In honor of the anniversary of John Lennon’s death, which is coming up on December 8th, I decided to write an article dedicated to his life and art. There aren't enough words to express how much his music has impacted and changed my life. If you know anything about me, you know that I love the Beatles, and their solo works after. But, there is just something about John Lennon’s words and melodies that have the ability to move people, myself included.
Growing up with a musician for a father greatly impacted the type of music I listened to as a child. I know as many lyrics to Jonas Brothers songs as I do David Bowie. However, the band that consumed most of my childhood and made the biggest impact is The Beatles, specifically their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This became the soundtrack to my life as a child. Not a day went by that we didn’t listen to a Beatles song on the way to school. My father immersed us into the world of the Beatles, including making us watch "Yellow Submarine," an animated film about the world of Pepperland. It was at the height of our Beatlemania that my father decided to take my brother, sister, and I to the city. My first experience in New York City was visiting John Lennon’s home and walking through Strawberry Fields, a memorial dedicated to John Lennon and his music.
We decided to go on December 8th, the date of John Lennon's death. I can remember my father talking to us about how we were taking a train into the city right before we got on it. My brother, John, was thrilled because as a 6 year old boy trains and cars were his favorite things. I, on the other hand, remember being so anxiety ridden and scared to be on this fast moving object packed full of people. I was nervous the entire ride and felt an immense amount of relief when we got off. After taking a subway and walking a little bit in the freezing cold, we had arrived at The Dakota. Located on the northwest corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, is this famous home of former Beatle John Lennon, this was also the location of his tragic murder in 1980. My father, so excited to be taking us, was spewing facts left and right about Lennon and his life here. To be honest, there's not a whole lot to do when you get there, we just kind of stood around and looked at it, but going there as a serious Beatles fan really made an impact on me. I remember the building being scary looking and ominous, which I can now describe as Gothic, yet it was also beautiful, especially with the backdrop of Central Park. Standing in front of the archway I got a surreal feeling of sadness, for I knew this is where it happened, his death. I was only 8, but I couldn’t help feeling an overwhelming sense of grief that I was standing where my idol had died. As a child, it was also incredibly humbling and assuring to see that the artist that I had idolized was a real person with a real life. I was standing outside of his home, a place not too far from my own in a city that we could both claim as ours. After a short, but poignant look at the building, we moved across the street to Strawberry Fields.
It may have been December, but this part of Central Park never looked so alive. My father wanted us to see the Imagine mosaic, a dedication to John Lennon’s music. I recall walking up to the mosaic and being comforted that there were so many other people there remembering this brilliant man. We were all crowded together, but the scene around us was calm and reverent. People were taking pictures with the mosaic and then returning to seating around the area. What I loved most about being there was the live musicians playing Lennon and Beatles songs for the crowds of people. Whenever a musician would finish his repertoire and leave, another one would take over right away. We must have stayed there for at least a couple of hours, singing Beatles songs with complete strangers, like we were best friends.
So, here’s to you John. Thank you for being such an influential part of my life and helping ming me the person I am today. Shine on.
