♪♪ ♪♪ John Lennon: I JUST WANT SASHIMI.
Man: SASHIMI?
Lennon: YEAH, KICHO, 45th STREET.
LOOK UP IN THE PHONE BOOK, KICHO.
SAY WHO IT'S FOR, YOKO ONO, NOT ME.
SAY IT'S FOR YOKO.
AND OTHERWISE, I DON'T GET IT.
I WANT JUST SASHIMI, TUNA, TOMAGO AND SASHIMI.
JUST GIVE ME THAT RAW FISH!
♪ JUST GIVE ME THAT ♪ ALL READY?
EVERYBODY?
A-1, 2, A-1, 2, 3, 4.
♪♪ ♪ WHOO-HOO ♪ ♪ YEAH, YEAH ♪ Man: HE WAS BACK IN THE STUDIO DOING WHAT HE LOVES.
HE WAS PROBABLY THE HAPPIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD.
♪ BLUES AROUND MY HEAD ♪ Man: HE WAS LIKE A LITTLE KID IN A CANDY STORE.
HE WAS HAVING A BALL.
AND HAPPY AS -- AS HELL TO BE SINGING AGAIN.
AND WE WOULD BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GOOD TAKE, AND IF ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE JUST FELT LIKE BREAKING INTO SOME LYRIC THAT WOULD MAKE EVERYBODY LAUGH AND MAKE MISTAKES, HE WOULD JUST DO IT.
Man: OKAY, WE'LL TRY ONE MORE.
WE'LL TRY IT CORRECTLY.
Lennon: OKAY, JUST REALLY WATCH YOURSELVES AFTER COMING OUT OF THE LATIN, BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY I KNOW IS BECAUSE I HAVE TO SING IT FASTER THE SECOND TIME.
IT'S AFTER, ♪ JUST CAN'T PLEASE 'EM, SO SCREW ♪ AND EVERYBODY'S COMING, ♪ OH-HOO-HOO-HOO, IT'S STEPPING OUT ♪ YOU SEE?
SO JUST LAY BACK, YOU KNOW?
HE'S ONLY STEPPING OUT.
HE'S NOT RUSHING.
Man: WE WERE NERVOUS, NOT ONLY FOR OURSELVES, BUT NERVOUS ABOUT JOHN.
IF HE WOULD -- HAVING NOT BEEN IN THE STUDIO FOR FIVE YEARS -- HAVE HIS ACT TOGETHER, OR NOT.
AS FAR AS ALL THAT WENT, HE WAS TOTALLY TOGETHER FROM THE MOMENT HE PICKED HIS GUITAR UP AND SAID, "RIGHT, HERE'S A SONG.
LET'S START WITH THIS ONE."
Lennon: ♪ I'M STEPPIN' OUT ♪ ♪ I'M STEPPIN' OU-OU-OUT ♪ ♪ I'M STEPPIN' OUT ♪ ♪ I'M STEPPIN' OU-OU-OU-OUT ♪ Man: HOW DO YOU REINVENT YOURSELF IF YOU WERE ONCE A BEATLE AND DEFINED BY THAT MOMENT IN TIME?
I SUPPOSE THAT NEW YORK OFFERS YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINVENT YOURSELF.
IMMIGRANTS HAVE COME TO NEW YORK FOR YEARS AND YEARS IN SEARCH OF LORD KNOWS WHAT.
JOHN LENNON ISN'T YOUR TYPICAL IMMIGRANT, BUT JOHN HAS COME TO FIND SOMETHING.
AND IT SEEMS THAT HE'S FOUND IT.
♪ HOLD IT DOWN ♪ Yoko Ono: JOHN WOULD OFTEN SAY, "I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BORN IN NEW YORK CITY."
[ LAUGHS ] YOU KNOW, HE LOVED NEW YORK.
Lennon: ONE OF ME BIGGEST KICKS IS JUST GOING OUT TO EAT, OR GOING TO THE MOVIES, YOU KNOW?
AND DOING THINGS I COULDN'T DO WHEN I WAS, YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BEATLES STUFF.
AND I REALLY GET OFF ON THAT.
AND PEOPLE OCCASIONALLY ASK FOR AN AUTOGRAPH, OR JUST WANT TO SHAKE HANDS, IS THE COOLEST WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WHICH IS COOL WITH ME.
AND, UH, I'M JUST KNOWN ENOUGH TO KEEP ME EGO FLOATING, BUT UNKNOWN ENOUGH TO GET AROUND, WHICH IS NICE.
Lennon: OKAY.
I'VE BEEN A FOLLOWER OF YOU FOR A LONG TIME.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
Man: WE WERE AT HIT FACTORY.
HE COMES IN, HE'S GOT THIS SILVER COAT WITH THE FUR COLLAR, AND HE SAID, "LOOK AT THIS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS?"
I SAID, "IT'S NICE."
HE SAID, "IT'S THE GREATEST EVER."
I SAID, "OKAY, JOHN."
AND I SAID -- "NO," HE SAID, "LET ME TELL YOU WHY IT'S AMAZING."
HE SAID, "YOU KNOW CHARIVARI?"
I SAID, "SURE."
HE SAID, "I WALKED INTO CHARIVARI.
"I WALKED INTO THE STORE.
PEOPLE WERE IN THERE.
"I WALKED AROUND.
I PICKED STUFF UP.
I TRIED A FEW THINGS ON.
I WENT INTO THE DRESSING ROOM."
"YEAH?"
HE SAID, "THEN WHEN I SAW THIS JACKET, I LIKED IT, I TRIED IT ON, IT FIT ME."
"YEAH?"
HE SAID, "I TOOK OUT THIS," "UH-HUH."
"MY AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD."
"YEAH?"
"I WENT OVER, I PAID FOR IT MYSELF.
AND THEN I LEFT, NO MUSS, NO FUSS."
THE FREEDOM.
FINALLY HE HAD FREEDOM.
THAT WAS NEW YORK.
THAT'S WHY HE LOVED IT.
[ "NEW YORK CITY" PLAYING ] ♪ STANDING ON THE CORNER, JUST ME AND YOKO ONO ♪ ♪ WE WAS WAITING FOR JERRY TO LAND ♪ ♪ TRIED TO SHAKE OUR IMAGE ♪ ♪ JUST A-CYCLING THROUGH THE VILLAGE ♪ ♪ BUT WE FOUND THAT WE HAD LEFT IT BACK IN LONDON ♪ ♪ WELL, NOBODY CAME TO BUG US, HUSTLE US OR SHOVE US ♪ ♪ WE DECIDED TO MAKE IT OUR HOME ♪ ♪ IF THE MAN WANTS TO SHOVE US OUT ♪ ♪ WE'RE GONNA JUMP AND SHOUT ♪ ♪ THE STATUE OF LIBERTY SAID, COME!
♪ ♪ NEW YORK CITY!
♪ ♪ TO NEW YORK CITY!
♪ ♪ NEW YORK CITY!
♪ ♪ ¿QUE PASA, NEW YORK?
♪ ♪ ¿QUE PASA, NEW YORK?
HEY!
WHAT A FINE, FINE CITY!
♪ ♪ FINE CITY ♪♪ Man: JOHN AND YOKO CAME TO NEW YORK IN '71, AND THEY ACTUALLY MOVED IN TO BANK STREET, LITERALLY HALF A BLOCK FROM MY HOUSE IN THE VILLAGE.
AND EVERYBODY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE ALL KNEW JOHN AND YOKO MOVED IN.
LIKE EVERYBODY HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN NEW YORK.
YOU DON'T GO -- IT'S NOT BEATLEMANIA.
YOU DON'T GO KNOCK ON HIS DOOR OR SCREAM WHEN HE COMES OUTSIDE.
Ono: BANK STREET WAS REALLY THE KIND OF PLACE THAT I REALLY WANTED THE APARTMENT IN.
IT'S A TINY APARTMENT.
I THINK THERE WAS ONLY TWO ROOMS.
AND WE WERE NOT REALLY BOTHERED BY PEOPLE SO MUCH AS IN LONDON.
Lennon: WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE, WE ACTUALLY LIVED IN GREENWICH VILLAGE, WHICH IS THE SORT OF ARTY-FARTY SECTION OF TOWN, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, WHERE ALL THE STUDENTS AND THE "WOULD-BEs" LIVE, YOU KNOW?
AND A FEW ODD POETS AND THAT.
[ Laughs ] YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIVED THERE FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, STILL LIVE THERE.
Man: NEW YORK, EVEN IN 1970, WAS THE ART CAPITAL.
ALL THE MUSIC HAPPENED IN THEATER.
YOU KNOW, ANDY WARHOL.
THAT WAS PART OF YOKO ONO'S LIFE.
AND JOHN WANTED TO BE CONNECTED TO BOTH WORLDS.
Man: THE VILLAGE WAS GREAT THEN.
A LITTLE RISQUE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THEY CLEANED UP NEW YORK.
PEOPLE ON THE STREET BEGGING FOR MONEY.
AND IF YOU DON'T GIVE THEM MONEY, THEY WOULD SHOOT YOU.
Man: I PULLED OUT ON EIGHTH AVENUE ONE NIGHT, AND THERE WAS JOHN AND YOKO HAILING A CAB IN THE MIDDLE OF EIGHTH AVENUE.
I WENT, "WHAT THE...?"
SO I PULL OVER, "GET IN THE CAR.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
"JEEZ, YOU'RE A BEATLE.
"YOU'RE RUNNING AROUND, YOU KNOW, HAILING CABS ON EIGHTH AVENUE."
THE VILLAGE SUCKED YOU IN, BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH POLITICAL ENERGY.
IT WAS WHAT EVERYBODY WAS CONSUMED WITH, IT SEEMED.
PEOPLE WOULD BE STANDING ON THE CORNER, YOU KNOW, THERE WOULD BE A BIG NIXON DISCUSSION, ALL OF A SUDDEN, WOULD BREAK OUT, YOU KNOW?
AND SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE WAR MAYBE THAT DAY IN THE PAPERS.
AND I KNOW JOHN AND YOKO, THAT WAS SO MUCH A PART OF WHAT THEIR -- THEIR WHOLE NEW YORK THING WAS ABOUT.
Gruen: NEW YORK WAS A LOT EASIER FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY WERE TREATED SO BADLY IN ENGLAND.
THEY HAD VERY BAD FEELINGS ABOUT THAT, 'CAUSE JOHN ADMIRED YOKO.
AND THE PRESS TOTALLY RIPPED HER APART AND MADE FUN OF HER.
Lennon: WE'D REALLY GET HURT BY ABUSE.
WE DON'T MIND CRITICISM OF OUR WORK AS ART, BUT, I MEAN, THE BRITISH PRESS ACTUALLY CALLED YOKO "UGLY" IN THE PAPERS.
AND I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT ABOUT ANY WOMAN OR MAN.
EVEN IF IT WAS -- IF A PERSON IS UGLY, YOU DON'T NORMALLY SORT OF SAY IT IN THE PAPER, YOU KNOW, "THAT UGLY WOMAN."
AND SHE'S NOT UGLY.
AND IF SHE WAS, YOU WOULDN'T BE SO MEAN.
THEY -- THEY EVEN SAY "ATTRACTIVE" ABOUT THE MOST AWFUL-LOOKING PEOPLE JUST TO BE KIND.
Ono: WHEN I FIRST LANDED IN LONDON, I WAS INVITED BY THE DESTRUCTION IN ART SYMPOSIUM.
ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED COULD COME UP ON THE STAGE AND TRY TO FLY OFF FROM THESE LADDERS.
[ LAUGHTER ] AND IT WAS SORT OF A VERY ARTSY CROWD OF PEOPLE.
THEY WERE -- THEY ACCEPTED ME.
IT WAS GREAT.
♪ ALL WE ARE SAYING ♪ ♪ IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪♪ Ono: BUT ONCE I BECAME CONNECTED WITH JOHN, IT WAS A DIFFERENT STORY.
WELL, THE PEOPLE WHO USED TO LIKE ME WERE JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AWAY.
Gruen: JOHN WAS A BEATLE, YOU KNOW?
HE WAS A POP STAR, AND THEN SUDDENLY HE WAS WITH THIS CRAZY, OUTLANDISH, AVANT-GARDE ARTIST.
AND THEY WERE SENDING ACORNS TO ALL THE WORLD LEADERS.
LIKE, HOW IS THAT GOING TO BRING PEACE?
Reporter: AND WHY THE BAG?
WHY THE BAG?
Lennon: BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT'S TOTAL COMMUNICATION.
Gruen: AND THEY WERE IN BAGS, AND HOW'S THAT GOING TO HELP ANYBODY?
Lennon: ALL WE'RE SAYING IS, GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.
OR IF THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS GIVE SOMEBODY A LAUGH, WE'RE WILLING TO BE THE WORLD'S CLOWNS.
Gruen: THEY WERE JUST THE MESSENGER.
YOU KNOW, AND THE FACT THAT THEY WERE SITTING IN BED AND TALKING ABOUT HAIR, THAT JUST MADE IT FUNNY AND INTERESTING.
BUT THE WHOLE IDEA WAS TO GET THAT WORD "PEACE" IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY'S MIND.
Lennon: I DON'T GO ALONG WITH YOU, JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE JAPANESE OR WHATEVER.
I THINK IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE AN UNORTHODOX FIGURE.
Ono: PEOPLE WERE NOT VERY HAPPY WITH JOHN, EITHER.
THEY FELT THAT JOHN WENT CRAZY.
AND WE BOTH SUFFERED TOGETHER.
AND THAT KEPT US SO CLOSE.
♪ OH, MY LOVE ♪ ♪ FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE ♪ ♪ MY EYES ARE WIDE OPEN ♪ Ono: I WANT TO LOVE THIS COUNTRY, BECAUSE THIS IS MY HUSBAND'S COUNTRY.
BUT I WOULD BE A MASOCHIST IF I LOVED THIS COUNTRY, WHEN I'M CONSTANTLY ABUSED, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
AND, UH... AND I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT WAS TRUE WITH JOHN, TOO.
IT WAS SORT OF INHUMAN.
♪ OH, I FEEL LOVE ♪ ♪ EVERYTHING IS CLEAR IN OUR WORLD ♪♪ Ono: BUT THERE'S SUCH AN INCREDIBLE ROMANTICISM ABOUT BEING REFUGEES -- WE JUST FELT LIKE WE RETURNED TO OUR MOTHERLAND, KIND OF THING, WHICH IS NEW YORK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE REALLY FELT THAT, WELL, WE WERE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH NEW YORKERS.
AND WE WERE NEW YORKERS IN OUR HEADS, YOU KNOW?
[ "NEW YORK CITY" PLAYING ] ♪ WELL, I WAS STANDING ON A CORNER ♪ ♪ JUST ME AND YOKO ONO ♪ ♪ WE WAS HOLDING JERRY RUBIN BY THE HAND ♪ Ono: WHEN WE CAME TO NEW YORK, THE FIRST PEOPLE WE GOT IN TOUCH WITH WAS ABBIE HOFFMAN AND JERRY RUBIN.
♪ NEW YORK CITY ♪ WHEN WE WERE IN LONDON, EVERY NIGHT, WE WERE WATCHING TV.
[ LAUGHS ] AND WE SAW ABBIE AND JERRY DOING THEIR THING IN CHICAGO.
IT WAS THE CHICAGO SEVEN THING, IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE, YOU KNOW?
Jerry Rubin: I'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT EMOTIONS WHEN I HEAR THIS GUY, PIERSON.
ONE IS I FEEL LIKE VOMITING, BECAUSE IT'S SO NAUSEATING.
Rubin: BECAUSE THIS IS THE MAN THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO USE TO PUT ALL OF US IN THE FEDERAL PENITENTIARY FOR TEN YEARS.
Ono: AND WE SAID, "WOW, IT'S GREAT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE LIKE US."
AND ALSO, WE WERE NOT ONLY ACTIVISTS, BUT WE HAD THE KIND OF LITTLE TOUCH OF THEATER.
WELL, I HAVE A GOOD SEAT, AND I'M, IT'S -- IT'S, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THEATER, GREAT SHOW.
Man: ABBIE AND JERRY COMPLETELY INCORPORATED THE MARSHALL McLUHAN NOTION IN THAT ALL THAT WAS NEEDED WAS TO SEIZE CONTROL OF THE PLATFORM PROVIDED BY TELEVISION AND MUSIC, AND YOU WOULD ELECTRIFY AND MOBILIZE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND THAT WAS THE WAY TO SUBVERT THE SYSTEM.
SO, THEY WERE TRYING TO ACTIVELY RECRUIT JOHN LENNON, BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT HE COULD TURN ON MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
Reporter: SO YOU'RE SETTLING IN NEW YORK CITY NOW, AND YOU'VE JUST SIGNED THAT.
WHAT ARE, FIRST OF ALL, YOUR IMMEDIATE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
SHORTLY, WE'LL BE GOING TO A POLITICAL MEETING FOR JOHN SINCLAIR, WHO WAS A MAN THAT WAS PUT IN PRISON FOR 10 YEARS FOR SMOKING TWO MARIJUANA JOINTS.
Reporter: IN LOUISIANA?
Lennon: IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.
Announcer: JOHN LENNON AND YOKO ONO!
Lennon: AND WE'VE WRITTEN A SPECIAL SONG CALLED "JOHN SINCLAIR," WHICH WE'LL SING AT THAT PERFORMANCE.
HELLO, HELLO.
HELLO, HELLO?
OKAY.
ONE, TWO, THREE FOUR.
Hayden: JOHN HAS COME OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS EXPLOSIVE ERA, AND HE MAKES THE JOHN SINCLAIR RALLY A HUGE EVENT.
10,000, 20,000 PEOPLE SHOW UP IN ANN ARBOR.
Lennon: WE CAME HERE, NOT ONLY TO HELP JOHN AND TO SPOTLIGHT WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT ALSO TO SHOW, AND TO SAY TO ALL OF YOU, THAT APATHY ISN'T IT.
AND THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING.
OKAY, SO FLOWER POWER DIDN'T WORK, SO WHAT?
WE START AGAIN.
Man: LENNON HAS LEARNED THAT THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT WAS EXHAUSTED AND DESPAIRING.
BECAUSE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SAY THAT THE MOVEMENT AND THE REVOLUTION IS OVER, THEY OUGHT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT HERE, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T LOOK OVER TO ME.
Wiener: PEOPLE ARE FEELING WEAKER AND MORE POWERLESS.
[ HELICOPTER WHIRRING ] PEOPLE FORGET THAT A WAR... THAT BRINGS HOME 100 TO 300 DEAD BODIES A WEEK IS PARTICULARLY URGENT.
THE KILLING IS MONOTONOUS.
AND BY '67, '68, IT'S HUNDREDS A WEEK THAT ARE DEAD.
SO, IT INCITES A NOW-OR-NEVER MENTALITY, THAT THIS IS IT.
WE HAVE TO STEP UP.
WE HAVE TO END THIS.
AND GRADUALISM IS INAPPROPRIATE.
SO, WE HAVE TO BLOCK THE WAR MACHINE BY WHATEVER MEANS ARE AVAILABLE.
Man: WHAT DO WE WANT?
Crowd: PEACE.
WHEN DO WE GET IT?
NOW.
Richard Nixon: WE HAVE ADOPTED A PLAN, WHICH WE HAVE WORKED OUT IN COOPERATION WITH THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE, FOR THE COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL OF ALL U.S.
COMBAT GROUND FORCES AND THEIR REPLACEMENT BY SOUTH VIETNAMESE FORCES ON AN ORDERLY, SCHEDULED TIMETABLE.
Wiener: IN 1971, THE SENSE WAS THAT AS THE AMERICAN WAR MACHINE ESCALATES ITS WAR, WE HAVE TO ESCALATE OUR TACTICS.
AND THE SOLUTION WAS MORE MILITANTS.
WE MUST MOVE FROM PROTEST TO RESISTANCE.
THAT WAS THE SLOGAN, AND THAT WAS THE WORLD INTO WHICH LENNON STEPPED WHEN HE ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1971.
AND I READ SOMEWHERE THAT THE WAR MOVEMENT WAS OVER.
HA HA.
WE'RE HERE TO BRING THE BOYS HOME.
BUT LET'S NOT FORGET THE MACHINES.
BRING THE MACHINES HOME, AND THEN WE'RE REALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE.
Hayden: THEY THOUGHT THAT IT HAD ALL COME UNDONE WITH THE KILLINGS AT KENT STATE IN 1970.
REMEMBER, THE LARGEST STUDENT STRIKE IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES STOPPED EVERYTHING ON CAMPUSES.
MANY SCHOOLS DID NOT COMPLETE THE SEMESTER IN THE SPRING OF 1970.
SO, THEY ALREADY THOUGHT THEY WERE LOOKING AT AN IMMINENT REVOLUTION LED BY STUDENTS AND BLACKS.
AND THEN HERE COMES JOHN LENNON TO ADD HIS LUSTER AND LYRICS TO THE UPRISING.
Lennon: A-1, 2, 3, 4.
♪ IT AIN'T FAIR ♪ ♪ JOHN SINCLAIR ♪ ♪ IN THE STIR FOR BREATHING AIR ♪ ♪ WON'T YOU CARE ♪ ♪ FOR JOHN SINCLAIR?
♪ ♪ IN THE STIR FOR BREATHING AIR ♪ ♪ LET HIM BE ♪ ♪ SET HIM FREE ♪ ♪ LET HIM BE ♪ ♪ LIKE YOU AND ME ♪ ♪ THEY GAVE HIM 10 FOR TWO ♪ ♪ WHAT ELSE CAN JUDGE COLUMBO DO?
♪ ♪ WE GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO ♪ ♪ GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO ♪ ♪ GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO ♪ ♪ GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO SET HIM FREE ♪♪ Wiener: IT'S AN EXCITING AND OPTIMISTIC MOMENT, AND THE MOST AMAZING THING OF ALL IS 48 HOURS LATER, JOHN SINCLAIR GETS OUT OF JAIL, SOMETHING NO ONE THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN.
SO JOHN AND YOKO, JERRY AND ABBIE, THEY'RE JUST FEELING TRIUMPHANT.
NOT ONLY DID THEY HAVE A GREAT CONCERT, THEY GOT JOHN SINCLAIR OUT OF JAIL.
IT SEEMS LIKE, AT THIS MOMENT, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
♪ GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO, GOT TO SET HIM FREE ♪ ♪ FREE ♪ Hayden: THIS IS LIKE A MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR HAS BEGUN.
THAT SOMEHOW, IF JOHN LENNON SHOWS UP, HE SO CHANGES THE EQUATION THAT A MAN IN PRISON IS RELEASED.
SO, YOU CAN IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ADDITION OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES, WHAT THIS DID TO THE YIPPIE MIND.
YOU KNOW, THE POSSIBILITIES WERE INFINITE.
WE NEED JOHN TO HELP US RISE UP LIKE A HURRICANE TO SWEEP THIS MAN NIXON AND HIS WAR-MAKERS INTO THE SEA.
WE NEED JOHN.
Wiener: JERRY AND ABBIE AND RENNIE DAVIS HAVE AN IDEA.
ACTUALLY, IT'S QUITE A GOOD IDEA.
LENNON SHOULD LEAD A NATIONAL CONCERT TOUR THAT WILL BRING, NOT JUST ROCK 'N' ROLL, BUT AN ANTI-WAR MESSAGE IN VOTER REGISTRATION ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
NOW, THIS VOTER REGISTRATION THING IS ACTUALLY THE KEY, BECAUSE '72 WAS GOING TO BE THE FIRST ELECTION IN WHICH 18-YEAR-OLDS HAD THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
SO THE QUESTION WAS, HOW CAN WE GET 18-YEAR-OLDS TO REGISTER TO VOTE, VOTE AGAINST NIXON, VOTE FOR PEACE?
AND THE IDEA WAS, "WELL, LENNON WILL TELL THEM TO DO THIS," AND WE'LL HAVE VOTER REGISTRATION RIGHT AT THE CONCERTS.
AND THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES BY ANY OF THE EX-BEATLES SINCE THE BEATLES' FINAL AMERICAN TOUR WHEN THEY WAVED FAREWELL IN CANDLESTICK PARK IN 1966.
SIX YEARS, NO BEATLES?
THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN BIG.
Hayden: THEY KNEW THAT HE COULD TURN ON MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
AND I REMEMBER GOING TO THE WOODS OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON FOR A MEETING THAT I THOUGHT WAS SECRET WITH RENNIE DAVIS, WHICH SHOWS UP IN THE FBI FILES, IN WHICH HE TRIED TO INCORPORATE ME INTO THIS SCHEME FOR THE JOHN LENNON SPEAKING TOUR.
TURNS OUT THAT AMONG THE 20,000 PEOPLE IN CHRYSLER ARENA THAT NIGHT, THERE'S AN FBI UNDERCOVER AGENT, WHO'S TAKING COMPLETE NOTES ON WHAT EVERYBODY SAYS, WRITES DOWN EVERY WORD LENNON SAYS, THE LYRICS TO LENNON'S SONG.
HE WRITES DOWN, "JOHN SINCLAIR, IT AIN'T FAIR.
IN THE STIR FOR BREATHING AIR."
THIS REPORT GETS SENT TO J. EDGAR HOOVER.
THE FBI'S OSTENSIBLE REASON FOR BEING INTERESTED IN THIS IS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE PRESIDENT AT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION, AND THESE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS.
THE SAME PEOPLE WHO CAUSED ALL THOSE PROBLEMS IN CHICAGO IN '68, AND NOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING IT AGAIN, BUT WITH JOHN LENNON IN THE FRONT.
SO, THEY'VE GOT TO BE STOPPED.
Crowd: PEACE NOW!
PEACE NOW!
PEACE NOW!
Ono: OF COURSE, JOHN WOULDN'T DO IT IN THE WAY THAT JERRY AND ABBIE WANTED TO DO THINGS.
BUT IN HIS WAY, HE WAS REALLY TRYING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN ABOUT McGOVERN TO BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT, AND ALSO THAT WE ARE HEADING TOWARDS PEACE.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO -- WITH OUR EFFORT, WE CAN MAKE IT.
Wiener: THE NIXON WHITE HOUSE DECIDED THEY'VE GOT TO BE STOPPED.
AND SO THE WORD GETS PASSED THROUGH THE FBI TO SENATOR STROM THURMOND, REPUBLICAN OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND HE WRITES A MEMO TO NIXON'S ATTORNEY GENERAL, JOHN MITCHELL.
AND THE STROM THURMOND MEMO CONCLUDES, "LENNON IS PLANNING TO DO THIS, BUT DEPORTATION WOULD BE A STRATEGIC COUNTERMEASURE."
A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, THEY BEGIN DEPORTATION PROCEEDINGS AGAINST JOHN LENNON.
Lennon: HELLO?
OKAY.
I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO END UP WITH THAT CLEAN, CLEAN [BLEEP] RECORDED SOUND, WHICH I HATE.
2, 3, 4... ♪♪ Man: IT WAS JERRY RUBIN THAT INTRODUCED US TO JOHN LENNON.
HE JUST SHOWED UP ONE DAY.
HE WASN'T INVITED, HE JUST CAME IN, AND HE SAID, "I'D REALLY LIKE TO MEET THE BAND."
AND MY JAW JUST DROPPED.
WE HAD A LOT OF STREET BANDS.
THE ELEPHANT'S MEMORY IS KNOWN AS A POLITICAL KIND OF STREET BAND.
I THINK WE FUELED THE ENERGY OF EVERYONE IN THE VILLAGE ON IT.
Man: WE WERE THE MOVEMENT BAND.
WHENEVER THERE WAS A RALLY OR A BENEFIT, WE WERE THERE.
WE WERE PLAYING, AND AT ONE POINT HE LOOKS AT ME AND HE GOES LIKE THIS.
AND I REALIZE THAT I'M PLAYING THERE, AND I'M LIKE...
SO, HE LOOKED AND GAVE ME THE FACE, YOU KNOW?
AND THEN I REALIZE I HAVE TO START BEING COOL.
♪ LAY SOMETHING DOWN ♪ ♪ AS THE NEWS SPREAD AROUND ♪ ♪ ABOUT THE PLASTIC ONO ELEPHANT'S MEMORY BAND ♪ Ono: JERRY BROUGHT A CASSETTE TAPE OF ELEPHANT'S MEMORY, AND SAID, "LISTEN TO THIS."
AND WE LISTENED.
"THAT'S GREAT."
WE JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A SOUL.
I CAN "CAPSULIZE" IT IN ONE WORD -- ENERGY.
THERE WAS JUST AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF ENERGY EMULATING FROM THE BAND.
Lennon: PLAY SOME TREBLE, TEX!
PLAY SOME TOP!
PLAY!
Cicala: THEY WERE CRAZY MUSICIANS.
THEY JUST WENT ON AND ON AND ON.
AND JOHN WAS PART OF THAT.
HE LOVED THAT.
THEY WERE VILLAGE TYPE RECORDERS.
THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE GARAGE RECORDING, YOU KNOW, WITH TWO MICROPHONES.
BUT WE TRIED TO DO IT IN A STUDIO, AND WHEN WE DID MAKE IT CLEAN, NOBODY LIKED IT.
SO WE HAD TO GO BACK IN TO, YOU KNOW, ADD THE DIRTIEST SOUND WE COULD GET, WHICH WAS EASY TO GET.
Man: NOT THE DISTORTION BUG.
Lennon: WE'RE READY.
Cicala: BUT WE HAD TO CATCH THEM THE FIRST TWO HOURS OF THE RECORDING, BECAUSE THEY WERE IN NEVER-NEVER LAND AFTER THAT.
Lennon: ANYBODY GOT SOME GRASS?
I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND.
Van Scyoc: IT WASN'T TOO LONG, MAYBE A WEEK AND A HALF OF REHEARSING AT THE MOST, WHEN "WOMAN IS THE NIGGER OF THE WORLD" STARTED WHERE I HEARD THE FIRST WORDS ABOUT THERE WAS A NEW TUNE.
JOHN CAME IN WITH THE LYRICS.
AND WE WENT INTO THE ROOM TO THE PIANO, AND HE SAID, "HERE'S THE SONG."
AND HE STARTED STRUMMING.
♪ WOMAN IS THE NIGGER OF THE WORLD ♪ ♪ WOMAN IS THE NIGGER ♪ ♪ OF THE WORLD ♪ ♪ YEAH ♪ AND I SAID, "WHAT?"
IT'S "WOMAN IS THE NIGGER OF" -- WOW.
"THAT'S -- THAT'S AMAZING.
YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THAT?"
HE SAID, "YEAH."
SO, HE PUT IT OUT, AND I DON'T THINK MOST OF THE RADIO STATIONS WOULD PLAY IT.
AND WE GOT TAKEN OFF THE AIR FOR USING "DOPE" AS A LYRIC.
SO, YOU KNOW, PUTTING "NIGGER" WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T EVEN SAY THAT TODAY.
Van Scyoc: I UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS SAYING, BUT I GUESS I WAS KIND OF NAIVE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF HOW THE MEDIA MIGHT LOOK AT ALL THAT STUFF.
IT WAS 1972.
NIXON WAS STILL PRESIDENT.
♪ WOMAN IS THE NIGGER ♪ ♪ OF THE WORLD ♪ ♪ YES, SHE IS ♪ Van Scyoc: WE WERE ACTUALLY ON "THE DICK CAVETT SHOW," AND THEN I REALIZED, WHOO.
I GUESS THIS IS NOT GOING TO GO WELL IN TERMS OF -- THEY'RE GOING TO REALLY GET ON HIS CASE ABOUT SOME OF THIS STUFF.
WILL YOU WELCOME, PLEASE, JOHN AND YOKO LENNON.
[ CHEERING ] Cavett: I HAD JOHN AND YOKO ON, AND THE SUITS SAID, "WE'RE GOING TO WRITE A LITTLE INSERT JUST BEFORE THE SONG FOR YOU TO SAY."
I SAID, "THEY ARE GOING TO CENSOR MY GUESTS AFTER I GET THEM ON THE SHOW?"
THIS IS LUDICROUS.
JOHN AND YOKO GOT INTO SOMETHING WHICH ABC FEELS MAY DEVELOP INTO, IN THEIR WORDS, "A HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE."
SO, THEY WROTE THIS THING, AND I WENT AND TAPED IT IN ORDER TO RETAIN THE SONG.
IN THE NEXT SEGMENT, JOHN LENNON GIVES HIS REASONS FOR WRITING THE SONG AND FOR USING THE WORD.
♪ WOMAN IS THE NIGGER ♪ ♪ OF THE WORLD ♪ ♪ YES, SHE IS ♪ Lennon: THIS IS A SONG ABOUT THE WOMEN'S PROBLEM.
IT WAS WRITTEN BY YOKO AND I, AND THE SONG IS CALLED, "WOMAN IS THE NIGGER OF THE WORLD."
AND, OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS A FEW PEOPLE THAT REACTED STRANGELY TO IT, BUT USUALLY THEY WERE WHITE AND MALE.
BECAUSE A LOT OF STATIONS WERE SAYING, "WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PLAY THIS "BECAUSE IT SAYS 'NIGGER,' AND A WHITE MAN SHOULDN'T SAY THAT."
AND THEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BLACK CAUCUS, THAT GREAT GUY, CONGRESSMAN RON DELLUMS, DEMOCRAT, CALIFORNIA, IT SAYS HERE, HE CAME OUT WITH THIS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
"IF YOU DEFINE NIGGERS AS SOMEONE WHOSE LIFESTYLE "IS DEFINED BY OTHERS, "WHOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE DEFINED BY OTHERS, "WHOSE ROLE IN SOCIETY IS DEFINED BY OTHERS, "THEN GOOD NEWS -- "YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE BLACK TO BE A NIGGER IN THIS SOCIETY.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN AMERICA ARE NIGGERS."
[ APPLAUSE ] I DIDN'T SAY THAT.
OH, MY GOODNESS!
WE'LL NEVER GET IN NOW.
Cavett: ABOUT 600 PROTESTS DID COME IN.
NONE OF THEM ABOUT THE SONG.
ALL OF THEM ABOUT "THAT MEALY-MOUTH STATEMENT "YOU FORCED DICK TO SAY BEFORE THE SHOW.
DON'T YOU BELIEVE WE ARE GROWN UP?"
AND, OH, GOD, IT WAS WONDERFUL, IN THAT SENSE.
IT GAVE ME HOPE FOR THE REPUBLIC.
Lennon: WELL, YOU WANT TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE CASE AND EVERYTHING?
Ono: YES, YOU SEE, WE'RE REALLY FRIGHTENED NOW, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME PEOPLE FEEL THAT WE HAVE TO MAYBE LEAVE THIS COUNTRY.
Cavett: THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION, IN ITS FINITE WISDOM, WANTED JOHN BOOTED OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
I DIDN'T REALIZE QUITE THE SERIOUSNESS OF IT, AND WHAT AN AWFUL MENTAL BURDEN IT WAS FOR BOTH OF THEM.
Lennon: THAT WE WENT TO AN IMMIGRATION LAWYER WHO KNEW ABOUT IMMIGRATION.
AND HE HAS REALLY BEEN SURPRISED, BECAUSE HE WORKED IN IMMIGRATION 15 YEARS.
HE'S REALLY BEEN SURPRISED BY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE GONE ON.
Man: JOHN TOLD ME THAT HE HAD A CONVICTION OF POSSESSING HASH BACK IN LONDON ABOUT FOUR YEARS EARLIER.
SO, I ASKED HIM, "WHAT IS HASH?"
I SAID, "IS IT MARIJUANA?"
HE SAID, "NO, IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN MARIJUANA."
HE SAID, "IT'S RELATED, BUT IT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SUBSTANCE."
SO, I KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING TO HANG MY HAT ON.
THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE SAY, "WELL, THIS IS ONLY BECAUSE OF THE DRUG CASE, YOU KNOW, AND NOTHING ELSE."
BUT THE STRANGE THING IS PEOPLE LIKE DONOVAN, KEITH RICHARD -- MICK JAGGER, GEORGE HARRISON, ALL HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME CASE AS ME.
EXACTLY SAME RECORD AROUND THE SAME TIME.
AND THEY CAN COME AND GO, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME.
GOT THE SAME POLICEMAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW?
IT WAS.
HE WAS A HEADHUNTER.
THE SAME POLICEMAN.
Cavett: WHAT IS IT THEY'RE ASKING YOU FOR?
Lennon: THEY'RE AFTER US, BECAUSE WE WANT PEACE, YOU KNOW?
WE'VE SAID THE SAME THING FOR TWO YEARS, DIFFERENT WAY, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND WE BELIEVE IN IT.
Wildes: MY RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT THEY APPLY IMMEDIATELY FOR AN EXTENSION FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS OR SO ON THEIR VISA.
I WENT TO SEE MY OLD FRIEND, THE DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION IN NEW YORK, BECAUSE I FELT THAT HE COULD GRANT AN EXTENSION ON THE SPOT.
AND HE SAID THAT HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT.
WE BETTER GO IN, WE'RE LATE, YOU KNOW?
WE'LL SEE YOU WHEN WE COME OUT, IF YOU WANT.
Reporter: CAN WE TALK TO YOU WHEN YOU COME OUT?
Lennon: THERE'S NOTHING TO SAY, YOU KNOW?
Wildes: WE HAVE A NUMBER OF MATTERS TO TAKE CARE OF.
Wildes: THE NEXT DAY, HE CALLED ME BACK.
AND HE SAID, "LEON, WE WANT YOUR CLIENTS OUT OF THE UNITED STATES."
I DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE MEANT BY "WE."
HE SAID, "BECAUSE IT'S YOU, "IF YOU FILE AN APPLICATION FOR AN EXTENSION, "I'LL GRANT A MONTH'S EXTENSION.
BUT THEN GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF THE UNITED STATES."
Reporter: YOU SAID BEFORE ...YOU LOVE NEW YORK AND YOU WANT TO STAY HERE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TURNED OFF ON NEW YORK.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?
WELL, I'VE MET A LOT OF NEW YORKERS WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT, BUT NOBODY MOVES OUT.
IT'S THE GREATEST PLACE ON EARTH.
AND IF THIS IS ROME, I WANT TO LIVE IN ROME, NOT IN WALES.
Ono: IT IS ROME, YOU KNOW?
Reporter: I'VE HEARD A LOT OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS, BUT I DON'T THINK I EVER HEARD SO MANY CONFUSING TERMS.
DID YOU UNDERSTAND ANYTHING THAT WAS SAID UP THERE?
NOT REALLY.
ASK OUR LAWYER.
I JUST KNOW WE'RE STILL HERE AND NOBODY DRAGGED US AWAY, THAT'S ALL I KNOW.
Gruen: WE HAD AN EXPRESSION IN THE '60s, THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE PARANOID DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NOT BEING FOLLOWED.
AND, YES, WE WERE ALL PARANOID.
BUT, YES, WE WERE BEING FOLLOWED.
♪ WELL ♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪ DON'T WANT TO BE A SOLDIER, MAMA ♪ ♪ I DON'T WANNA DIE ♪ Gruen: I HAD A PERIPHERAL ROLE, BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER.
AND YET, THERE WERE SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE I WAS FOLLOWED, AND DIDN'T REALIZE IT SO MUCH AT THE TIME, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE FURTHEST THING FROM MY MIND TO THINK THAT I WAS DOING SOMETHING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN.
THAT I CAME OUT OF MY STUDIO ONE TIME AND I LOOKED UP THE STREET, AND I SAW SOMEBODY TAKE MY PICTURE.
I KIND OF TURNED AWAY, AND I LOOKED BACK WHEN I REALIZED SOMEBODY WAS TAKING MY PICTURE.
AND IT WAS A GUY IN A FEDORA HAT.
THEY LOOKED LIKE G-MEN.
AND HE KIND OF DUCKED DOWN, AND THEY DROVE DOWN THE STREET REALLY FAST.
AND I KNEW I HAD SEEN IT.
AND I THOUGHT, LIKE, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"
Van Scyoc: I SAW THE GUY ON MY PHONE.
THOSE FBI GUYS WERE IN THE BASEMENT OF MY BUILDING FOR THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE RECORDING.
I WOULD SEE THEM.
THEY KNEW I KNEW THEY WERE THERE.
I WOULD COME IN, I WOULD RING MY BUZZER.
AND THEY WERE IN -- AROUND THE STAIRS IN THE BACK, AND THEY HAD THEIR LITTLE TAPE MACHINES SET UP.
AND I COULD HEAR THE CLICK ON MY PHONE EVERY TIME I PICKED IT UP.
SO, WASN'T HARD TO FIGURE OUT.
PRETTY UNNERVING, ACTUALLY, AT THE TIME -- MORE SO FOR MY WIFE.
I THINK AT THE TIME, SHE WAS VERY PARANOID ABOUT THAT.
WHO WOULDN'T BE?
Lennon: WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, I WAS FOLLOWED IN A CAR, AND MY PHONE WAS TAPPED.
AND I THINK THEY WANTED ME TO KNOW TO SCARE ME.
AND I WAS SCARED, PARANOID, YOU KNOW?
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE JOHN LENNON SAYS HIS PHONE IS TAPPED, AND THERE'S MEN FOLLOWING HIM IN A CAR.
AND PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY THEN, YOU KNOW?
I MEAN, THEY DO ANYWAY, BUT I MEAN, MORE SO.
YOU KNOW, "LENNON, OH, YOU BIG-HEADED MANIAC," RIGHT?
"WHO'S GOING TO FOLLOW YOU AROUND, WHAT DO THEY WANT?"
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, "WHAT DO THEY WANT?"
THEY WANTED TO MAKE IT OBVIOUS SO THAT WE WOULD GET SCARED.
THEY WANTED TO SHUT US UP.
Wildes: THEY WERE TRYING TO INTIMIDATE THEM.
THEY WERE TRYING TO SCARE THEM INTO LEAVING THE UNITED STATES.
I DID FEEL BAD.
I DID TRY TO ADVISE THEM TO LAY LOW, BUT THIS WAS JOHN AND YOKO.
♪♪ ♪ WELL, YOU CLAIM TO BE A MAJORITY ♪ Lennon: WHEN WE DID "SOME TIME IN NEW YORK CITY," WE WERE DOING A NEWSPAPER, BUT IT WAS A MISTAKE.
SAY A LITTLE HARMONY IT WASN'T PERFECT, WE DIDN'T GO BACK AND PERFECT EVERY NOTE.
WE JUST PRINTED IT OUT, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON THE SOCIETY RIGHT NOW, RIGHT AWAY, AND NO B.S.
JUST SAY IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS WRONG, THAT'S RIGHT, THIS IS MY OPINION.
Reporter: THIS HAS ENDED UP WITH THE WORST-EVER CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE ARMY AND THE CATHOLIC PEOPLE OF THE CREGGAN AND THE BOGSIDE.
Ono: ♪ WE LOST OUR GREEN LAND ♪ ♪ WE LOST OUR CLEAN AIR ♪♪ Ono: "SOME TIME IN NEW YORK CITY," THAT WAS OUTRAGEOUS.
[ LAUGHS ] WE JUST WENT TOTALLY AGAINST WHAT WAS ACCEPTABLE IN THE MUSIC WORLD, OR THE ROCK 'N' ROLL WORLD.
WE WE'RE JUST GETTING TO BE A LITTLE BRAT.
♪ WHAT A WASTE OF HUMAN POWER ♪ ♪ WHAT A WASTE OF HUMAN LIVES ♪ ♪ SHOOT THE PRISONERS ♪ ♪ IN THE TOWERS ♪ ♪ 43 POOR WIDOWED WIVES ♪ ♪ ATTICA STATE ♪ ♪ ATTICA STATE ♪ ♪ WE'RE ALL WASTED ♪ ♪ ATTICA STATE ♪ Ippolito: JOHN WAS GETTING VERY ANXIOUS ABOUT GETTING THIS ALBUM OUT THERE.
IT'S GOING TO BE POLITICAL, IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FOR HIM.
THIS WAS REALLY JUST IN-YOUR-FACE POLITICS.
Lennon: POLITICS WAS IN THE AIR IN THOSE DAYS.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULDN'T AVOID IT, RIGHT?
SHE HAD CHAIRMAN MAO AND RICHARD NIXON DANCING NAKED ON THE COVER.
IT WASN'T REALLY THEIR BODIES.
WE JUST STUCK THEIR HEADS ON.
WE GOT INTO A LOT OF TROUBLE.
THAT'S ALL I KNOW.
[ ONO LAUGHS ] ♪ ATTICA STATE ♪♪ Ono: THAT WAS THE RECORD THAT REALLY GAVE US HELL.
A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS SO, SO MUCH, YOU KNOW?
SO I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE -- [ LAUGHS ] PEOPLE HAD THE SAME OPINION WITH US.
WELL, I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT WAS SUCH A -- A FLOP.
BUT I REALIZED THAT THE POLITICAL ISSUE WAS SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY WOULD HOLD THE ALBUM BACK.
HE WASN'T DISAPPOINTED IN US, BUT I THINK HE WAS DISAPPOINTED IN THE REACTION.
Lennon: HI, ARE WE ON?
Man: YEAH, ANY TIME YOU'RE READY.
Lennon: OKAY.
HI, THIS IS JOHN LENNON.
Ono: THIS IS YOKO.
Lennon: THE ONE-TO-ONE BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE CHILDREN OF WILLOWBROOK IS SOLD OUT.
IT SURPRISED ME, TOO.
SO WE'RE ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL MATINEE PERFORMANCE.
IT'S ON THE SAME DAY, IT HAPPENS AT 2:00.
THAT'S ALSO WEDNESDAY, THE 30th OF AUGUST.
Man: JOHN?
Lennon: YEAH?
Man: LET'S DO IT AGAIN.
[ PLAYING "NEW YORK CITY" ] 2, 3, 4!
♪ YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH ♪ ♪ STANDIN' ON THE CORNER, JUST ME AND YOKO ONO ♪ ♪ WE WERE WAITING FOR ♪ Geraldo Rivera: THE IDEA FOR THE ONE-TO-ONE CONCERT CAME FROM YOKO ONO.
I WAS A LOCAL NEWSMAN, AND IN JANUARY 1972, I GET THIS CALL FROM YOKO.
SHE TELLS ME THAT SHE AND JOHN HAD BEEN WATCHING MY COVERAGE OF THE AWFUL CONDITIONS AT THE WILLOWBROOK STATE SCHOOL FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED AND THAT THEY WANTED TO GET INVOLVED AND MAYBE THEY COULD DO SOMETHING.
♪ THE STATUE OF LIBERTY SAID, COME!
♪ ♪ TO NEW YORK CITY ♪ ♪ WHAT'S HAPPENIN', MAN?
♪♪ Gruen: THEY STARTED REHEARSING FOR THIS CONCERT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, AND I REMEMBER GOING TO THE REHEARSAL, AND THEY WOULD PLAY A COUPLE OF ELVIS PRESLEY, BO DIDDLY SONGS TO WARM UP.
AND THEN HE STARTED SINGING "COLD TURKEY" OR "IMAGINE."
AND IT WAS SUDDENLY NOT THIS NEW FRIEND OF OURS, JOHN.
IT WAS LIKE, "OH, MY GOD.
HE'S THAT GUY.
"HE'S THE BEATLE.
LISTEN TO THAT VOICE.
THAT'S THE BEATLE VOICE."
♪ IMAGINE THERE'S NO HEAVEN ♪ ♪ IT'S EASY IF YOU TRY ♪ ♪ NO HELL BELOW US ♪ ♪ ABOVE US ONLY SKY ♪ ♪ IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE ♪ ♪ LIVING FOR TODAY ♪ ♪ I-I-I-I ♪ Wiener: I THINK HE THOUGHT OF THE ONE-TO-ONE CONCERT AS A REHEARSAL FOR THE WORLD TOUR.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET AROUND ALL THE GREEN CARD THING WAS TO DO BENEFIT CONCERTS.
♪ NOTHING TO KILL OR DIE FOR ♪ ♪ NO RELIGION, TOO ♪ Ippolito: THIS WAS WHAT WE HAD BEEN BUILDING TO.
HERE WE WERE, WE WERE PLAYING WITH JOHN LENNON.
I WANT TO TOUR THE UNIVERSE.
♪ YOU GOT TO LIVE ♪ ♪ YOU GOT TO LOVE ♪ ♪ YOU'VE GOT TO BE SOMEBODY ♪ ♪ YOU'VE GOT TO SHOVE ♪ ♪ BUT IT'S HARD ♪ ♪ YOU KNOW IT'S HARD ♪ ♪ SOMETIME I FEEL LIKE GOING DOWN ♪ ♪ OW!
♪ Ippolito: THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR FIRST SHOW OF, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, A NATIONAL TOUR.
WE'RE STARTING TO ASSEMBLE THE GEAR.
WE'RE ORDERING CUSTOM-MADE ROAD CASES.
IT'S TIME TO GO OUT AND TOUR.
IT WAS JUST, "BUT WE HAVE TO PUT IT OFF, "BECAUSE I WANT TO TEND TO THIS DEPORTATION THING AND GET EVERYTHING STRAIGHT BEFORE WE GO OUT."
♪ YOU'VE GOT TO RUN ♪ ♪ YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE ♪ ♪ YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP YOUR WOMAN SATISFIED ♪ Van Scyoc: AND WE KEPT HANGING ON THAT AND HANGING ON IT, ONE WEEK TO THE NEXT.
♪ IT'S HARD TO GET HARD ♪ ♪ SOMETIME I FEEL LIKE GOING DOWN ♪ Lennon: AT THE ONE TIME, I HAD THIS GROUP TOGETHER, ELEPHANT'S MEMORY, AND A FEW EXTRA PEOPLE, AND I WAS READY TO GO ON THE ROAD, JUST FOR FUN.
I DIDN'T CARE WHETHER I WAS GOING TO GET PAID, EVEN.
I JUST FELT LIKE GOING OUT, YOU KNOW?
I HAD TO SEND THEM AWAY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT PUT ME OFF PERFORMING FOR A BIT.
AND THEN I STILL SORT OF DID ME WORK, YOU KNOW?
BECAUSE I CAN'T STOP IT, EVEN IF I'M IN A BAD STATE OF MIND.
BUT IT WAS AFFECTING ME.
IT AFFECTED ME WHOLE LIFE, ACTUALLY.
♪ LORDY, LORD ♪ ♪ ALL WE'RE SAYING ♪ ♪ IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪ Ono: AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT.
WE WERE JUST DOING A GOOD CONCERT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT PEACE IS IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, LET'S END THIS WAR.
NOW, I REALIZE, THIS WAS WHEN THEY WERE TRYING TO DEPORT US, AND WE'RE DOING THIS.
♪ ALL WE'RE SAYING ♪ ♪ NO MORE WAR ♪ ♪ NO MORE FOUR YEARS ♪ ♪ GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪ ♪ NO MORE NOTHING!
♪ Ippolito: THE REVIEWS WERE GREAT FOR US AS A BAND.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE CRITICS WERE VERY TOUGH ON JOHN AND YOKO.
AFTER THE CONCERT, WE DIDN'T SEE HIM FOR A WEEK, AFTER THE REVIEWS CAME OUT.
HE WAS VERY UPSET.
Ono: JOHN AND I GOT OFF THE STAGE, WE HUGGED EACH OTHER.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT THING WE DID.
THE NEXT MORNING, HE SAYS, "BAD, BAD REVIEW."
JOHN NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT KIND OF A BAD SITUATION BEFORE THAT.
I THINK IT WEIGHED ON HIM MORE THAN ME.
Gruen: YOU KNOW, JUST ONE THING WAS GOING WRONG AFTER ANOTHER.
JOHN DIDN'T TAKE IT VERY WELL AT ALL.
THE CRITICS PANNED THE ALBUM.
THE CRITICS PANNED THE CONCERT, BASICALLY HATED IT.
THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION ISSUED A DEPORTATION ORDER TO TRY TO THROW JOHN OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
HE STARTED GETTING LEGAL PROBLEMS.
AND JOHN WAS REALLY GOING INTO A DARK PLACE.
♪ ALL WE'RE SAYING ♪ ♪ NO MORE WAR ♪ Reporter: PRESIDENT NIXON AND HIS VICE PRESIDENT, SPIRO AGNEW, AGAIN HEADED THE G.O.P.
TICKET IN '72.
Reporter: FLORIDA, SOLID NIXON COUNTRY.
WEST VIRGINIA, A SURPRISE, GOING TO THE REPUBLICANS.
NEW HAMPSHIRE, NOT A SURPRISE.
MARYLAND, AGNEW'S REVENGE, BACK IN THE REPUBLICAN COLUMN.
Ono: WE WERE IN THE STUDIO, AND SOMEBODY CAME AND SAID, "NIXON WON."
Reporter: GONE TONIGHT TO THE REPUBLICANS.
KANSAS, CONNECTICUT, TEXAS, MICHIGAN, DELAWARE.
Ippolito: WE FOUND OUT, I THINK, AT THE STUDIO, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THAT NIXON HAD WON.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THE END OF THE SESSION.
IT JUST TOTALLY DEFLATED EVERYBODY.
WE ALL GOT VERY DEPRESSED.
JOHN, PARTICULARLY, WAS -- YOU KNOW, HE TOOK IT VERY PERSONALLY.
Reporter: WE PROJECT THAT PRESIDENT NIXON WILL COME OUT OF THIS THE WINNER, WITH ABOUT 60% OF THE POPULAR VOTE AND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 450 AND 500 OR MORE ELECTORAL VOTES.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR VICTORY.
Gruen: THAT NIGHT PARTICULARLY WAS PRETTY UGLY.
WE WERE INVITED DOWN TO JERRY RUBIN'S HOUSE TO WATCH THE ELECTION RETURNS, BUT WE DIDN'T FINISH UNTIL PRETTY LATE AT NIGHT.
AND BY THE TIME WE FINISHED, NIXON HAD ALREADY WON.
BUT WE WENT DOWN TO JERRY'S HOUSE, AND THERE WERE STILL SOME PEOPLE THERE.
AND WE WERE PRETTY DRUNK WHEN WE GOT THERE, BUT THEN THERE WAS MORE DRINKING.
WE WERE VERY ROWDY.
WAY TOO ROWDY.
MY WIFE HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK.
I JUST -- I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE.
♪ WHEN I'M DOWN ♪ Van Scyoc: SO IT WAS TIME TO BAIL, FOR ME.
♪ REALLY YIN ♪ Ono: SO, BY THE TIME THAT WE WERE IN THE CAR TO GO TO JERRY RUBIN'S PARTY, JOHN WAS SWAYING.
AND -- [ Clears throat ] I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED THERE, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND.
YOU KNOW, THAT HE JUST, JUST PULLED ONE GIRL AND WENT INTO THE NEXT ROOM, AND STARTED, UM...
STARTED TO MAKE LOVE, I SUPPOSE.
AND THIS BIG NOISE AND EVERYTHING.
AND, UH... AND ONE OF THE, UH, ELEPHANT'S MEMORY GUYS, STAN, YOU KNOW?
STAN WAS VERY SWEET.
HE JUST PUT BOB DYLAN'S RECORD ON AND SORT OF BOOST IT UP.
BUT IT JUST DIDN'T DO ANY GOOD.
BUT IT WAS THAT KIND OF NIGHT.
AND I FELT VERY SAD FOR MYSELF.
I DIDN'T LIKE IT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH.
♪ AND WHEN I HURT YOU ♪ ♪ AND CAUSED YOU PAIN ♪ ♪ DARLING, I PROMISE ♪ ♪ I WON'T DO IT AGAIN ♪ Gruen: THE NEXT DAY, WE WERE IN THE STUDIO, AND JOHN WAS STILL HUNG OVER.
HE LOOKED VERY SHEEPISH, VERY REMORSEFUL.
HE KNEW HE HAD SCREWED UP.
HE KNEW, AS MANY TIMES AS YOU TRY TO APOLOGIZE, IT DIDN'T ERASE THE FACT THAT HE HAD EMBARRASSED YOKO SO BADLY IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.
AND WE WALKED OUT ON THE DOCKS BY BANK STREET AND JUST SORT OF SAT THERE.
AND COMING BACK, WE WERE TAKING SOME PICTURES.
THERE'S ONE WHERE JOHN'S ON HIS KNEES, KIND OF ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS.
SHE WAS STILL DEALING WITH HIM, BUT IT WASN'T OKAY.
♪ IT'S HARD ENOUGH, I KNOW ♪ ♪ TO FEEL ♪ ♪ FEEL YOUR OWN PAIN ♪ Ono: I REALLY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF ANGER IN HIM.
BUT ALSO BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO, UM... BE SEPARATE FROM ME AT ALL.
SO THAT WE WERE TOGETHER 24 HOURS A DAY, LITERALLY.
THAT WAS REALLY GETTING TO US, MAYBE.
SO I THOUGHT, "WELL, WE NEED SOME, YOU KNOW, SEPARATION."
FOR ME, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, I WAS NOT WHAT I ENVISIONED MYSELF TO BE.
AND IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT, WHY SHOULD I WANT TO STAY THERE?
AND I JUST WANTED TO FIND MYSELF.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD IF HE GOES TO L.A. AND JUST FIND HIMSELF, OR JUST HAVE A REST FROM THIS SITUATION.
♪ THE YEARS HAVE PASSED SO QUICKLY ♪ ♪ ONE THING I'VE UNDERSTOOD ♪ Lennon: GOOD MORNING, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
IT'S 6:19 AND 62 DEGREES IN HOLLYWOOD.
THIS IS JOHN LENNON, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY REQUESTS, CALL ME AT 520-1974.
Woman: I'D BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR THREE YEARS, AND ONE DAY YOKO SAID TO ME, "YOU KNOW THAT, UM, JOHN AND I ARE NOT GETTING ALONG."
AND I'M LOOKING AT HER, AND I SAID, "OH, I'M REALLY SORRY TO HEAR THAT."
AND I'M THINKING, "WHY IS SHE TELLING THIS TO ME NOW?"
Ono: I KNEW IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO JUST GO TO L.A. BY HIMSELF.
HE NEVER DID ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO I FELT VERY RESPONSIBLE.
AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE THE TRIP, UH... AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE FOR HIM.
♪ AND I KNOW NOW ♪ Lennon: KHJ, THIS IS RICHARD NIXON HERE, WHO DAT?
Woman: OH, I'M DANA.
Lennon: DANA WHAT?
Dana: HOLDEN.
Lennon: HOLDEN?
OH, HOLD ON, DANA.
OKAY, WHAT'S YOUR REQUEST AND WHY ARE WE HERE?
Dana, tearfully: I'D LIKE TO HEAR "MIND GAMES."
Lennon: YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR "MIND GAMES."
SO WOULD I.
ISN'T THAT WONDERFUL?
I'D LIKE TO PLAY SOME, ACTUALLY.
WELL, IT'S TIME TO WHEEL YOU AWAY.
♪ WE'RE PLAYING THOSE MIND GAMES ♪ ♪ TOGETHER ♪ ♪ PUSHING THE BARRIERS ♪ ♪ PLANTING SEEDS ♪ Pang: BEFORE WE LEFT NEW YORK, I REMEMBER JOHN COMING IN TO ME AND SAYING, "I'M READY."
I LOOKED AT HIM, I SAID, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
HE GOES, "BOOK THE STUDIO.
I'M GOING TO DO IT NOW, OR I'M NEVER GOING TO DO IT."
AND HE DIDN'T HAVE HIS SONGS READY YET, BUT IN TWO WEEKS HE WROTE "MIND GAMES."
YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT SOMEBODY'S BRILLIANCE -- I MEAN, HE WAS JUST AMAZING.
HE WAS A VERY, VERY POWERFUL SONGWRITER.
♪ SOME KIND OF DRUID DUDES ♪ Douglas: HE HEARS THE CHORD STRUCTURE, AND THEN THE WORDS GO ROUND AND ROUND THE BLOCK FOR A WHILE.
Lennon, to "Mind Games" tune: ♪ MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR ♪ ♪ I KNOW ♪ ♪ YOU'VE HEARD IT BEFORE ♪ Douglas: BUT BY THE TIME HE GETS TO THE STUDIO, HE HAS THE WORDS WRITTEN AND HE'S GOT MAYBE TWO VERSIONS, AND THEY GO THROUGH CHANGES UNTIL THE WORD AND THE SOUND OF THE WORD MATCH THE SOUND OF THE CHORD AND THE RHYTHM.
♪ LOVE IS THE ANSWER ♪ ♪ AND YOU KNOW THAT ♪ ♪ FOR SURE ♪ Cicala: A LOT OF THE WRITING HAPPENED IN THE STUDIO.
WHILE THE MUSICIANS WERE PLAYING, HE WOULD BE CHANGING LYRICS.
I GUESS HE GOT INSPIRED BY THE BAND AND THE STUDIO ATMOSPHERE.
♪ YOU GOT TO LET IT ♪ ♪ YOU GOT TO LET IT GROW ♪ Keltner: AND JOHN WAS JUST A VERY STRONG FORCE OF A PERSONALITY.
SO WHEN HE SPOKE, YOU LISTENED, YOU KNOW?
YOU COULD BE IN A -- IN THE OTHER ROOM AND YOU'D HEAR HIS -- HE HAS SUCH A DISTINCTIVE VOICE -- SINGING AND JUST TALKING.
♪ I WAS DREAMING OF THE PAST ♪ ♪ AND MY HEART WAS BEATING FAST ♪ ♪ I BEGAN TO LOSE CONTROL ♪ Newmark: JOHN WAS HONEST.
HIS LYRICS WERE ALSO VERY BLUNTLY HONEST.
EVERYTHING WAS RIGHT UP FRONT WITH HIM.
THERE WAS NO MIXING HIS WORDS OR BEING DIPLOMATIC OR BEATING AROUND THE BUSH.
AND HIS SONGS WERE LIKE THAT, TOO.
HE CAME OUT AND JUST SAID IT.
♪ I MADE YOU CRY ♪ ♪ OH, MY ♪ ♪ I DIDN'T WANT TO HURT YOU ♪ Man: THE WORDS HE CHOOSES ARE FOR EVERYBODY.
JOHN TALKS OF HIS PROBLEMS, OF THE FIGHT HE HAS WITH HIMSELF.
AND THAT'S WHAT -- WHAT MAKES IT SO STRONG, AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO.
♪ YOU MIGHT NOT LOVE ME ANYMORE ♪ HE PROJECTED HIMSELF.
HE PROJECTED HIS GUTS.
AND THE WAY HE PLAYED HIS GUITAR, SAME THING.
[ PLAYING "COLD TURKEY" ] ♪ TEMPERATURE'S RISING ♪ ♪ FEVER IS HIGH ♪ ♪ CAN'T SEE THE FUTURE ♪ ♪ CAN'T SEE NO SKY ♪ ♪ MY FEET ARE SO HEAVY ♪ IT'S AN HONESTY IN PLAYING.
IT'S NOT THE CLEANEST PLAYING, BUT GOD, IT'S THE MOST HONEST PLAYING.
♪ I WISH I WAS A BABY ♪ ♪ I WISH I WAS DEAD ♪ ♪ COLD TURKEY ♪ ♪ YOU KNOW, IT'S GOT ME ♪ ♪ ON THE RUN ♪ AND THE FUNNY THING WAS, HE USED TO DELIBERATELY PUT HIS D-STRING OUT OF TUNE.
HE'D TUNE UP, AND THEN HE'D TURN THE D FLAT.
AND I SAID TO HIM, "WHY -- WHY DO YOU DO THAT?
WHY DO YOU -- WHY DO YOU FLAT THE D-STRING?"
AND HE SAID, "WELL, BECAUSE "WHEN WE USED TO MAKE THOSE BEATLES RECORDS, "THEY WERE JUST MONO MIXES, AND THEY WOULD GO ON THE RADIO.
"AND MY AUNT MIMI WOULD SAY, "'JOHN, IS ONE OF THESE GUITARS YOU?'"
AND HE WOULD SAY, "THAT ONE, SEE, THE ONE THAT'S SLIGHTLY OUT OF TUNE, THAT'S ME."
AND HE NEVER STOPPED DOING THAT.
HE ALWAYS, ♪ DA-DA-DA-DA ♪ YOU KNOW, ♪ BA-UHHH ♪ "SLIGHTLY -- THE D IS SLIGHTLY FLAT.
THAT'S MY GUITAR.
THAT'S HOW I KNOW IT'S ME."
♪ THIS IS A STORY ABOUT YOUR FRIEND AND MINE ♪ ♪ WHO IS IT?
WHO IS IT?
♪ ♪ THERE YOU STAND WITH YOUR L.A. TAN ♪ ♪ AND YOUR NEW YORK WALK ♪ ♪ AND YOUR NEW YORK TALK ♪ Pang: AT THE BEGINNING, HE WAS EXHILARATED, BECAUSE L.A. WAS A TOTAL DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE THAT HE HAD NEVER HAD BEFORE.
♪ YOUR PHONE DON'T RING ♪ HE LOVED THE IDEA THAT HE WAS HANDLING HIS OWN STUFF.
GOING TO THE SUPERMARKET WAS GREAT.
I REMEMBER GOING PAST THIS -- THIS DELI SECTION, AND JOHN WENT, "[Gasp] GOT TO HAVE IT."
AND I SAID, "GOT TO HAVE WHAT?"
HE GOES, "GOT TO HAVE CAVIAR."
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, "MY GOD.
THAT'S SO EXPENSIVE."
HE GOES, "YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT."
WE HAD A LOT OF VISITORS.
WE HAD HARRY NILSSON, KEITH MOON.
EVERY MORNING HE'D COME DOWN DRESSED WITH A LONG LEATHER COAT, NO TROUSERS, BEATLE BOOTS, THE SCARF, THE BRIEFCASE.
AND JOHN SAID, "AH, THE BARON'S UP.
MORNING, BARON."
AND HE WOULD CLICK HIS HEELS AND GO, "MORNING, EVERYONE."
THEN HE'D JUST GO BACK UP AND WE DON'T SEE HIM FOR A WHILE.
WE HAD RINGO THERE.
PAUL, AND THEY TALKED LIKE THEY JUST ONLY SAW EACH OTHER THE OTHER DAY.
AND THERE WAS NO ANIMOSITY.
IT WAS JUST LIKE TWO BROTHERS COMING BACK AND JUST PICKING UP WHERE THEY LAST LEFT OFF.
AND EVERYBODY WAS JUST RELAXED.
EVERYBODY WAS JUST TALKING.
IN THAT PERIOD, THE BRIGHT SIDE OF IT WAS QUITE BRIGHT, AND -- AND JOHN HAD A LOT OF FUN IN THERE.
BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF TURMOIL AT THAT TIME.
Gruen: AS MUCH FUN AS HE WAS HAVING, WITH HARRY AND WITH KEITH MOON AND WITH RINGO, I DIDN'T THINK HE WAS HAPPY.
YOU DON'T GET DRUNK EVERY NIGHT IF YOU'RE HAPPY.
UH...YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T TAKE DRUGS IF YOU'RE HAPPY.
Man: I SPOKE WITH HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN HE WAS IN LOS ANGELES.
AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE SUBJECT ON THE TABLE BETWEEN JOHN AND I.
AND THAT WAS HOW HE CAN GET BACK TO YOKO.
Lennon: YOKO KICKED ME OUT.
I DIDN'T GO OFF ON A, "I'M GOING TO BE A ROCK-AND-ROLL BACHELOR."
SHE HAD LITERALLY SAID, "GET OUT."
YOU KNOW?
AND I SAID, "OKAY, I'M GOING."
I'M A BACHELOR, FREE -- I'D BEEN MARRIED ALL ME LIFE.
YOU KNOW, I'D BEEN MARRIED BEFORE YOKO, AND I IMMEDIATELY MARRIED YOKO.
SO I'D NEVER BEEN A BACHELOR, SINCE I WAS 20 OR SOMETHING.
SO I THOUGHT, "WHOO-HOO-HA-HA!"
IT WAS GODAWFUL.
[ GUITAR STRUMS CHORD ] Lennon: NO, NO, E, E, E. THAT'S A CLUE.
Phil Spector: YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN TUNE ALL EVENING, WHY CHANGE?
Lennon: ♪ BUT AFTER ALL HOPE -- ♪ Phil Spector: ALL RIGHT, ONE OF THE GREATEST SESSIONS OF ALL TIME, HISTORY IS IN THE MAKING, AND HERE WE GO.
1, 2, 3.
Lennon: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Spector: NO, YOU YELLED FOUR.
WAIT A MINUTE.
Lennon: PHIL, PHIL.
Spector: YOU CAN'T YELL "FOUR" OVER HIS PLAYING.
Lennon: PLEASE ACCEPT MY FOUR.
IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN COME IN.
Lennon: WELL, THE "ROCK 'N' ROLL" ALBUM, FOLKS, STARTED IN '73 AFTER I'D FINISHED "MIND GAMES," AND I WAS REALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A, "OH, WHAT'S GOING ON, MOTHER, LIFE, HELP."
AND, UH...I'D JUST DONE "MIND GAMES," AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, "I'VE GOT TO HAVE SOME FUN INSTEAD OF ALL THIS WRITING MY FEELINGS IN THESE SONGS," YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW, BEING THE WRITER AND THE ARTIST.
YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT, WHAT CAN I DO TO, YOU KNOW, GET -- BREAK -- BREAK THAT REGIME OF, YOU KNOW, WRITING THE SONG?
"JOHN LENNON WRITES NEW SONG.
IS IT ABOUT HIM, OR IS IT ABOUT PAUL?"
YOU KNOW, OR WHATEVER.
SO I THOUGHT, I KNOW.
I'M ALWAYS, IN BETWEEN TAKES, AND WITH THE BEATLES, TOO, ALWAYS BREAK INTO "BE-BOP-A-LULA," OR WE'D ALWAYS JAM THOSE SONGS, YOU KNOW?
♪ BE-BOP-A-LULA, I DON'T MEAN MAYBE ♪ ♪ BE-BOP-A-LULA... ♪ SO I THOUGHT, "I KNOW, WHO SHALL I USE," YOU KNOW?
THE GREAT PHIL SPECTOR, YOU KNOW?
IT TOOK ME THREE WEEKS TO TALK HIM INTO BEING "THE" PRODUCER.
I SAID, "LOOK, I'M RONNIE ON THIS ONE.
"I JUST WANT TO SING, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT NOTHING."
SO WE STARTED THE SESSIONS, AND THEY WENT WELL.
AND THEN THEY GRADUALLY COLLAPSED INTO MANIA.
YOU KNOW?
THAT'S ONE WAY OF PUTTING IT.
BUT IT DEFINITELY GOT CRAZY.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS 28 GUYS PLAYING A NIGHT.
AND 15 OF THEM WERE OUT OF THEIR MINDS, INCLUDING ME.
Spector: HERE WE GO.
Lennon: WHAT, WHAT?
WE'RE DOING ONE.
HOW'S IT GO?
SAME WAY.
YEAH!
YEAH!
IT'S YOUR SHOW.
I CAN'T READ THIS WRITING, YOU KNOW?
WHAT IS THAT TWEETING BIRD OUT THERE?
FOR GOD'S SAKE.
Man: BIRD?
THIS BIRD, [BLEEP] IT, OUT THERE!
[ BAND PLAYS ] ♪ HEY, HEY, HEY ♪ THAT WAS SOME BIRD, THOUGH.
YEAH.
Cicala: THEY WERE GREAT SESSIONS.
STUDIOS WERE HUGE.
PHIL WAS KNOWN AS THE PRODUCER OF THE -- WHAT THEY CALL THE "WALL OF SOUND."
"BE MY BABY."
"YOU LOST THAT LOVING FEELING."
THAT'S PHIL, AND THAT'S THE OLD ROCK-AND-ROLL THAT JOHN LOVED.
BUT PHIL HAD MORE OR LESS OF A NAPOLEON COMPLEX.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHEN A LOT OF THE ARGUMENTS CAME OUT.
Keltner: PHIL WOULD COME IN SOBER EVERY NIGHT.
HE WOULD COME IN SOBER AND READY TO WORK.
AND THE BEGINNING OF THE EVENING ON EVERY ONE OF THOSE SESSIONS WAS BRILLIANT.
WAS BRILLIANCE, REALLY.
BUT JOHN WAS -- WAS A LITTLE BIT OVER THE TOP, YOU KNOW, PRETTY EARLY ON.
HE WAS DRINKING A LOT.
AND THEN PHIL WOULD GET, WOULD GO OVER THE TOP.
AND THEN PRETTY SOON -- AND WE WERE ALL, YOU KNOW, MESSING UP BAD.
IT WAS LIKE A CONTAGIOUS THING, YOU KNOW?
Lennon: WE GOT THE MAN HERE.
Spector: WHAT, WHAT MAN?
ANY [BLEEP] MAN, LET'S GO.
I'M GOING TO GET AN ALL-GIRL BAND.
[ CHUCKLES ] [ DRUMSTICKS TAPPING ] YOU NEED ONE.
LET'S GO.
NO, HEY, BARRY?
GIVE ME A CLUE, WILL YA?
WHAT'D I TELL YA?
LET BARRY -- SHUT UP, YOU [BLEEP] -- Keltner: JOHN WOULD HAVE THIS JUG OF VODKA.
IT'S -- I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE, SINCE THEN, THAT BIG.
I -- I GUESS THEY STILL MAKE THEM.
I THOUGHT OF IT AS A JOKE.
YOU KNOW, IT HAD TO BE LIKE A FIVE-GALLON BOTTLE OF VODKA.
AND JOHN WOULD HAVE THAT THING SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM, RIGHT NEXT TO HIS GUITAR.
AND PHIL WOULD COME IN.
PHIL CAME IN WITH DIFFERENT COSTUMES AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
ONE NIGHT HE CAME IN WITH, WITH A WHITE BUTCHER'S COAT ON, WITH LIKE FAKE BLOOD OR SOMETHING.
MAYBE IT WAS REAL BLOOD.
WHO KNOWS?
Man: IS JESSE THERE?
YES, HE'S THERE.
Lennon: OKAY, LET'S -- ALL RIGHT!
[ DRUMSTICKS TAPPING ] YES, IT DID.
YEAH!
Douglas: WHEN HE WAS OUT THERE IN CALIFORNIA, THAT WAS ROUGH, BECAUSE HE WAS DRINKING HEAVILY, AND ALCOHOL AND JOHN WERE NOT A GOOD IDEA, EVER.
REALLY NOT.
AND -- AND HE WOULD GET DRUNK, AND THERE WAS GONNA BE TROUBLE.
Lennon: ♪ WELL, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT, AND I JUST GOT PAID ♪ ♪ FOOL ABOUT MONEY, DON'T TRY TO SAVE ♪ ♪ MY HEART SAYS, GO, GO, HAVE A TIME ♪ ♪ 'CAUSE IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT, AND, BABY, I'M FEELIN' FINE ♪ Keltner: ONE OF THE NIGHTS OF THAT CRAZY PERIOD FOR JOHN, WE WERE AT THIS RESTAURANT, "LOST ON LARRABEE," DRINKING.
AND, UH, JOHN DECIDED TO GO IN THE WOMEN'S ROOM, AND SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY.
AND SO HE WENT IN THE LADIES' ROOM AND HE CAME OUT WITH A KOTEX ON HIS -- TAPED ON HIS FOREHEAD.
HE JUST STUCK IT TO HIS HEAD.
HE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY.
CAME OUT, AND I WENT, "OH, MY GOD."
AND SO WE'RE LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY, AND WE'RE EGGING HIM ON, LIKE, YOU KNOW, "OH, THAT'S GREAT.
YOU GOT TO KEEP IT ON."
AND THEN WE GO INTO THE TROUBADOUR, AND -- AND BECAUSE IT'S JOHN, THEY DIDN'T QUESTION IT, YOU KNOW?
AND, UH, IT WAS LIKE A NORMAL, NICE EVENING UNTIL HE -- [ Laughs ] HE STOOD UP, AND HE SAID A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE UNSAYABLE HERE.
I'M SITTING THERE, DRINKING MY DIET COKE, AND THERE'S THIS COMMOTION ABOUT THREE ROWS OVER.
IT WAS ONE OF THESE LONG TABLES YOU'RE SITTING AT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE GET UP AND SAY, "THAT'S JOHN LENNON."
Keltner: THEY'RE SEEING THIS GUY THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN FUN TO SEE, PROBABLY, IF HE HAD HAVE BEEN REALLY JOHN LENNON.
BUT NO, HE'S REALLY OUT OF IT, AND HE'S, YOU KNOW, BEING OBSCENE.
HE WAS FALLING FAST.
YOU KNOW, HE WAS -- HE WAS LIKE THIS -- THIS DEEP WELL, AND HE WAS FALLING FAST, AND HE WAS GOING DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO IT.
Lennon: ♪ I'M READY ♪ ♪ READY, READY, TEDDY ♪ ♪ I'M READY ♪ ♪ READY, READY, TEDDY ♪ ♪I'M READY ♪ ♪ READY, READY, TEDDY ♪ ♪ I'M READY, READY, TED, TO ROCK 'N' ROLL ♪♪ Cicala: EVERY DAY WAS A -- A BOTTLE EACH OF SCOTCH, OR SOME GOOD WHISKEY, YOU KNOW?
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW HE DIDN'T DIE, YOU KNOW?
HE HAD NO FAMILY.
AND YOKO WAS HIS FAMILY.
SO I CALLED HER, AND, UM...
IT WAS LIKE A LOT OF, "UH, UH, UH," ON THE PHONE LIKE THAT.
LIKE, "I -- I -- YOKO?
YOU HAVE TO COME OUT HERE."
HE CALLED ME ONE DAY AND SAID, "YOKO, YOU HAVE TO COME AND PICK HIM UP."
I SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
"ALL THIS TIME, YOU GUYS WERE THINKING "THAT I'M HOLDING HIM UP, "AND YOU CAN'T GET, YOU KNOW, GET NEAR HIM.
SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN.
DO IT."
I SAID, "YOU TAKE CARE OF HIM."
Douglas: I REMEMBER ONE VERY, VERY SCARY NIGHT.
WE WERE AT THE ROXY, AND, UM, THE CAR CAME OUT THROUGH THE RAINBOW PARKING LOT.
YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU PARK THERE NEXT TO THE ROXY.
AND JOHN WALKED OUT OF THE ROXY, AND I GOT INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT.
AND JIM GOT IN NEXT TO ME.
AND I THOUGHT JOHN WAS GETTING IN THE CAR, BUT INSTEAD HE TURNED AROUND AND WALKED BACK INTO THE PARKING LOT, BECAUSE THERE WAS A CROWD OF PEOPLE WHO HAD SEEN HIM THAT WERE CALLING, "JOHN, JOHN, JOHN."
Lennon: ♪ I WON'T BE AFRAID ♪ ♪ NO, I WON'T BE AFRAID ♪ AND IT WAS SO FRIGHTENING.
[ CROWD SCREAMING ] AND SO JOHN WALKED BACK, AND HE WAS A LITTLE DRUNK, AND HE SAID, "ALL RIGHT, WHAT DO YOU WANT, WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
AND HE STARTS STANDING THERE IN THIS CROWD.
♪ OH, STAND BY ME ♪ AND PRETTY SOON THEY WERE, LIKE, OVER HIM, AND HE WAS GOING, AND HE'S SCREAMING, "TAKE ME."
YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS, LIKE, INSANE.
IT WAS REALLY "DAY OF THE LOCUSTS."
AND -- AND, UM, AND JIM AND I RAN OUT AND THREW HIM IN THE BACKSEAT.
WE HAD TO, LIKE, TEAR HIM AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE, WHO WERE JUST -- IT WAS INSANE.
AND -- AND, UH, AND WE THREW HIM IN THE BACKSEAT, AND HE WAS SCREAMING AND SCREAMING.
AND THEY -- THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ABOUT, "THEY WANT ME."
♪ STAND BY ME ♪ ♪ STAND BY ME ♪ Keltner: JESSE, THE GUITAR PLAYER, AND MYSELF WERE PUT BACK THERE WITH HIM TO HOLD HIM DOWN, BECAUSE HE WAS TRYING TO KICK OUT THE -- THE WINDOWS OF THE CAR.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO HOLD HIM DOWN, AND HE WAS JUST TOO STRONG.
I MEAN, HE -- WITH ONE HAND, ACTUALLY, HE PUSHED ME TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL IN THE BACK.
AND, UH...AND HE WAS FIGHTING JESSE OFF WITH HIS RIGHT HAND AND JUST SCREAMING, "YOKO!"
AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS.
WHEN HE REALLY GOT DRUNK, HE WOULD SCREAM YOKO'S NAME.
♪ WHENEVER YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, WON'T YOU STAND BY ME ♪ ♪ OH, NOW, NOW ♪ Lennon: I DRANK TOO MUCH, AND I WAS OUT OF CONTROL, AND NOBODY WAS LOOKING AFTER ME, AND I -- I NEEDED SOMEBODY TO LOVE ME, AND THERE WAS NOBODY THERE TO SUPPORT ME.
AND I -- I FELL APART.
♪ DARLING, STAND BY ME ♪ ♪ OOH, STAND BY ME ♪ ♪ OH, STAND BY ME ♪ Keltner: WE GOT UP TO LOU ADLER'S, AND HE RIPPED UP A PALM TREE IN THE FRONT.
HE RIPPED OUT ALL OF HIS PHONES.
HE BROKE ALL THE GOLD RECORDS.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST A CRAZY RAGE, ALCOHOLIC RAGE.
HE MISSED YOKO, AND HE PROBABLY WAS FRUSTRATED THAT HE COULDN'T GO BACK WHERE HE WANTED TO BE.
Lennon: ♪ YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT ♪ ♪ UNTIL YOU LOSE IT ♪ ♪ YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT ♪ ♪ UNTIL YOU LOSE IT ♪ ♪ YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT ♪ ♪ UNTIL YOU LOSE IT ♪ Lennon: THE WORST WAS BEING SEPARATED FROM YOKO AND REALIZING THAT I REALLY, REALLY NEEDED TO BE WITH HER AND WANTED TO BE WITH HER AND COULD NOT, LITERALLY, SURVIVE WITHOUT HER.
AND I JUST WENT TO PIECES.
AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT -- THAT I NEEDED HER SO MUCH.
♪ EVERY DAY ♪ ♪ BABY, BABY, BABY ♪ Ono: I JUST NEEDED MORE SPACE.
WE WERE SO DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER'S BODY, KIND OF THING.
AND TO BE ALONE, UH...IN BED WAS REALLY VERY DIFFICULT.
I WAS SHAKING, BUT I WASN'T TELLING THAT TO JOHN, YOU KNOW?
I THOUGHT, WELL, THIS IS BAD, THAT A PERSON CANNOT BE ALONE, AND IF YOU'RE ALONE, YOU'RE SHAKING.
WELL, THAT'S VERY BAD.
BUT I COULD NOT SAY, "OKAY, SO LET'S GET BACK TOGETHER."
THAT WAS NOT THE WAY I WAS FEELING.
Gruen: JOHN WASN'T WITH YOKO, AND YET HE STILL WAS WITH YOKO.
THEY STILL HAD A RELATIONSHIP -- THEY STILL TALKED ALL THE TIME.
HE WAS ACTUALLY IN TOUCH WITH YOKO EVERY DAY, SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, HE WAS ON THE PHONE WITH HER.
I WOULD TELL YOKO, "WELL, HE BELIEVES HE'S OKAY NOW, AND HE'S READY TO COME BACK TO SEE YOU."
AND SHE WOULD SAY TO ME, "NO, HE ISN'T."
NOW, YOKO WAS PRETTY SOBER DURING THAT TIME, AND JOHN WAS VERY DRUNK.
AND, UH...AND VERY DEPRESSED, AND WASN'T REALLY MOVING FORWARD -- AND YOKO WAS.
SHE WAS STARTING HER NEXT ALBUM.
SHE WAS GETTING NEW MUSICIANS TOGETHER.
SHE WASN'T WORKING WITH THE ELEPHANTS ANYMORE.
SHE GOT A REALLY GOOD STUDIO BAND TOGETHER.
SHE WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD.
Ono: ♪ WOMAN POWER ♪ ♪ WOMAN POWER ♪ ♪ WOMAN POWER ♪ ♪ WOMAN POWER ♪ ♪ 2,000 YEARS OF MALE SOCIETY ♪ ♪ LAYING FEAR AND TYRANNY ♪ ♪ SEEKING GRADES AND MONEY ♪ ♪ CLINGING TO VALUES VAIN AND PHONY ♪♪ Ono: IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE TIME.
I WAS SEEING A LOT OF ARTWORK.
AND I HAD SOME SUPPORT FROM ANDY WARHOL, ALLEN GINSBERG, CHARLOTTE MOORMAN, GEORGE MACIUNAS.
IT WAS GOOD!
SO, PHYSICALLY, I WAS SORT OF SUFFERING A BIT.
BUT, UH...MENTALLY, WOW!
IT WAS JUST OPENING UP IN SO MANY WAYS, YOU KNOW?
IT WAS REALLY GREAT.
[ HORN HONKS ] [ "#9 DREAM" PLAYING ] Lennon: ♪ SO ♪ ♪ LONG AGO ♪ ♪ WAS IT IN A DREAM?
♪ Gruen: JOHN HAD COME BACK TO NEW YORK WITH A BASIC CREW OF GOOD MUSICIANS WHO COULD BE SOBER AND WORK SERIOUSLY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN HE WENT TO L.A. WITH PHIL SPECTOR, THERE WERE TIMES WHEN IT WAS 40 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, ALL PLAYING DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS, AND EVERYBODY DRUNK.
AND TO SALVAGE THAT, HE CAME BACK TO NEW YORK WITH THE "WALLS AND BRIDGES" ALBUM.
Lennon: I WOKE UP ONE DAY AND THOUGHT, "WHAT IS THIS?
I WANT TO GO HOME."
SO FINALLY, I SORT OF STOPPED DRINKING.
I'D COME BACK TO NEW YORK, BECAUSE I WANT TO GET HOME TO YOKO, AND I ALSO WANT TO GET MYSELF OUT OF L.A., AND OUT OF THE BOTTLE.
AND THEN I FOUND MYSELF SORT OF PRODUCING "WALLS AND BRIDGES."
Cicala: WHEN WE STARTED RECORDING "WALLS AND BRIDGES," I WAS STRAIGHT, JOHN WAS STRAIGHT.
THE MUSICIANS WERE STRAIGHT.
AND THE QUALITY WAS BETTER BECAUSE WE WERE ALL SOBER.
YOU GOT TO FOCUS, AND WE WERE REALLY FOCUSED.
♪ HEAR ♪ ♪ HEAR ♪ Man: A FRIEND OF MINE SAYS, "JOHN IS RECORDING AT THE RECORD PLANT.
"HE'S DOING SOME FINISHING UP ON 'WALLS AND BRIDGES.'
IF YOU COME DOWN" -- I THINK IT WAS TUESDAY -- "I CAN PROBABLY GET YOU INTO THE CONTROL ROOM."
I'M THERE -- NO PROBLEM!
YOU KNOW, WHERE DO I SIGN UP?
SO, I GET TO THE RECORD PLANT STUDIO, AND MY FIRST VIEW OF JOHN IS THROUGH GLASS.
Lennon: OKAY, HOLD IT, HOLD IT.
DON'T GO "DA-DA-DUM."
WE'RE HAVING ENOUGH TROUBLE, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEPING THE RHYTHM WITHOUT ENDING -- I DON'T WANT ANYTHING OTHER THAN STRICT FOUR-IN-THE-BAR, UNLESS IT'S WRITTEN.
JUST PLAY WHAT YOU WERE PLAYING, AND NO "DA-DA-DUM" OR "CHICA-DA-DA," AND "SIC-A-DA-DEE" -- WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THAT GOING ON.
Elsas: I'M SORT OF WATCHING HIM DO WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING, BECAUSE THEY LITERALLY WERE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF PUTTING SOME ODDS AND ENDS TOGETHER FOR THE ALBUM.
Lennon: THIS IS IT.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR.
♪ GOT TO GET DOWN ♪ ♪ DOWN ON MY KNEES ♪ Elsas: MY BRAIN IS EXPLODING.
I AM LOOKING THIS CLOSE AT A LIVE BEATLE.
OH, MY GOD.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, YOU KNOW?
I AM EVERY TEENAGER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
I'M -- INSIDE MY HEAD, I'M SCREAMING, "IT'S JOHN LENNON!
IT'S THE BEATLES."
♪ GOING DOWN ON LOVE ♪ ♪ GOING DOWN ON LOVE ♪ Elsas: AND IN THE MOMENTS BEFORE I HAVE TO LEAVE, I SAY, "GEE, YOU KNOW, "IF YOU JOHN WOULD LIKE TO COME UP "AND VISIT THE RADIO STATION TO PROMOTE THE NEW ALBUM, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE HIM."
THE COVER OF THE NEW ALBUM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IT YET IN YOUR FAVORITE RECORD STORE -- Lennon: BECAUSE IT AIN'T OUT YET.
Elsas: THERE'S A DRAWING ON THE FRONT.
IT SAYS, "JOHN LENNON, JUNE '52, AGE 11."
Lennon: YEAH, THAT'S TRUE OF ALL THE CHILDHOOD SORT OF DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS I DID.
THIS WAS THE ONLY ONES THAT EVER GOT SAVED.
Elsas: AND "WALLS AND BRIDGES," WHAT DOES THAT... IS THAT A PROPHETIC TITLE, OR...?
Lennon: I DON'T REALLY KNOW, YOU KNOW?
I GET THESE THINGS THAT SOUND NICE.
I HAD -- THE SONG "#9 DREAM" WAS CALLED "WALLS AND BRIDGES," AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST HAD THE TITLE "WALLS AND BRIDGES," AND I TRIED TO FIT IT IN ANYWHERE LIKE A JIGSAW.
SO, IT DIDN'T SEEM TO FIT ANY OF THE SONGS.
AND I HADN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING, SO I JUST SHOVED IT ON AS THE ALBUM TITLE.
IT SEEMED TO BE SORT OF WIDE ENOUGH TO COVER IT.
IT'S LIKE COMMUNICATION, YOU KNOW?
WALLS, FOUR WALLS, BRIDGES, YOU GO OVER.
I THINK I HEARD IT ON A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT ON TV.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE LATE NIGHT THINGS THAT THEY MAKE YOU FEEL AWFUL, IN-BETWEEN THE MOVIES, YOU KNOW?
Elsas: I AM SITTING BEHIND A MICROPHONE.
JOHN IS ACROSS FROM ME -- BEHIND THE TURNTABLES.
AND HE GETS VERY QUICKLY THAT I'M OVERWHELMED BY THE MOMENT, AND JUST IS A GUY.
HE'S JUST A GUY.
Lennon: THIS IS JOHN LENNON WITH DENNIS ON WNEW-FM.
AND WE'RE MUCKING ABOUT ON A SATURDAY RAINY AFTERNOON, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT YOU ALL TRAPPED IN YOUR ROOMS, YOU SEE, BECAUSE IT'S TOO WET TO GO ANYWHERE.
Elsas: WE EVEN HAVE THE 4:00 TEMPERATURE READINGS.
Lennon: WE DO?
OH, LET'S SEE HOW HOT IT IS.
TEMPERATURE IS 68 -- NO WONDER I'M SWEATING.
HUMIDITY 93 P-C-T -- WHATEVER THAT IS.
Elsas: PERCENT.
Lennon: OH.
WHY DON'T THEY DO THOSE LITTLE ROUND THINGS?
BAROMETER 30-POINT-NAUGHT-3 AND FALLING.
OH, DISGUSTING.
AND SOMEBODY SAID THE AIR WAS UNACCEPTABLE TODAY, BUT I ACCEPT IT.
MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH PERIODS OF RAIN THIS AFTERNOON.
HIGH TIMES -- OH, NO.
HA HA!
WISH IT WAS.
HIGH THIS AFTERNOON AND TOMORROW IN THE 70s.
LOW TONIGHT IN THE MID-60s.
WATCH OUT FOR IT.
MONDAY'S OUTLOOK, FAIR AND COOL, MAN.
Elsas: HE IS JUST OFF-THE-CUFF ABOUT EVERYTHING.
AND HE'S NOT JUST THERE TO PROMOTE THE RECORD, HE'S HANGING OUT.
AND SO THEN WE GET A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS.
WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION.
AND WE TALK ABOUT NEW YORK.
AND WE TALK ABOUT HOW HE FEELS.
IS IT EASIER TO BE A JOHN LENNON CELEBRITY IN NEW YORK?
ARE PEOPLE LESS APT TO HASSLE YOU, AND CAN YOU GO ABOUT YOUR LIFE?
CAN YOU HAVE DINNER IN A RESTAURANT?
Lennon: OH, YEAH, YEAH.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE A BIT COOLER IN NEW YORK.
HA, HA, HA.
AND PEOPLE SORT OF WILL WAVE OR SOMETHING, OR A TAXI DRIVER WILL SAY, "OH," YOU KNOW, "ARE YOU STILL HERE?"
OR WHATEVER.
"GOOD LUCK, AND ALL THAT JAZZ" ABOUT IMMIGRATION.
Elsas: CAN WE, UH... Lennon: YES, WE CAN.
Elsas: YEAH, WHAT ABOUT ALL THAT?
Lennon: WELL, I'VE BEEN HERE THREE YEARS, AND I LOVE IT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHY I'M FIGHTING SO MUCH TO STAY HERE, SO AS I CAN BE IN NEW YORK, YOU KNOW.
MAYBE THEY COULD JUST BAN ME FROM OHIO OR SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, NOTHING AGAINST OHIO, BUT... Elsas: WHAT'S THE STATUS?
I MEAN, WE SAW PHOTOGRAPHS OF YOU WALKING IN AND OUT OF COURT BUILDINGS.
Lennon: WITH MY SUIT ON.
Elsas: YES, YOU LOOKED VERY NICE.
Lennon: THANK YOU -- EVERY NOW AND THEN, I SUDDENLY HEAR THAT I'VE GOT 30 DAYS TO GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
BUT I SEEM TO BE STILL HERE, AND I DON'T HAVE ANY INTENTIONS OF GOING.
Elsas: YEAH, IT WAS SAD WHEN CHARLIE CHAPLAIN... Lennon: I KNOW.
Elsas: FINALLY CAME BACK TO AMERICA AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS.
Lennon: THAT'S WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN TO ME.
I'D HATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WHEEL ME ON AT 60 AND GIVE ME A PLAQUE FOR "YESTERDAY," AND PAUL WROTE IT, YOU KNOW?
I MEAN, I CAN JUST SEE IT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT THAT.
I'D LIKE TO LIVE HERE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T HARM ANYBODY.
I'VE GOT A BIT OF A LOUD MOUTH, THAT'S ABOUT ALL.
YOU KNOW?
I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY ROOM FOR AN ODD LENNON OR TWO HERE.
Elsas: I AGREE.
I KNOW EVERYONE OUT THERE DOES, TOO.
WE'RE SITTING WITH THE NEW ALBUM, AND THIS IS A TRACK CALLED?
Lennon: OH, THIS IS A TRACK CALLED "SCARED," WHICH MEANS AT THE MOMENT I WAS WRITING IT, THAT'S HOW I FELT.
BUT NOW I'M QUITE HAPPY, THANK YOU.
♪ I'M SCARED ♪ ♪ I'M SCARED ♪ ♪ I'M SCARED ♪ Wiener: NIXON IS KICKED OUT OF OFFICE AFTER WATERGATE, BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THE IMMIGRATION SERVICE IS A GOOD BUREAUCRACY.
WHEN THEY ARE GIVEN A JOB LIKE "DEPORT LENNON," THEY KEEP DOING IT.
AND THEY KEPT DOING IT TO LENNON EVEN AFTER WATERGATE, EVEN AFTER THE WHOLE RATIONALE, LOGIC OF THIS CAMPAIGN.
AND LENNON REMAINED ON A 60-DAY ORDER TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY FOR THE WHOLE YEAR AFTER WATERGATE INTO 1974.
HE'S NEVER SURE WHETHER HE'S GOING TO BE KICKED OUT IN 60 DAYS OR NOT.
HE WAS HANGING BY HIS NAILS TO STAY IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND THERE WAS ALWAYS INTERRUPTIONS, AND LAWYERS -- STUFF HE HAD TO RUN OFF TO DO.
♪ NO BELL, BOOK, OR CANDLE ♪ ♪ CAN GET YOU OUT OF THIS ♪ Lennon: EVERY NOW AND THEN, I SUDDENLY HEAR THAT I'VE GOT 30 DAYS TO GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
LAST TIME I WAS ON THE WAY TO A RECORD PLANT.
I WAS IN A TAXI, AND THE RADIO WAS ON.
I JUST HEARD IT ANNOUNCED OVER THE RADIO.
SO, BEING JOCULAR, I SAID, "DRIVE ME TO AIRPORT, SAM."
AND WE WERE LAUGHING ABOUT THAT.
AND, APPARENTLY, THE LAWYERS HADN'T TOLD ME, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DEPRESS ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ALBUM.
♪ I JUST MANAGE TO SURVIVE ♪ ♪ I JUST WANNA STAY ALIVE ♪ ♪ STAY HERE, MAN ♪♪ Elsas: HOW MISERABLE OR UNHAPPY HE WAS, I DON'T KNOW.
TO ME, THE JOHN LENNON THAT I MET IS THIS WONDERFUL GUY WHO SHOWS UP ON MY RADIO SHOW IN SEPTEMBER OF 1974.
AND HE'S CHARMING, AND HE'S WITTY, AND HE'S NOT HIGH, AND HE'S RELAXED, AND HE'S ENJOYING HIS LIFE, AND HE'S VERY PROUD OF HIS NEW RECORD THAT HE'S THERE TO PROMOTE.
Lennon: THAT WAS "SKATE."
Elsas: "SCARED."
"SCARED," YEAH.
FROM "WALLS AND BRIDGES."
OUT SOON, OR OUT NOW AT ALL THOSE RECORD STORES MENTIONED.
COME ON, PUT IT IN THE WINDOW NOW.
♪ WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT ♪ ♪ IT'S ALL RIGHT ♪ ♪ ALL RIGHT ♪ ♪ IT'S YOUR MONEY ♪ ♪ OR YOUR LIFE... ♪ Gruen: I WAS COMING AND GOING, STOPPING IN EVERY FEW DAYS.
AND I CAME IN ONE NIGHT, AND ELTON JOHN WAS RECORDING WITH HIM.
♪ DO WE NEED A SWORD?
DON'T NEED A SWORD ♪ ♪ TO CUT THROUGH FLOWERS ♪ ♪ OH, NO ♪ Gruen: AND SO THEY DID THIS SONG TOGETHER, AND EVERYBODY WAS HAVING A GOOD TIME WITH IT.
AND THEY REALLY LIKED THE SONG.
AND I REMEMBER AT THE END, ELTON SAID LIKE, "YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO BE PLAYING "MADISON SQUARE GARDENS SOON.
"CAN YOU COME TO THE GARDEN AND SING IT WITH ME WHEN, YOU KNOW, I'M HERE?"
AND JOHN SAID, "IF IT GETS TO BE A NUMBER-ONE HIT, I'LL SING AT THE GARDEN WITH YOU."
KIND OF TOSSING IT OFF, NOT EXPECTING IT TO HAPPEN.
AND THEN IT BECAME A NUMBER-ONE HIT, AND THEN HE WAS STUCK.
SO HE CAME UP TO BOSTON TO SEE THE SHOW, AND I WAS AT THAT TIME WEARING THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE LADY GAGA BLUSH, I THINK.
I MEAN, A LITTLE SWIMSUIT MADE OUT OF A CHOCOLATE BOX WITH A HEART AND STUFF.
JOHN IS GOING, "OH, MY GOD.
IS THIS WHAT IT IS NOW?"
BUT JOHN HAD REALLY LOST TOUCH WITH SOUND SYSTEMS AND LIGHT SHOWS AND WHATEVER.
AND HE NEVER WENT TO SHOWS, AND SO HE SAID, "YES."
AND IT WAS -- THANK GOD HE DID.
BECAUSE I HAVE THAT MEMORY, NEW YORK HAS THAT MEMORY FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE.
AND IT GOT HIM BACK WITH YOKO.
I'M SURE HE'LL BE NO STRANGER TO ANYBODY WHO IS FARSIGHTED.
IT'S OUR GREAT PRIVILEGE, AND YOUR GREAT PRIVILEGE TO SEE AND HEAR MR. JOHN LENNON!
[ APPLAUSE ] HE CAME ON STAGE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AFTER BEING PHYSICALLY SICK IN THE TOILET BEFOREHAND.
AND CAME ONTO THE GREATEST OVATION I'VE EVER HEARD FOR ANYBODY IN MY WHOLE LIFE.
IT MAKES ME VERY EMOTIONAL WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT.
EVEN NOW, I GET GOOSE-BUMPS EVERY TIME I TALK ABOUT THIS.
BUT FOR 10 MINUTES, THE NEW YORKERS STOOD UP.
IT WAS LIKE EVERYBODY HAD BEEN HIT BY LIGHTNING.
I MEAN, THEY WENT NUTS -- LIKE, "OH, MY GOD!
JOHN LENNON'S HERE WITH ELTON JOHN."
AND IT WAS SUPER, SUPER EXCITING.
EVERYBODY JUMPED UP, AND I REMEMBER THE -- THE BLAST OF ENERGY EVERYBODY FELT.
Ono: IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE MOMENT.
THE WHOLE PLACE IS LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE.
♪ WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT ♪ ♪ IS ALL RIGHT ♪ ♪ IT'S ALL RIGHT ♪ ♪ IT'S YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE ♪ ♪ IT'S ALL RIGHT ♪ ♪ IT'S ALL RIGHT ♪ ♪ DON'T NEED A SWORD TO CUT THROUGH FLOWERS ♪ ♪ OH, NO ♪ ♪ OH, NO ♪ ♪ WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH YOUR LIFE ♪ ♪ IT'S ALL RIGHT ♪ ♪ IT'S ALL RIGHT... ♪♪ Ono: BUT I FELT THAT JOHN WAS NOT LIKE THE JOHN I USED TO KNOW, WORKING CLASS HERO, YOU KNOW?
NO, HE WAS FEELING TOTALLY INSECURE AS A PERSON.
I KNOW THAT.
Lennon: I WASN'T BEING VERY WELL RECEIVED ON ANY LEVEL THEN, YOU KNOW, WITH THE KOTEXES AND THE HAMBURGERS, OR WHATEVER.
AND SO I WENT ON THERE AND DID THE NUMBER, AND I WAS QUITE ASTONISHED THAT THE CROWD WAS SO NICE TO ME, BECAUSE I WAS ONLY JUDGING BY WHAT PAPERS SAID ABOUT ME.
AND I THOUGHT I MAY AS WELL NOT BE AROUND.
YOU KNOW?
Ono: AFTERWARDS, I WENT INTO THIS SMALL ROOM WHERE JOHN WAS.
JOHN COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
I WAS NEARLY IN TEARS, BUT I DIDN'T -- YOU KNOW, I HELD MY TEARS, BECAUSE I NEVER SAW JOHN BE SO...
I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT TOUCHED ME.
♪ YOU ARE MY STRENGTH ♪ Ono: I THOUGHT, "IT'S TOO BAD I STILL LOVE HIM."
♪ NOTHING I HAVE IN THE WORLD ♪ ♪ MAKES BETTER SENSE ♪ ♪ 'CAUSE I'M THE FISH AND YOU'RE THE SEA ♪ ♪ WHEN WE'RE TOGETHER... ♪ WHETHER HE INVITED HER, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT THERE SHE WAS, AND THERE WE -- AND THAT WAS IT.
JOHN WAS BACK WITH YOKO.
♪ THERE'S NEVER A SPACE IN BETWEEN ♪ ♪ THE BEAT OF OUR HEARTS, BECAUSE I'M... ♪ Ono: I WAS SETTING MYSELF UP FOR A NEW LIFE, IN A SENSE THAT ONE DAY, I WENT TO THIS SHOP WITH VINTAGE CLOTHES.
AND THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL SILK PAJAMA, MAN'S PAJAMA FROM 1920s OR '30s OR SOMETHING.
SORT OF EUROPEAN-LOOKING -- "OH, I BETTER BUY THIS."
I THOUGHT THE KIND OF GUY THAT I WOULD MEET WOULD FIT INTO THIS.
ROMANTIC IDEA.
AND WHEN JOHN CAME BACK, "DO YOU WANT TO TRY?"
[LAUGHS] AND HE FIT IN TOTALLY.
AND I SAID, "OH, MY GOD."
♪ BECAUSE I'M A FISH AND YOU'RE THE SEA ♪ ♪ 'CAUSE I'M AN APPLE AND YOU'RE THE TREE ♪ ♪ 'CAUSE I'M THE DOOR AND YOU'RE THE KEY ♪ ♪ 'CAUSE YOU'RE THE HONEY AND I'M THE BEE ♪♪ HI.
HI.
Newscaster: FINALLY, AFTER FOUR AND A HALF LONG YEARS OF STRUGGLE, JOHN LENNON GOT HIS GREEN CARD SAYING THAT HE'S NOW A PERMANENT RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
Reporter: DO YOU BEAR ANY GRUDGE AGAINST THE STROM THURMUNDS AND THE JOHN MITCHELLS FOR PUTTING YOU THROUGH THIS ALL THESE YEARS?
NO, I BELIEVE TIME WOUNDS ALL HEELS.
[ LAUGHTER ] Ono: ♪ IT'S BEEN ♪ ♪ VERY HARD ♪ ♪ IT'S GETTING EASIER NOW ♪ ♪ HARD TIMES ARE OVER... ♪ Wildes: I GOT A CALL FROM A CLERK IN THE COURT OF APPEALS.
AND HE SAID, "MR. WILDES, I'M A LENNON FAN."
HE SAID, "I'VE GOT A DECISION HERE."
I CALLED JOHN.
I SAID, "JOHN, IT'S LEON.
I HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU.
WE WON THE CASE."
HE SAID, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WE WON THE CASE?
YOU TOLD ME IT WAS SUCH A LONG SHOT," AND SO ON.
I SAID, "IT WAS A LONG SHOT, BUT WE WON THE CASE."
THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS IN THIS DISTRICT -- THIS IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT -- SAYS THE FOLLOWING -- "IF, IN OUR 200 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE, "WE HAVE IN SOME MEASURE REALIZED OUR IDEALS, "IT IS IN LARGE PART BECAUSE WE HAVE ALWAYS "FOUND A PLACE FOR THOSE COMMITTED "TO THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY "AND WILLING TO HELP IMPLEMENT IT.
"LENNON'S FOUR-YEAR BATTLE TO REMAIN IN OUR COUNTRY IS TESTIMONY TO HIS FAITH IN THIS AMERICAN DREAM."
JOHN SAID, "YOKO'S IN THE HOSPITAL NOW.
"SHE'S DUE TO GIVE BIRTH "IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
"COULD YOU AND YOUR WIFE "COME OVER, AND WE'LL READ THE DECISION TOGETHER?"
JOHN'S BIRTHDAY IS THE NEXT DAY.
THE BABY WAS BORN THE NEXT DAY -- IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT -- AFTER MIDNIGHT, AND HE HAD WON HIS CASE, ALL ON ONE DAY.
AND I WON'T EVEN TRY TO EXPRESS WHAT HE LOOKED LIKE AND HOW HE ACTED.
HE WAS SO EXUBERANT.
HE WAS LIKE A DIFFERENT PERSON.
Gruen: JOHN REALLY SORT OF CUT OFF FROM THE WHOLE SOCIAL THING.
HE TOLD ME THAT HE CANCELED HIS SUBSCRIPTION TO BILLBOARD.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MUSIC BUSINESS.
HE TURNED HIS RADIO STATION TO THE EASY LISTENING STATION.
AND HE LIVED A MUCH QUIETER LIFE.
HE TOOK A BREAK TO LEARN HOW TO BE A PERSON AND TO RAISE HIS CHILD -- SPENDING TIME WITH SEAN, LEARNING WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO DEAL WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY REAL HUMAN PROBLEMS.
Lennon: SOMEBODY HAD TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS -- WHETHER IT WAS BEATLE, APPLE'S, OR SURVIVING INFLATION, OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT.
AND BETWEEN YOKO AND I, I CANNOT DO FIGURES AND NUMBERS.
I'M NOT GOOD AT BUSINESS.
THERE'S NO WAY I CAN DO IT.
I DON'T HAVE THAT TALENT.
SO SHE HAD TO DO IT.
SHE HAS THE TALENT TO DO IT, YOU KNOW?
SO, I HAD TO CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING, NOT JUST SIT AROUND EITHER TALKING ABOUT THE FORMER GREATNESS OF THE BEATLES OR THE FACT THAT, "WELL, I'M NOT WRITING SONGS, SO WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?"
SO, I HAD THE EARLY RELATIONSHIP WITH SEAN, BECAUSE SHE WOULD GO TO THE OFFICE, EVEN THOUGH THE OFFICE WAS ONLY DOWNSTAIRS IN THE SAME BUILDING, SHE WAS STILL NOT THERE.
AND SO SEAN AND I WOULD SPEND THIS TIME TOGETHER, AND IT WAS FANTASTIC.
WITH JULIAN, MY FIRST CHILD, I HAD JUST TOURED THE WORLD.
I WOULD COME HOME FROM AUSTRALIA, AND HE'D BE A DIFFERENT SIZE.
I WOULDN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE THE WAY HE LOOKED HALF THE TIME.
IT WAS A STRANGE CHILD IN THE HOUSE WHO I HAD NO RELATIONSHIP WHATSOEVER.
I'M GETTING A RELATIONSHIP NOW, BECAUSE I CAN TALK ABOUT MUSIC AND WHATEVER HE'S INTO, AND GIRLFRIENDS, AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
YOU KNOW, BUT I DIDN'T WANT THAT TO BE LIKE THAT WITH SEAN.
AND THE TIMING WAS JUST RIGHT FOR ME TO DO ALL THAT AS WELL.
Ono: I THINK HE NEEDED THAT TIME.
HE HAD ENOUGH OF WHAT HE DID.
ARE YOU KIDDING?
I MEAN, THE WHOLE WORLD, HE HAD TO TRAVEL THE WHOLE WORLD.
AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT BIT.
SO HE DID IT.
HE FELT THAT, YOU KNOW, HE CAN RETIRE AND BE A NICE DADDY.
AND HE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT JOB, TOO.
WHICH IS TRUE.
Voormann: JOHN WAS SO HAPPY.
I MEAN, IT WAS SO GREAT.
HE SAID, "COME TO VISIT US," SO I CAME WITH MY SON OTTO.
AND MOST OF THE TIME WE SPENT IN THE KITCHEN.
HE WAS BAKING BREAD, HE WAS COOKING AND DOING STUFF ALL THE TIME.
AND IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL TO SEE HOW JOHN WAS REACTING TOWARDS HIS CHILD.
IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM.
Lennon: YEAH, I LOOKED AFTER THE BABY, AND I MADE THE BREAD, AND I WAS A HOUSE-HUSBAND, AND I'M PROUD OF IT.
I USED TO SAY TO YOKO, AFTER I'D MADE THESE LOAVES, AND I WATCHED THE BREAD BEING EATEN, AND I THOUGHT, "JEEZ, I DON'T GET A GOLD RECORD, A KNIGHTHOOD, OR NOTHING, YOU KNOW?"
Ono: HE LOVED TAKING CARE OF SEAN.
AND HE WAS PROUD OF IT.
AND HE TAUGHT SEAN HOW TO SWIM.
AND HE SAID, "WELL, SEAN IS GOING TO REMEMBER THIS ALL HIS LIFE, THAT HIS DAD TAUGHT HIM THIS."
Lennon: SAY HELLO TO THE TV.
HI.
HELLO.
WE'RE HAVING LUNCH ON SUNDAY.
HELLO!
WE'RE HAVING LUNCH ON TV!
Ono: BUT EACH TIME WE DID SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, LIKE HE WAS THE HOUSE-HUSBAND, AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING, "OH, NO, NO, THEY'RE JUST DOING THIS FOR THE PRESS."
AND JOHN WAS NOT VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE HE WAS WORKING VERY HARD EVERY DAY.
Lennon: THAT LOOKS LIKE A SCARY THING?
DOES IT HAVE A NAME?
Sean: YEAH.
IT'S CALLED LEES NEESA.
Lennon: LEES NEESA.
THAT SOUNDS TERRIBLE.
SOUNDS LIKE KIND OF SNEAKY, DOESN'T IT?
Sean: YEAH, THAT'S THE NAME FOR THE MONSTER.
Lennon: YOU'RE TELLING ME.
WHAT'S THAT?
Sean: THAT'S SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE "A."
Lennon: OH, MY GOODNESS, A SMOKING "A."
Sean: YOU KNOW WHAT?
ALL THESE LETTERS ARE THEIR FRIENDS.
Lennon: UH-HUH, I SEE.
Sean: ♪ DO YOU NEED ANYBODY?
♪ ♪ I NEED SOMEBODY TO LOVE ♪ ♪ DO YOU NEED ANYBODY?
♪ ♪ I NEED SOMEBODY TO LOVE ♪ Lennon: GOOD.
Sean: THAT'S MY FAVORITE SONG.
Lennon: VERY GOOD.
Sean: WHO WAS SAYING, "I NEED SOMEBODY TO LOVE"?
YOU?
Lennon: NO, RINGO, BUT PAUL AND I ARE SINGING WITH HIM.
Ono: WHAT'S THE SONG CALLED?
Lennon: ♪ WHAT WOULD YOU THINK ♪ -- Sean: ♪ WHAT WOULD ♪ Lennon: ♪ YOU THINK ♪ WHAT'S IT CALLED?
Sean: ♪ WHAT WOULD YOU THINK IF I SANG IN A SONG?
♪ Lennon: "SANG OUT OF TUNE."
OH, "A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS."
THAT'S WHAT IT'S CALLED.
Douglas: I RAN INTO JOHN AT A HEALTH FOOD STORE ON THE EAST SIDE.
AND HE WAS COMING FROM A SWIMMING LESSON, AND HE HAD SEAN WITH HIM, AND EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE JOHN I HADN'T SEEN FOR THREE YEARS OR FOUR YEARS.
IT WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
HE LOOKED DIFFERENT.
HIS TONE WAS DIFFERENT.
HIS STEP WAS DIFFERENT.
HIS SON WAS THERE.
AND WE HAD LUNCH.
AND HE ASKED ME IF I WOULD COME UP AND JUST TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE BUSINESS.
HE KNEW I WAS PRODUCING.
AND HE GAVE ME HIS PERSONAL PRIVATE NUMBER TO CALL HIM.
AND I NEVER CALLED HIM.
I NEVER CALLED HIM, BECAUSE I THOUGHT -- WHEN I LOOKED AT HIM AND LOOKED AT SEAN -- I THOUGHT, "I'M NOT GOING TO BOTHER THIS MAN "WITH THIS TRIVIAL STUFF ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS BUSINESS."
HE SEEMS TO...
HE SEEMS TO HAVE GOT AT SOMETHING THAT HE NEVER HAD BEFORE.
AND I DIDN'T CALL HIM.
AND I WAS SO SURPRISED WHEN I GOT THE CALL TO DO THE RECORD A YEAR LATER.
Lennon: OH, THAT'S A LOVELY BASS.
I LOVE IT!
THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT IN THOSE DAYS.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING THEY DIDN'T HAVE WAS A GOOD BASS.
Douglas: AND WHEN HE SAW ME, I THINK HE KNEW THE TIME WAS COMING.
I THINK HE THOUGHT, "I'M STARTING TO MISS WHAT I REALLY DO.
"AND I THINK I CAN DO BOTH.
BE A DAD AND HUSBAND AND AN ARTIST."
Lennon: OKAY?
LET'S JUST TRY IT, OKAY?
Man: WE'RE ROLLING.
Lennon: OKAY.
THIS ONE'S FOR GENE AND EDDIE AND ELVIS -- AND BUDDY.
♪ OUR LIFE ♪ ♪ TOGETHER ♪ ♪ IS SO PRECIOUS ♪ ♪ TOGETHER ♪ ♪ WE HAVE GROWN ♪ ♪ WE HAVE GROWN ♪ ♪ ALTHOUGH OUR LOVE ♪ ♪ IS STILL SPECIAL... ♪ Lennon: "STARTING OVER" WAS THE BEST WAY TO START OVER.
♪ LET'S TAKE A CHANCE ♪ ♪ AND FLY AWAY ♪ ♪ SOMEWHERE... ♪ Lennon: AND TO ME, IT WAS LIKE GOING BACK TO 15.
♪ IT'S BEEN TOO LONG SINCE WE TOOK THE TIME ♪ ♪ NO ONE'S TO BLAME, I KNOW TIME FLIES ♪ ♪ SO QUICKLY ♪ Newmark: HE'S DOING HIS ELVIS IMPERSONATION, MAJORLY.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WAS JUST HAVING FUN AND WAS GOING TO REDO THE VOCAL WITHOUT ANY OF THE ELVIS INFLECTIONS OR NOT.
BUT IT SEEMED LIKE A PERFECT MARRIAGE WITH THE TRACK AND THE GROOVE, AND THE FEEL OF THE SONG, AND HIM.
SOMEHOW, IT BROUGHT BACK A FEELING OF EARLY ROCK 'N' ROLL.
♪ LOOK OUT ♪ ♪ OUR LIFE ♪ ♪ TOGETHER ♪ ♪ IS SO PRECIOUS ♪ ♪ TOGETHER ♪ ♪ WE HAVE GROWN... ♪ Lennon: IT'S KIND OF TONGUE-IN-CHEEK, [ IMITATES ELVIS ] YOU KNOW, IT'S SORT OF A LA ELVIS AND THAT.
AND I WENT RIGHT BACK TO MY ROOTS, YOU KNOW?
AND IT'S NOT GOING BACK TO BEING BEATLE JOHN IN THE '60s.
IT'S BEING JOHN LENNON, WHOSE LIFE WAS CHANGED COMPLETELY BY HEARING AMERICAN ROCK 'N' ROLL ON THE RADIO AS A CHILD.
AND THAT'S THE PART OF ME THAT'S COMING OUT AGAIN.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M ENJOYING IT THIS TIME.
I'M NOT TRYING TO COMPETE WITH MY OLD SELF, OR COMPETE WITH THE YOUNG NEW WAVE KIDS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT ARE COMING ALONG.
I'M NOT COMPETING WITH ANYTHING.
I'M TRYING TO GO BACK AND ENJOY IT AS I ENJOYED IT ORIGINALLY.
[Falsetto] ♪ OOH ♪ ♪ OVER AND OVER AGAIN ♪ OKAY, QUIT!
Man: NOT BAD AT ALL.
Lennon: I DON'T KNOW.
I FELT BETTER ON THE ONE BEFORE, BUT DO YOU THINK WE'VE GOT IT?
Man: YES, WE DO.
Lennon: OKAY, IF WE'VE GOT IT, WE'VE GOT IT.
ANY SECRETS?
THAT SLICK GUY IS LOOKING AT ME WITH THAT FACE AGAIN.
Slick: WE WERE IN THIS CROWDED ROOM FULL OF AMPS AND BAFFLES AND [BLEEP] EVERYWHERE.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAD JOHN IN A BOOTH WITH AN AMP AND A GUITAR, WITH A LITTLE WINDOW IN IT SO YOU COULD SEE HIM.
AND THEN ME AND HUEY WERE LIKE A LITTLE GUITAR ORCHESTRA HERE.
IT WAS THREE GUITARS THEN WHEN HE WAS PLAYING, YOU KNOW?
AND RIGHT UP UNTIL DURING THE FINAL CUTS, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD MAKE CHANGES.
AND WE WOULD JUST WORK IT OUT.
Slick: AND JOHN WOULD JUST START PLAYING MAYBE SOMETHING... [ PLAYS RIFF ON GUITAR ] AND THEN, "SLICKY, ADD SOMETHING TO THAT.
HUEY, ADD SOMETHING TO THAT."
AND THE THREE OF US WOULD PLAY IT, AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN, BANG, IT WOULD GEL.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE THE RHYTHM GUITAR PART.
YOU KNOW, TO BE A PART OF IT WAS JUST GREAT.
♪ HERE IN SOME STRANGER'S ROOM ♪ ♪ LATE IN THE AFTERNOON... ♪ Slick: I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT, BECAUSE YOU'D FEED OFF EACH OTHER.
YOU'D LOOK AT THE GUY WHO GIVES A SMIRK, WHO GIVES A LOOK, WHO'S TELLING A JOKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TAKE.
OR YOU'RE NOT COPPING THE GROOVE, AND YOU'RE WATCHING ONE OF THE OTHER GUYS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GET IT.
YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE THINGS HAPPENED.
YOU'RE BEING HUMAN.
JOHN LIKES TO BE IN A BAND.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE, "HERE'S JOHN LENNON, HERE'S THE BAND."
THAT WASN'T THE IDEA.
BECAUSE HE DID -- THAT WAS NO FUN FOR HIM.
Newmark: IF HE HEARD STUFF HE LIKED, HE'D BE LIKE, "YEAH, MAN.
I LOVE THAT PART.
"I LOVE THAT.
DO THAT EVERY TIME.
THAT'S GREAT."
AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, "THIS IS A TRIP.
"THIS IS A TRIP.
JOHN LENNON IS TALKING TO ME IN THE HEADPHONES."
Man: I REMEMBER SITTING BEHIND THE CONTROL CONSOLE WITH YOKO AND JOHN LISTENING TO PLAYBACKS AND STUFF.
BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, I WOULD SEE JOHN LEAVE BY HIMSELF.
AND HE WOULD GO INTO THE LOUNGE.
AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT WAS GOING ON.
I KNEW ABOUT THE DRINKING IN LOS ANGELES.
AND I HAPPENED TO BE STANDING BY THE LOUNGE ONE TIME WHEN HE WENT IN.
HE'S REACHING FOR SOMETHING IN THE CLOSET.
AND I STEPPED BACK, BUT HE SEES ME.
"COME ON, COME HERE."
AND I WALK OVER, AND HE GIVES -- AND I'VE BEEN IN RECORDING STUDIOS WHERE THERE'S JUST BOWLS OF COCAINE, YOU KNOW?
AND HE SO HE REACHES DOWN, HE TAKES THE -- IT'S SOMETHING WRAPPED IN A TOWEL.
HE SAYS, "DO YOU WANT SOME?"
AND I'M JUST THINKING -- AND IT'S A CHOCOLATE HERSHEY BAR.
AND HE SAYS, "DON'T TELL YOKO."
Ono: ♪ YES, I'M YOUR ANGEL ♪ ♪ I'LL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING ♪ ♪ IN MY MAGIC POWER ♪ ♪ SO MAKE A WISH ♪ ♪ AND I'LL LET IT COME... ♪ Ono: YOU KNOW WHY I CREATED THAT SONG?
BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING TOWARDS JOHN'S BIRTHDAY, WHEN HE'D BE 40.
AND HE SAYS, "40, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT."
SO, I SAID, "JOHN, IT'S JUST 40."
♪ SO I MADE A WISH ♪ ♪ AND IS THAT WHY ♪ ♪ I HAVE YOU ♪ SO, I JUST WANTED HIM TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT.
♪ WE BELIEVE IN PUMPKINS ♪ ♪ THAT TURN INTO PRINCESS ♪ ♪ AND FROGS ♪ ♪ THAT TURN INTO PRINCE ♪ HE ALWAYS CREATE SONGS THAT ARE ABOUT OUR LIVES.
IT WAS VERY NATURAL.
♪ WHEN WE HURRY HOME ♪ ♪ BEFORE THE MIDNIGHT STRIKES ♪ Man: FROM THE TIME THAT I SIGNED JOHN, HE WAS VERY ANXIOUS FOR THIS ALBUM TO DO FOR YOKO WHAT HE FELT HAD NOT BEEN DONE FOR HER BEFORE.
HE WANTED A LOT OF FOCUS ON HER MUSIC.
AND HE INSISTED THAT EVERY OTHER TRACK BE YOKO'S, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING HIM ON ONE SIDE AND HER ON THE OTHER SIDE.
HE WAS QUITE SURE THAT THAT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, AND THAT'S WHAT HE WANTED.
Ono: THE ONLY THING THAT JOHN WAS WORRIED WAS MAYBE ANOTHER MUSICIAN COUPLE WOULD DO THAT THING FIRST.
YOU KNOW, LIKE HE THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH A GREAT IDEA.
AND WE JUST HAVE TO DO IT QUICKLY.
BUT NOBODY WAS GOING TO DO IT, AND NOBODY DID IT AFTER US.
Ono: ♪ KISS, KISS, KISS ♪ ♪ KISS ME, LOVE ♪ ♪ JUST ONE KISS ♪ ♪ KISS WILL DO ♪ ♪ KISS, KISS, KISS ♪ ♪ KISS ME, LOVE ♪ ♪ JUST ONE KISS ♪ ♪ KISS WILL DO ♪ Newmark: I'M NOT SURE WHEN I WAS MADE AWARE THAT THIS RECORDING WAS GOING TO BE HALF THE SONGS WERE HIS AND HALF THE SONGS WAS HER SONGS.
BUT IT BECAME EVIDENT, CERTAINLY, ON THE FIRST DAY.
WHEN WE FINISHED THE FIRST SONG, JOHN WAS, "GREAT, "NOW WE'RE GOING TO DO ONE OF YOKO'S SONGS.
ONE OF MOTHER'S SONGS."
♪ AND I CAN ONLY SHOW YOU MY HELL ♪ Lennon: JUST BEFORE WE MADE THIS ALBUM, I HEARD "ROCK LOBSTER" BY THE B-52s.
AND I SAID, "THAT'S YOKO."
I CALLED HER AND I SAID, "YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS, I WAS IN A DISCO, AND THERE'S SOMEBODY DOING YOUR VOICE."
I SAID, "THIS TIME THEY'RE READY FOR US."
Ono: ♪ CHILDHOOD BELL RINGING IN MY SOUL ♪♪ Slick: YOU HAD TO TREAT THE SONGS DIFFERENTLY FROM JOHN'S TO YOKO'S.
YOKO'S SONGS WERE DEFINITELY NOT STRUCTURED THE SAME WAY.
THERE WERE GUITAR PARTS THAT WERE NEEDED THAT WERE GOING TO BE DEFINITELY ON THE OUTSIDE THAT YOU COULDN'T USE ON JOHN'S STUFF.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULDN'T REALLY HEAR A FEEDBACK LINE FLYING ALL OVER "JUST LIKE STARTING OVER."
IT WOULDN'T WORK TOO GOOD.
BUT ON "KISS KISS KISS," IT WORKS GREAT.
[ GUITAR FEEDING BACK ] Newmark: THEY WERE RECORDING ENOUGH MUSIC FOR TWO ALBUMS.
THAT WAS PREMEDITATED.
THEY WEREN'T JUST LIKE, "LET'S MAKE A RECORD, AND WE'LL PICK THE BEST 10 OR 12 SONGS."
IT WAS FROM DAY ONE, WE'RE MAKING TWO ALBUMS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET ALL THE TRACKS WITH YOU GUYS IN A MONTH.
WE'RE GOING TO GET ONE OUT THERE AS SOON AS WE CAN, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE SECOND ONE JUST AFTER CHRISTMAS.
Lennon: OKAY, LEAD FOUR BARS, AND THEN I'LL COME IN.
OR JUST PLAY TILL I COME IN, WHATEVER.
Woman: JOHN, SEAN WANTS TO SAY GOODNIGHT, BUT I'LL... Lennon: I'LL SAY GOODNIGHT FOR HIM, I'M A LITTLE BUSY.
I'LL PUT THE PHONE UP TO THE SPEAKER AND PLAY IT BACK TO HIM.
WHAT TIME IS IT?
Man: IT'S 9:03.
Lennon: SHOULD BE IN BED ALREADY.
GOOD NIGHT, SEAN!
SEE YOU IN THE MORNING.
GOOD NIGHT, SEAN, I LOVE YOU!
SWEET DREAMS.
SEE YOU FOR BREAKFAST.
[ STRUMS GUITAR ] Ono: HE SAID, "I LOVE YOU, TOO."
Lennon: WELL, I HOPE HE DOES.
I'M THE ONLY DAD HE'S GOT.
Man: ROLLING ON ONE.
Lennon: OKAY.
A-1, 2, 3, 4... ♪♪ Ono: JOHN COMES INTO THIS ROOM THE FIRST TIME, PUT SEAN'S PHOTO ON THAT TV.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ALWAYS WATCHING WHEN WE MADE THE SONGS.
Douglas: HE TOOK A BIG PICTURE OF SEAN, AND HE PUT IT RIGHT BETWEEN THE SPEAKERS, SO THAT WHEN WE LOOKED UP TO THE SPEAKERS, WE SAW SEAN.
AND THAT WAS HIS INSPIRATION.
♪ EVERY DAY ♪ ♪ IN EVERY WAY ♪ ♪ IT'S GETTING BETTER ♪ ♪ AND BETTER ♪ Newmark: HE WAS THE LIGHT OF THEIR EYES.
SEAN WOULD COME IN AFTER NURSERY SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
EVERYTHING WOULD STOP.
YOU KNOW, HE'D BE HOLDING HIM, AND, "HEY, LISTEN.
LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT DADDY RECORDED TODAY."
GOT HIM UP ON HIS LAP, AND -- "LEE, JACK, PLAY THAT FOR SEAN."
YOU KNOW, AND HE'D BE SAYING, "WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?"
♪ DARLING, DARLING, DARLING ♪ ♪ DARLING BOY ♪♪ Man: GOOD.
Lennon: OKAY.
Gruen: WHEN THE "DOUBLE FANTASY" ALBUM CAME OUT, HE WAS VERY HAPPY ABOUT HOW THE ALBUM WAS GOING UP THE CHARTS.
HE WAS VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT YOKO WAS FINALLY GETTING SOME GOOD REVIEWS.
AND HE WAS SAYING THAT, "THEY'RE CALLING YOKO'S MUSIC INTERESTING AND AVANT-GARDE."
AND HE SAID THEY'RE REFERRING TO HIS MUSIC AS MORE M-O-R, LIKE "MIDDLE OF THE ROAD," AND HE SAYS, "THAT'S OKAY, "BECAUSE THIS ALBUM'S GOING UP THE CHARTS, AND WE'RE GOING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD TO THE BANK."
♪ FOR THE OTHER HALF OF THE SKY ♪ ♪ WOMAN ♪ ♪ I CAN HARDLY EXPRESS ♪ ♪ MY MIXED EMOTIONS ♪ ♪ AT MY THOUGHTLESSNESS ♪ Hilburn: WHEN THE RECORD CAME OUT, IT SEEMED TAME.
IT DIDN'T SEEM ROCK 'N' ROLL.
WHERE'S THE REBELLION?
WHERE'S THE ANGER?
BUT THE GREATNESS OF THAT RECORD WAS -- AND IT WAS BY FAR THE BEST THING HE'D MADE SINCE "IMAGINE" -- WAS THAT HE SAID...
HE WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO SAY EXACTLY HOW HE FELT.
IT WAS TOTALLY A STATEMENT OF WHERE JOHN WAS.
AND THE CLUE TO IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THAT WE CALLED IT "THE WELL ALBUM."
♪ OOH ♪ ♪ WELL, WELL ♪ Douglas: I THINK THERE'S SOME PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT HE GIVES YOU THE CLUE.
THE WORD, "WELL," "ALL IS WELL."
I'M TURNING 40.
I'M A MIDDLE-AGED MAN.
I'VE USED DRUGS.
IT'S ALL GONE.
I HAD MY FUN.
I'M BACK WITH MY WIFE, MY CHILD.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
I'M GOING TO MAKE MUSIC.
♪ THE LITTLE CHILD... ♪ Lennon: I AM NOT AIMING AT 16-YEAR-OLDS.
IF THEY CAN DIG IT, PLEASE DIG IT.
BUT WHEN I WAS SINGING AND WRITING THIS AND WORKING WITH IT, I WAS VISUALIZING ALL THE PEOPLE OF MY AGE GROUP BEING IN THEIR 30s AND 40s NOW, JUST LIKE ME, AND HAVING WIVES AND CHILDREN, AND HAVING GONE THROUGH EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
I'M SINGING TO THEM.
I HOPE THE YOUNG KIDS LIKE IT AS WELL, BUT I'M REALLY TALKING TO THE PEOPLE THAT GREW UP WITH ME, AND I'M SAYING, "HERE I AM NOW.
HOW ARE YOU?
"HOW'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP GOING?
DID YOU GET THROUGH IT ALL?"
♪ OOH ♪ ♪ WELL, WELL ♪ ♪ DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO ♪ ♪ OH, WOMAN ♪ ♪ PLEASE LET ME EXPLAIN ♪ Gruen: I WENT BY ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, AND I WAS TAKING SOME PICTURES FOR A STORY THAT WAS COMING UP.
AND THERE WAS THINGS GOING ON IN THE STUDIO, AND IT WAS TAKING A LONG TIME.
AND JOHN AND I SAT THERE FOR HOURS TALKING ABOUT THE ALBUM AND STUFF.
HE WAS PLANNING A WORLD TOUR.
IT WAS DECEMBER.
HE WAS FINISHING THE SECOND HALF IN JANUARY.
HE WAS GOING TO FINISH THE SECOND HALF OF THE ALBUM.
IT WAS MEANT TO BE A DOUBLE ALBUM, BUT THERE WERE SO MANY SONGS, THEY HADN'T FINISHED THE SECOND HALF -- THE "MILK AND HONEY" PART.
AND HE WAS GOING TO DO THAT IN JANUARY, AND THEN GET A BAND TOGETHER IN FEBRUARY, AND MAKE SOME VIDEOS TO PROMOTE THE ALBUMS.
AND BY THE END OF MARCH, GO ON A WORLD TOUR.
HE WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK TO ENGLAND.
HE SAID HE HADN'T VISITED THERE IN YEARS.
HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HIS FRIENDS, HIS AUNT MIMI.
HE REALLY WAS LOOKING TO START OVER AND TO GO BACK AND ROCK 'N' ROLL.
WE SAT THERE FOR HOURS TALKING.
IT WAS LIKE 7:00 IN THE MORNING BY THE TIME WE WERE LEAVING THE STUDIO TO TAKE PICTURES.
AND, ODDLY ENOUGH, IT WAS THE SAME PLACE IN FRONT OF THE RECORD PLANT WHERE I HAD TAKEN PICTURES THE FIRST NIGHT THAT WE HAD DONE A SESSION WITH THE ELEPHANT'S MEMORY, LIKE EIGHT, NINE YEARS EARLIER.
[ SIREN WAILS ] [ SIREN GROWS LOUDER ] [ SIREN CONTINUES ] [ SIREN FADES ] [ "MIND HOLES" PLAYING ] Geffen: I WAS IN MY APARTMENT WATCHING TELEVISION WHEN I GOT A CALL FROM SOMEBODY WHO SAID JOHN HAD BEEN SHOT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.
I HAD JUST SEEN THEM.
I IMMEDIATELY GOT DRESSED.
I RAN TO THE HOSPITAL.
I WENT IN, AND I PUT MY ARM AROUND YOKO.
AND THE DOCTOR CAME IN, AND HE TOLD HER THAT... JOHN HAD DIED.
AND SHE SAID, "IT'S NOT TRUE.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
HE'S ALIVE."
WHEN I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL AND I WAS TOLD THAT... JOHN PASSED AWAY, AND...
I THINK THAT THE DOCTOR IN CHARGE OR WHATEVER SAID, "CAN WE ANNOUNCE THAT TO THE RADIO?"
I SAID, "NO, PLEASE WAIT.
GIVE ME 15 MINUTES."
I FELT THAT IF I DIDN'T -- IF WE DIDN'T ANNOUNCE IT THEN, FOR SOME REASON -- SOME CRAZY REASON -- THAT JOHN WOULD STILL BE ALIVE.
Crowd, clapping: ♪ ALL WE ARE SAYING ♪ ♪ IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪ ♪ ALL WE ARE SAYING ♪ ♪ IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪ Man: ONCE MORE WITH FEELING!
♪ ALL WE ARE SAYING ♪ ♪ IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪ ♪ ALL WE ARE SAYING ♪ ♪ IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪ ♪ ALL WE ARE SAYING ♪ ♪ IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪ ♪ ALL WE ARE SAYING... ♪ Ono: MY BEDROOM WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THAT STREET.
AND ALL NIGHT, I'M LISTENING TO JOHN'S SONGS.
IT WAS VERY, VERY PAINFUL FOR ME.
Man: COME ON!
SEAN'S BEDROOM WAS SORT OF LIKE DEEPER IN, THANK GOD.
IT PROBABLY WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR HIM, TOO.
♪ IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪ Man: LOUDER!
♪ ALL WE ARE SAYING ♪ ♪ IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ♪♪ Ono: HE WAS AN ARTIST.
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO KILL AN ARTIST?
Lennon: YEAH, YOU WANT IT?
MAKE THAT TWO ORDERS OF SUSHI.
Man: THREE.
THREE.
Man: FOUR.
FOUR.
LOOK, THEY DON'T WANT THE DELI STUFF, YOU WANT SUSHI INSTEAD, RIGHT?
CANCEL THE DELI.
THEY ALL WANT SUSHI.
JUST ORDER ENOUGH RAW FISH AND EGG FOR EVERYONE.
Douglas: YOKO AND I HAD OUR OWN PERSONAL SERVICE.
WE WENT TO THE STUDIO, AND WE LISTENED TO... WE LISTENED TO JOHN.
A LOT OF STUFF.
WE JUST SAT IN THE -- WE JUST SAT IN THE CONTROL ROOM, AND WE LISTENED TO -- ALL NIGHT -- TO, UH... OUTTAKES AND MUSIC.
Lennon: ♪ TO TOKYO ♪ Lennon: OKAY, NOW WE GOT A GOOD RHYTHM GOING.
WE CAN ROLL A LITTLE MORE RELAXED, AND LET'S NOT TURN IT INTO "I'M THE WALRUS."
IT'S SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN "I'M THE WALRUS," "MIND GAMES," AND "IMAGINE."
♪ PEOPLE ASKING QUESTIONS ♪ Lennon: SO IT HAS TO BE A LITTLE LAID BACK, BECAUSE HE'S WATCHING THE WHEELS -- HE'S NOT ACTUALLY DRIVING THE DAMN TRUCK.
Douglas: IT FELT GOOD TO BE THERE WITH HER AND DO THAT.
Lennon: WELL, WHOEVER'S HERE, LET'S PLAY IT, THEN, AND IF THEY'RE NOT GOOD, WE'LL TAKE IT WITHOUT THEM.
Ono: I WANTED TO BE CLOSE TO HIM.
AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO THEN AND DID -- LIKE LISTEN TO ALL HIS OUTTAKES AND WHATEVER -- WAS PART OF THAT.
Lennon: YOU GOT IT?
OKAY, SO THEN IT GOES, "OH, YOKO," AND I'M GOING TO STICK "EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME" AFTER THE BATCH OF "OH, YOKO."
IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE JOHN IS NOT HERE, AND JOHN'S VOICE IS LIKE THERE.
Lennon: WELCOME TO THE... WE JUST HAD SOMEBODY GO DOWN TO THE VAULT AND BRING UP EVERYTHING THAT THEY COULD GET THEIR HANDS ON.
AND WE JUST SAT IN THE ROOM AND LISTENED TO MUSIC.
AND THAT WAS... THAT WAS OUR GOODBYE.
♪ WHEN I WAS YOUNGER ♪ ♪ LIVING CONFUSION... ♪ Slick: THE THING THAT HE GAVE ME WHEN I WAS A KID NEVER WENT AWAY.
I STILL CARRY EVERYTHING FROM "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW" ALL THE WAY UP TO THE END.
IT'S THERE, IT'S ALWAYS THERE.
THE ATTITUDE.
YOU KNOW, THE COCKINESS, THE SELF-ASSUREDNESS, THE "I DON'T GIVE A [BLEEP] WHAT YOU THINK" THING.
IT WAS SOMETHING REAL SPECIAL GOING ON THERE, PERIOD.
Lennon: UN, DEUX, TROIS, QUATRE.
[ LENNON SINGS IN FRENCH ] ♪ 'EY, LOOK, I'VE GOT ANTS IN MY PANTS ♪ McCracken: FIRST TIME I MET HIM WAS "HAPPY XMAS," AND IT WAS A COUPLE YEARS AFTER I DID THE "RAM" ALBUM WITH PAUL McCARTNEY.
AND HE SAID, "I HEARD YOU ON PAUL'S ALBUM.
I REALLY LIKED YOUR WORK."
AND I SAID, "OH, THANKS A LOT."
AND THEN HE SAID...
HE LEANED IN AND SAID, "YOU KNOW, THAT WAS JUST AN AUDITION TO GET TO PLAY WITH ME."
♪ ANOTHER YEAR OVER ♪ ♪ A DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO ♪ ♪ AND SO HAPPY CHRISTMAS ♪ Elton John: JOHN WAS SO GREAT AT PUTTING PEOPLE AT EASE BECAUSE OF HIS HUMOR.
♪ DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO ♪ IT STILL STAYS WITH ME.
YOU KNOW, HOW CAN YOU -- HE'S ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET.
AND ONE OF THE MOST VIBRANT, KINDEST, FUNNY.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY, EVERY MINUTE THAT I EVER SPENT WITH JOHN, I TREASURE.
♪ ON THE MERRY-GO-ROUND ♪ ♪ I JUST HAVE TO LET IT GO ♪ ♪ I JUST HAVE TO LET IT GO ♪ ♪ I JUST HAVE TO ♪ ♪ LET IT GO ♪♪ Lennon: WE'D LIKE TO CHANGE THE TEMPO NOW AND DO A LITTLE FOXTROT FOR MRS. HIGGINS OF DURBAN, AUSTRALIA.
Man: JOHN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR THAT BEFORE WE DO ANOTHER ONE?
Lennon: YES.
I HAVE TO CHANGE REELS.
OKAY.
[ "Watching the Wheels" plays ] ♪♪ ♪ People say I'm crazy ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Doing what I'm doing ♪ ♪♪ ♪ They give me all kinds of warnings ♪ ♪♪ ♪ To save me from ruin ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I'm just sitting here watching the wheels ♪ ♪ Go 'round and 'round ♪ ♪ I really love to watch them roll ♪ ♪♪ ♪ No longer riding on the merry-go-round ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I just had to let it go ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I just had to let it go ♪