Although we might all be familiar with the lyrical content of this Beatles classic, "Strawberry Fields Forever" takes on a new context when its history comes into play. Written by John Lennon in the 1960s, I found this hit is more arrogant than appealing. Turns out that Strawberry Fields was a Salvation Army home in Liverpool, close to Lennon's residence at the time, where he attended garden parties as a kid. Having dealt with his mother's death and trying to handle every day hardships, this was a place where he isolated himself from the rest of the world-- a refugee from reality.Far from this innocence, Lennon seemed to believe that he could see or feel things that nobody else could...and I am no one to judge. In Lennon's words, "psychic vision to me is reality." I can say that I definitely don't know what that feels like. Some of the original lines of the song read "No one is on my wavelength, I mean, it's either too high or too low ('Either I'm crazy, or a genius')/ That is, you can't, you know, tune in/but it's alright." He later modified it to more alluring, less egotistical words which, I believe he thought, less people would be capable of deciphering...for modesty's sake.
I feel so fooled. But on the other hand, let's take it for what it is...whether it's another place, a special person, or a maniatic nervous tic, every one has a 'Strawberry Fields' of their own.
"Because Strawberry Fields is anywhere you want to go." -John Lennon
3 comments:
Although Lennon wrote some wonderful songs, he did seem to carry a sort of oblivious arrogance. That he could write such a masterful song as "Working Class Hero" while driving around in Lincoln Town Car and hold protests in a multi-million dollar apartment seems a bit idiotic. Lennon, along with other artists like Picasso, seemed to champion Socialism while reveling in the all of the luxuries that Capitalism could offer.
yes but he is dead now and you can't criticize dead peeeple cause they are not alive
Lennon was wonderful, sure, but also a difficult person with a cutting wit and a gift for spite. Since his murder he has too often been portrayed as some kind of plaster saint.
I don't fault him for having money, nor indeed for spending a lot of it, and I'm aware that, being one of the most famous people on the planet (and one of the wealthiest pop performers), his situation was particularly bizarre. But, yeah, I always get a twinge from the (unintended?) irony of "Imagine no possessions, / I wonder if you can..."
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