Music Connected John Lennon with His Late Mother, According to Cynthia Lennon

The Beatles’ John Lennon sometimes writes about his mother, releasing songs like “Mother” and “Julia.” In her 2005 memoir, John Lennon’s ex-wife detailed how instrumental Julia Lennon was in inspiring her son’s love of music. 

John Lennon’s mother, Julia, was killed in a car accident

He’s one of the songwriters behind “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Twist and Shout,” and “Hey Jude.” John Lennon appeared as a founding member of the Quarrymen, which later became the Beatles. 

Before he was a well-known musician, though, in 1958 John Lennon’s mother, Julia, was killed in a car accident. 

How John Lennon’s mother inspired his love for music

In her 2005 memoir, John, Cynthia Lennon detailed some of the private aspects of her ex-husband’s life. That includes his relationship with his late mother, Julia, with whom he shared a musical connection. 

“Music had been an important part of John’s relationship with his mother and when she died he used it to blot out the pain and anger he felt,” Cynthia Lennon wrote. “Julia had bought him his first guitar, and she loved music. She played the piano and banjo, and sat with him patiently for hours, showing him over and over again how to play the chords.” 

“She had also introduced John to rock and roll,” she added. “She would play Elvis Presley records at top volume, grabbing John’s hand to jive around the kitchen to them. She always encouraged John’s musical dreams.”

Cynthia and John both losing their parents at a young age was a connecting link between the two college students. The two eventually married and had their son, Julian, who lost his father at 17 years old. Cynthia Lennon noticed the strange cycle in the memoir, with Julian also commenting on the loss of John Lennon in 1980.

John Lennon released songs ‘Julia’ and ‘Mother’ about his late mother

Lennon’s mother even inspired original songs. In conjunction with the Beatles’ 1968 self-titled album, (also known as the White Album among fans,) John Lennon wrote and recorded “Julia” about his mother.

“Her hair of floating sky is shimmering / Glimmering in the sun,” the lyrics state. “Julia, Julia / Morning moon touch me / So I sing the song of love / Julia.”

In 1970, Lennon released “Mother” on the album Plastic Ono Band. 

“I’m writing this now because it’s the way I feel. I used to say I wouldn’t be singing ‘She Loves You’ when I was thirty, but I didn’t know I’d be singing about my mother,” Lennon wrote, according to Express UK.

“It’s just what came out of my mouth when I tried to write songs. I was doing therapy and going through my life and so I wrote about the most important things that happened in my life. Just like any artist.”