Only People

Written by: Lennon
Recorded: July-August 1973
Producer: John Lennon

Released: 16 November 1973 (UK), 29 October 1973 (US)

John Lennon: vocals, guitar
David Spinozza: guitar
Ken Ascher: keyboards
Michael Brecker: saxophone
Gordon Edwards: bass guitar
Jim Keltner: drums
Something Different: backing vocals

Available on:
Mind Games

One of the highlights of John Lennon's fourth solo album Mind Games was Out The Blue, a love song written for Yoko Ono.

In January 1972 Lennon and Yoko Ono co-hosted five episodes of The Mike Douglas Show on US television. The guests included a number of political figures plus Lennon's hero Chuck Berry. During the Berry episode Lennon made the statement "Only people can save the world," while talking about the song Imagine.

By 1973 he had largely left the days of Comrade Lennon behind, but some elements remained in his songs. Only People, which appeared on the Mind Games album, was apparently based on Ono's reworking of the earlier phrase: "Only people can change the world." The sentence appeared on the record's inner sleeve, credited to her.

That was a failure as a song. It was a good lick, but I couldn't ever get the words to make sense.

Only People was intended as an inspirational call for people to take charge, but its non-specific nature and plodding rhythm meant it lacked the anthemic qualities of songs like Give Peace A Chance and Power To The People. Lennon himself sounds unconvinced, with phrases such as "Make no mistake its our future we're making/Bake the cake and eat it too" betraying the aimlessness and lack of conviction which coloured much of his 1973 output.

Join the Fab Forum discussion on Only People »