Yoko Made John Happy
Yoko Made John Happy
"Laurel and Hardy, that's John and Yoko. And we stand a better chance under that guise because all the serious people like Martin Luther King and Kennedy and Gandhi got shot."
John Lennon
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"It matters not
Who you love
Where you love
Why you love
When you love
Or how you love
It matters only that you love."
John Lennon
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Yoko Ono Made John Lennon Happy
The Ballad of John and Yoko
Say what you will about Yoko Ono, she made John Lennon happy. We, the masses of adoring fans, may never understand why and the reason for that is because we don't want to.
He was ours first!
Certainly, we as teeny boppers and teenagers during The Beatles' reign had no concept of the intricate workings of an adult relationship. We would've rolled our eyes if someone had tried to explain it to us. It didn't matter, you see. What counted was keeping the Fab Four as they were - together and singing for us. After all, no one could love them like we did. I think what surprised me most, was that they didn't return the sentiment as obsessively. Hence, Yoko's appearance in John's life was perceived as threatening in the lopsided world of crazy fan love.
John & Yoko in Love
John Lennon was More Than Just One of The Beatles
Our John had other passions beyond music. He was a writer and an artist. We, the adoring fans, cared not about these things. We didn't know about them initially, and once we did we associated them with the woman we felt took John away from us. In truth, rather than betraying us, he was being true to himself. Not that knowing that would've made a difference back then. We were kids and totally absorbed in our own wants and needs.
It's unfortunate that we missed out on a few years' worth of enjoying John's poetry and art. It was the eighties before I owned or read one of his books. The two little tomes that I had were precious glimpses of an expanded view of John's creativity. Some of the drawings and verses were done while he was a teenager, but it wasn't until after he met Yoko that he had them published.
It seems safe to say that Yoko inspired John. As an artist in her own right, I'm sure that John was kept interested in her by virtue of the creative stimulation alone. It would have made for good conversation and helped to keep their relationship fresh over time.
Author's Note
A while back, DJ Funktual sent me an email asking me to write this hub. I originally thought that it would be a piece on Yoko's business acumen. I learned during the research phase that she's unafraid and smart. Yoko Ono sues people if she feels the need.
"Hmm," I thought, "I don't want Yoko coming after my piggy bank and Canadian Tire money."
So, I changed direction, thinking that Yoko's early story would make an interesting read. However, none of the pictures were under a creative commons license, and they would've made the piece really shine. As a result of all that, Dear Reader, you are left with something of a cross between my unwavering bias and my begrudging adult understanding of events that took place decades ago. There's a bit of fact thrown in for good measure.
Shirley Anderson
John & Yoko Remembered
Yoko Made John Happy
Confidence would've been a big drawing card for John too, I imagine. Yoko loved him, but I never got a sense that she needed him. Not that I was close to them, but she always seemed strong to me. There was no clinging, except from John's fans. From where I sat, it just looked like he wanted her at his side always. That's why she was such a danger to us. John was going willingly. I, for one, did not want to let go of things as they had been. But, that's where John's heart lie, and what made him happy.
Over the years, John and Yoko went through some pretty tough times. Drug abuse, peace demonstations, threat of deportation. I'm sure there was more that I've either forgotten or didn't know about. The point is, the couple went through stuff together. That makes you stronger or tears you apart. Obviously, surviving adversity was part of the glue that held them together. They leaned on each other, supported each other. In the lonely world of celebrity, I'm sure that must be another way that Yoko made John happy. They were inseparable life partners, yet never overrode each other's identity.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono were both strong individuals. As such, each needed a strong partner in order to be happy. The two loved each other in a way that would have kept them together until they grew very old, had they been given the chance.
So, as much as it as has pained me in the past, I have to say that Yoko did indeed make John happy. Considering what they accomplished together in John's short life, I think it's important that she was a part of things. Without her, he may have done less.
Now that I'm older, I guess I can feel good that my beloved Beatle knew that kind of love from someone other than me, his most adoring fan.
