John Winston Ono Lennon (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980) was a renowned English singer, songwriter, and musician. Lennon accumulated fame across the globe as the founder, the co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. His work included music, writing, drawings, and film. Lennon’s infamous songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney to this day stands as the most successful pairing of all time.
1. On life
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”
2. On aging
“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.”
3. On myths
“I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now?”
4. On peace
“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.”
5. On being weird
“It’s weird not to be weird.”
6. On individuality
“You don’t need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are.”
7. On music
“Music is everybody’s business. It’s only the publishers who think people own it.”
8. On honesty
“Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it’ll always get you the right ones.”
9. On the sixties
“The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn’t the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility.”
10. On genius
“When I was about twelve I used to think I must be a genius, but nobody’s noticed. If there is such a thing as a genius, I am one, and if there isn’t I don’t care.”
11. On creativity
“Creativity is a gift. It doesn’t come through if the air is cluttered.”
12. On surrealism
“Surrealism had a great effect on me because then I realized that the imagery in my mind wasn’t insanity. Surrealism to me is reality.”
13. On Elvis
“If there hadn’t been an Elvis, there wouldn’t have been the Beatles.”
