John had the means to step away to care for his child but due to his prominence as an ex-Beatle (and perhaps sexism due to being a househusband and caring for a child) he faced pressure to “get back to where he once belonged” (yes, I realize that is a McCartney tune) . Eventually he did come back and we all know what happened.

Thank you, John, for this gift to humanity. “Watching the Wheels” has become my new mantra as I cautiously step off the merry-go-round at age 57 and have already been told that I’m crazy, lazy and I won’t be happy. And no, I did not ask for their opinion. I’m laughing through my tears.

I absolutely love this song! It’s surely very personal, but it is relatable and not whiny or preachy. It’s almost matter of fact. And the rhyming is John Lennon all the way (“lost in confusion…, only solutions”). Brilliant! It’s also got an ending that is far sadder than he obviously intended because of what followed its’ release on the album (“I tell them there’s no hurry, I’m just sitting’ here doing time”). So unintentionally sad.

I recently heard the acoustic version on the radio (thanks you Sirius/XM Beatles channel!) and I think it’s better than the original album cut.