Beatles - The Ballad of John and Yoko

[Mike]

The Ballad of John and Yoko - Songfacts

This song describes the events that took place involving John’s marriage to Yoko on March 20, 1969 in Gibraltar and their Honeymoon in Amsterdam.

Recorded by The Beatles, or more accurately only John and Paul, on April 14, 1969, it was released in the U.K. on May 30, 1969, and in the U.S. on June 4. In both releases, its B-side was "Old Brown Shoe", a song written by George Harrison.

John Lennon was once quoted "songs should be like newspapers," and "The Ballad of John and Yoko," was just that. Lennon portrays himself and Yoko as victims who were about to be "crucified," and who were turned back at the Southampton docks; who could not get a marriage in France; and who were misunderstood during their "bed-in for peace," as well as ridiculed when they sat in a bag.

The truth, what Lennon does not mention in this song, was they were turned away at Southampton not because of whom, they were, but simply because they had tried to travel into France without passports. The plane that Lennon states that they "finally made into Paris," was not a scheduled commercial flight, but an executive jet that he and Yoko very impatiently waited for after they had realized that they could not get married on the Channel ferry.

John and Yoko's decision to get married came on very suddenly March 14, 1969, just two days after Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman. On March 14, John and Yoko were being driven to Poole in Dorset to visit John's Aunt Mimi. John asked his chauffeur, Les Anthony, to go to Southampton and ask about the possibility of getting married at sea. After learning that this was not possible, Lennon decided to go to Paris, and called his office instructing his staff to arrange a quiet wedding there. Peter Brown discovered that getting married in Paris on such short notice was impossible, but that they could marry in Gibraltar, because it was a British protectorate, and Lennon was a British citizen.

Standing in the dock at Southampton,

Trying to get to Holland or France.

The man in the mac said, "You've got to turn back".

You know they didn't even give us a chance.

Christ you know it ain't easy,

You know how hard it can be.

The way things are going

They're going to crucify me.

Finally made the plane into Paris,

Honey mooning down by the Seine.

Peter Brown called to say,

"You can make it O.K.,

You can get married in Gibraltar, near Spain".

Christ you know it ain't easy,

You know how hard it can be.

The way things are going

They're going to crucify me.

Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton,

Talking in our beds for a week.

The newspapers said, "Say what you doing in bed?"

I said, "We're only trying to get us some peace".

Christ you know it ain't easy,

You know how hard it can be.

The way things are going

They're going to crucify me.

Saving up your money for a rainy day,

Giving all your clothes to charity.

Last night the wife said,

"Oh boy, when you're dead

You don't take nothing with you

But your soul - think!"

Made a lightning trip to Vienna,

eating chocolate cake in a bag.

The newspapers said, "She's gone to his head,

They look just like two gurus in drag".

Christ you know it ain't easy,

You know how hard it can be.

The way things are going

They're going to crucify me.

Caught an early plane back to London.

Fifty acorns tied in a sack.

The men from the press said, "We wish you success,

It's good to have the both of you back".

Christ you know it ain't easy,

You know how hard it can be.

The way things are going

They're going to crucify me.

The way things are going

They're going to crucify me.