The Ballad Of John And Yoko

Not a ballad in one sense; instead of slow, strumming music, this was a fast rocker, so you could just go along for the ride. But it is lyrically a ballad in that it has a straight narrative, telling a rather sad story. And the story is…? John’s.

It’s a recitation of true stuff, what had been happening to him in real life–and in his head. In real life they did try to set off to sail from Southampton, hoping to get to Holland or France, but never made it. Peter Brown was the management figure at Apple who did tell them they could get married at Gibraltar (which they did in March 1969). They went to Amsterdam for a bed in, and yes, the references to fifty acorns is true. They sent them to world leaders, asking them to plant them for peace. So the narrative is straight and factual.

But what about the narrative in his head? John finishes by singing ‘they’re gonna crucify me’. It is true that he and Yoko were being mocked by the media in most parts of the world, scoffed at for thinking that staying in bed for two weeks would somehow lead to peace. But the idea of being crucified was ridiculous, wasn’t it? Total paranoia, surely? Well, he’d harboured such delusions before. Even while only twenty, writing to his friend Stu from Hamburg, he was going on about being crucified, feeling the world was against him–and yet he had done nothing or said nothing to offend the world at large.

Now, he felt he really was being got at by everyone. And it did feel like being crucified. And in a sense, that is what happened to him in the end…

Old Brown Shoe

Written by George, the B side of ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’ single, which came out in June 1969. It has a couple of very good lines at the beginning: ‘I want a love that’s right / But right is only half of what’s wrong’–which makes sense, if you think about it long enough. The second line though, developing the theme, descends into bathos, wanting a short-haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long.

On the surface, it is a simple, fairly corny love song–‘for your sweet top lip I am in the queue’–but George is agonizing away behind the scenes, trying to tell us that opposites, right and wrong, left and right, love and hate, are all part of each other. And in heaven we are all one anyway. The material world is an illusion. In I Me Mine, he tells us the song is about the ‘duality of things’.

The title, ‘Old Brown Shoe’, comes from a passing remark in the first verse–‘stepping out of this old brown shoe’–which I take to mean stepping out of this old worn-out materialistic life down here.

The manuscript is interesting as you can see clearly some of his thought processes, with crossings-out and changes. The last verse has lines that never made it, about him being wakened by people knocking at his door.

‘Old Brown Shoes’, the B side of ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’, an early version in George’s hand, with an unused last verse.

I want a love that’s right but right is only half of what’s wrong.

I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long.

Now I’m stepping out this old brown shoe, baby, I’m in love with you.

We’re so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now, I’m telling you.

Though you pick me up from where some try to drag me down

When I see your smile replacing every thoughtless frown

Got me escaping from this zoo

Baby I’m in love with you

So glad you came here

It won’t be the same now, now that I’m with you

If I grow up I’ll be a singer wearing rings on every finger.

Not worrying what they or you say I’ll live and love and maybe someday

Who knows, baby, you may comfort me.

I may appear to be imperfect but my love is something you can’t reject

I’m changing faster than the weather

If you and me should get together

Who knows baby? You may comfort me

I want that love of yours

To miss that love is something I’d hate

Make an early start, making sure that I’m not late

For your sweet top lip I’m in the queue

Baby I’m in love with you

So glad you came here

Won’t be the same now, when I’m with you

I’m so glad you came here

It won’t be the same now, now that I’m with you