John Lennon Couldn’t Write Music and Short Stories at the Same Time
John Lennon is part of the songwriting duo behind “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and other Beatles hits. He’s also a published author, creating the “nonsense” novels In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works. Here’s what this artist said about writing music and short stories.
The Beatles’ John Lennon released the novel ‘In His Own Write’
In addition to being a chart-topping songwriter, Lennon was a published author. About two years after the Beatles released their hit song “Love Me Do,” the musician published his first novel — 1964’s In His Own Write.
This was mostly a collection of nonsense short stories, some only a few lines long. Of course, Beatles fans quickly purchased the book, prompting Lennon to write a second novel. He even wrote a column for a local newspaper, sparked by a “crazy” article about the Beatles’ origin story.
The Beatles’ John Lennon discussed writing and creating music — and ‘A Spaniard In The Works’
During a 1965 interview on BBC’s Tonight, Lennon discussed his written (and published) works. With so much time dedicated to the band, this artist juggled writing music and his novels.
“Well, I don’t get much time,” Lennon said (via Beatles Interviews). “If I had more time I’d probably write more. The publisher rang up and said, ‘Have you written anything yet?’ and I said, ‘No, I’ve been writing songs,’ because I can’t do both at once.”
“You know, I’ve got to concentrate on the book or the songs,” he added. “So I haven’t written anything since then.”
At the time of this interview, Lennon had released his second novel — A Spaniard In The Works. The collection features nonsensical stories and drawings, similar to the artist’s 1964 original, In His Own Write.
Has John Lennon ever written an autobiography?
Lennon’s Skywriting by Word of Mouth, and Other Writings was published posthumously in 1986. It featured a blurb from Yoko Ono, with the artist mentioning her husband’s affinity for writing small notes. The Beatles member mentioned writing an autobiography, although none was ever published.
“Writing an autobiography has passed through my mind, but I’ve got a memory like a sieve,” Lennon said during a separate interview, via Beatles Interviews. “Anyway, I certainly hope to be writing another book, if I can find the time.”
John Lennon’s ex-wife, Cynthia Lennon did, however, publish her own memoir in 2005. John shared highlights of their romantic relationship, also detailing the rise of the Beatles and her reaction to Lennon’s murder in 1980.
Even outside of his work with the Beatles, Lennon was writing and releasing music, including his solo song “Imagine.” He partnered with Ono for “Give Peace a Chance” and “Happy Xmas (War Is Over). Now, music is available on most major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.
