Catch A Glimpse Into John Lennon’s Life With the Music Video For The Beatles’ 1968 “The Ballad of John and Yoko”
Released as a single in 1968, “The Ballad of John and Yoko” is an autobiographical reflection of the marriage between John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
“The Ballad of John and Yoko” is a song written by John Lennon in 1968. He actually wrote the song on his honeymoon after his marriage to conceptual artist and peace activist Yoko Ono in March of that year.
The song is unique because it was recorded by John Lennon and Paul McCartney alone, without the other members of the band. Lennon was so passionate about getting the song down on tape that he did not want to wait until they could gather the rest of the musicians together, so he and Paul played all the parts, including drums and guitar.
Yoko Ono was very passionate about the Vietnam War, to the point that she and John Lennon staged what they called a bed-in during their honeymoon. They invited the press to their hotel room in Amsterdam where they sat silently surrounded by flowers and his guitar, sitting under signs that said “hair peace” “bed peace.”
The lyrics of the song feature many references to Lennon and Oko’s wedding and honeymoon. The music video shows footage from their wedding, from their honeymoon in Paris, and their bed-in protest.
