as "something more important to me than
The Beatles
".
[7]
[
page needed
]
Although Lennon said that "Mother" was the song that "seemed to catch in my head," he had doubts about its commercial appeal and he considered issuing "
Love
" as a single instead.
[8]
In November 1982, a remixed version of "Love" was released as a single to help promote
The John Lennon Collection
LP.
[9]
An early version of "Mother" performed on an
electric guitar
by Lennon can be heard on the
John Lennon Anthology
box set.
[10]
The unused take 91 of the song was featured in the final scene and credits of the 2009 John Lennon
biographical film
,
Nowhere Boy
.
[11]
A live version of the song was released
Live in New York City
from his 30 August 1972 concert at
Madison Square Garden
.
Reception
[
edit
]
Cash Box
said of the single version that "spare production work and a powerful melancholy vocal give the [song] its disturbing brilliance."
[12]
Record World
said that the "mix of psychology and Spectorsound is depressing and dynamic at once."
[13]
Billboard
called it a "slow rock emotion ballad" with a "compelling, biting lyric line."
[14]
Stereogum
contributors Timothy and Elizabeth Bracy rated it as Lennon's 4th best solo song, saying that "Over a martial beat and insistent piano riff, the question rises inextricably: if we can be abandoned by those who made us, who in the hell can we trust? The screaming, unanswered fade out makes the answer only too clear."
[15]
Far Out
critic Joe Taysom described it as "one of the most moving creations that the late musician ever concocted," saying that Lennon "lays himself emotionally bare and finally deals with the abandonment issues that scarred him from childhood."
[4]
Personnel
[
edit
]
The musicians who performed on the original recording were as follows:
[16]
Lennon plays guitar rather than piano on the
Nowhere Boy
demo version.
[11]
Other versions
[
edit
]
Sales
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Miles, Barry; Badman, Keith, eds. (2001).
The Beatles Diary After the Break-Up: 1970?2001
(reprint ed.). London: Music Sales Group. p. 19.
ISBN
9780711983076
.
- ^
a
b
Blaney, John (2005).
John Lennon: Listen to This Book
(illustrated ed.). [S.l.]: Paper Jukebox. p. 326.
ISBN
978-0-9544528-1-0
.
- ^
"RPM Top 100 Singles - February 13, 1971"
(PDF)
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Taysom, Joe (28 December 2020).
"The Story Behind The Song: John Lennon's heart-wrenching 'Mother'
"
. Far Out
. Retrieved
24 January
2024
.
- ^
Doggett, Peter (2009).
The Art And Music of John Lennon
. London, England:
Omnibus Press
.
ISBN
9780857121264
.
- ^
Urish, Ben; G. Bielen, Kenneth (2007).
The Words and Music of John Lennon
. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 18.
ISBN
978-0-275-99180-7
.
- ^
Coleman, Ray
(1984).
Lennon: The Definitive Biography
. London, England: Pan Publishing.
ISBN
978-0060986087
.
- ^
Wenner, Jann
(1971).
Lennon Remembers
. San Francisco, California:
Straight Arrow Press
. pp. 110, 112.
ISBN
978-1859843765
.
- ^
Madinger, Chip; Easter, Mark (2000).
Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium
. Chesterfield, Missouri: 44.1 Productions. pp. 38?39, 576.
ISBN
0-615-11724-4
.
- ^
"Mother"
.
The Beatles Bible
. 2 August 2010
. Retrieved
20 July
2017
.
- ^
a
b
Roberts, Michael.
"
'Isn't he a bit like you and me'?"
.
Filmycks.com
. Retrieved
3 October
2016
.
- ^
"CashBox Record Reviews"
(PDF)
.
Cash Box
. 2 January 1971. p. 14
. Retrieved
9 December
2021
.
- ^
"Picks of the Week"
(PDF)
.
Record World
. 2 January 1971. p. 1
. Retrieved
22 April
2023
.
- ^
"Spotlight Singles"
(PDF)
.
Billboard
. 2 January 1971. p. 37
. Retrieved
9 December
2021
.
- ^
Bracy, Timothy; Bracy, Elizabeth (13 May 2014).
"The 10 Best John Lennon Songs"
. Stereogum
. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
- ^
Blaney, John (2005).
John Lennon: Listen To This Book
. Guildford, Great Britain: Biddles Ltd. p. 57.
ISBN
0-9544528-1-X
.
- ^
Ruhlmann, William.
"Barbra Joan Streisand ? Barbra Streisand | Songs, Reviews, Credits"
.
AllMusic
. Retrieved
3 October
2016
.
- ^
"Picks of the Week"
(PDF)
.
Record World
. 9 October 1971. p. 1
. Retrieved
11 April
2023
.
- ^
"RPM Top 100 Singles - December 4, 1971"
(PDF)
.
- ^
M1+2 Event (subtitled)
, 7 June 2007
, retrieved
25 August
2023
- ^
Currin, Brian.
"Mike Makhalemele ? Mind Games"
.
Rock.co.za
. Retrieved
3 October
2016
.
- ^
Provolhouse,
Lou Reed ~ MJF ~ Mother (John Lennon cover) a?º
,
archived
from the original on 21 December 2021
, retrieved
22 January
2019
- ^
Kreps, Daniel (16 December 2020).
"David Bowie's Unreleased John Lennon, Bob Dylan Covers Set for Birthday Single"
.
Rolling Stone
.
- ^
"From the Music Capitals of the World - Johannesburg"
(PDF)
.
Billboard
. 1 April 1972. p. 44.
ISSN
0006-2510
. Retrieved
31 May
2023
.
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