Over at Letters of Note, our very favorite source for vintage celebrity correspondence, we discovered this letter from an extremely disgruntled John Lennon (we especially like his handwritten exclamation points at the end) in response to a letter from Linda McCartney in which, it seems, she had many complaints about his behavior, including that he had not notified anyone that he was leaving The Beatles. This letter is an artifact of a time period of great strife for the band, especially for the Paul and John and their respective wives. The correspondence reflects an ongoing relationship of bitter sniping – obviously what Lennon perceives as Paul and Linda’s passive aggressive failure to recognize Yoko is still a hot button issue, and it’s clear that Lennon is taking the celebrity high road and kind of accusing Paul of being a fame whore, not for the first time. If nothing else, we were struck by reading one man write to the other “Of course, we changed the world” and it being true. Click through to read the whole letter.
Bag Productions Inc.
Tittenhurst Park,
Ascot, Berkshire.
Ascot 23022
Dear Linda and Paul,
I was reading your letter and wondering what middle aged cranky Beatle fan wrote it. I resisted looking at the last page to find out – I kept thinking who is it – Queenie? Stuart’s mother? – Clive Epstein’s wife? – Alan Williams? – What the hell – it’s Linda!
You really think the press are beneath me/you? Do you think that? Who do you think we/you are? The “self-indulgent doesn’t realize who he is hurting” bit–I hope you realize what shit you and the rest of my ‘kind and unselfish’ friends laid on Yoko and me, since we’ve been together. It might have sometimes been a bit more subtle or should I say “middle class” – but not often. We both “rose above it” quite a few times – & forgave you two – so it’s the least you can do for us – you noble people. Linda – if you don’t care what I say – shut up! – let Paul write – or whatever.
When asked about what I thought originally concerning MBE, etc. – I told them as best as I can remember – and I do remember squirming a little – don’t you, Paul? – or do you – as I suspect – still believe it all? I’ll forgive Paul for encouraging the Beatles – if he forgives me for the same – for being – “honest with me and caring too much”! Fucking hell, Linda, you’re not writing for Beatle book!!!
I’m not ashamed of the Beatles – (I did start it all) – but of some of theshit we took to make them so big – I thought we all felt that way in varying degrees – obviously not.
Do you really think most of today’s art came about because of the Beatles? – I don’t believe you’re that insane – Paul – do you believe that? When you stop believing it you might wake up! Didn’t we always say we were part of the movement – not all of it? – Of course, we changed the world – but try and follow it through – GET OFF YOUR GOLD DISC AND FLY!
Don’t give me that Aunty Gin shit about “in five years I’ll look back as a different person” – don’t you see that’s what’s happening NOW! – If I only knew THEN what I know NOW – you seemed to have missed thatpoint….
Excuse me if I use “Beatle Space” to talk about whatever I want – obviously if they keep asking Beatle questions – I’ll answer them – and get as much John and Yoko Space as I can – they ask me about Paul and I answer – I know some of it gets personal – but whether you believe it or not I try and answer straight – and the bits they use are obviously the juicy bits – I don’t resent your husband – I’m sorry for him. I know the Beatles are “quite nice people” – I’m one of them – they’re also just as big bastards as anyone else – so get off your high horse! – by the way – we’ve had more intelligent interest in our newactivities in one year than we had throughout the Beatle era.
Finally, about not telling anyone that I left the Beatles – PAUL and Klein both spent the day persuading me it was better not to say anything – asking me not to say anything because it would ‘hurt the Beatles‘– and ‘let’s just let it petre out’ – remember? So get that into your petty little perversion of a mind, Mrs. McCartney – the cunts askedme to keep quiet about it. Of course, the money angle is important – toall of us – especially after all the petty shit that came from your insane family/in laws – and GOD HELP YOU OUT, PAUL – see you in two years – I reckon you’ll be out then –
inspite of it all
love to you both,
from us two
P.S. about addressing your letter just to me – STILL….!!!
[via Letters of Note]
Comments (21)
You do realize this letter was published 20 years ago, don’t you? There’s nothing new in it. Just like lazy bloggers to post something as if it’s “new” and “undiscovered.”
And yes, John was gigantic jerk.
Oh and the biggest irony is that John Lennon, who in the late 60s did all kinds of crazy stunts with Yoko to get attention for himself and Yoko, would have the nerve to imply Paul was the fame whore. Uh, pot, meet kettle.
I hope your aware this letter was going on a long time ago (obviously) when John and Paul weren’t getting along because of all the media, and the break up of the beatles, it’s a bit sad people are still dragging everything on and posting stuff like this, what a shame. So let me ask you, what do you do when your angry? (despite the fact you werent in one of the most publicized successful bands in the world dealing with all the press, and media) And the letter says nothing about John calling Mccartney a attention/fame whore. This letter was written out of anger, and honestly John was just saying whats on his mind. There’s nothing new about this letter either…
Thank you for posting this letter. It’s facinating to get a personal glimpse of the Beatles. I helps me to understand myself, like when a child grows and realizes their parents are not perfect people. Everyone made them huge. They were legends and icons but just people with human failings
I am the author of The Lennon Factor, the only book written about John Lennon while he was alive. A new electronic edition is now available on Amazon Kindle. Paul Young.
it seems like Yoko made John to read his own letter twice, an amde im put some lines in between ;)
it seems like Yoko made John to read his own letter twice, an made him put some lines in between ;)
Isn’t this a nice little letter to publish on the 13th anniversary of Linda’s death? And I hate to break it to you, but like Resy says, this letter is already online in various places. It’s not exactly new. … The only news is that the person who owns this letter is trying to sell it, yet another vulture trying to make money off the backs of the Beatles.
Lennon was not a jerk. Just a flawed human being. Just like Paul. Just like you. Just like every single one of us. Some of us have more flaws than others — that’s mainly just a function of our upbringing. John’s upbringing was about as bad as it gets. So try to be a bit more understanding of how our species works.
And I just think the whole thing is in poor taste. Why do private letters get published like this? When someone dies does that mean I have every right to root through all of their emails?
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I find the letter very interesting. However, every Beatle fan knows of the post Beatle, icey relationship between the Lennons and McCartneys, and that that friendship was eventually repaired to a degree. As in all relationships, there are ups and downs. I respect both men/couples immensely. Choose love!
Bad flavor and taste, Flavorpill. Do use some respect for people’s privacy. And anyone is entitled to be angry at anyone else for fair reasons. John was as human as Paul is. Respect for the greatest… seems to still be due, though.
this is forty-one years ago. they had gotten over this before John was killed.
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@Resy Check your math. The letter may have been published before, but this is the original, and it dates back to an historic time in music, as this was in the immediate aftermath of the Beatles’ breakup. If you think this is a “lazy blogger” at work, you need to undertake a reevaluation of musical history. This letter does more to illustrate the tensions that existed at that time than any biography written by a researcher. And yes, it is “undiscovered” because name 5 people who know where this letter was allegedly published. And despite the fact it’s sold billions of copies, that doesn’t make the original typed manuscript of War & Peace any less valuable or of interest. Likewise, this letter.
They are just human after all. Band/Beatles or not. Why does it seem to surprise some people that celebrities get mad and throw a fit sometimes, are they supposed to get along with everyone?
[...] John Lennon’s bitter letter to Linda McCartney – flavorwire] [...]
I’ve always thought Lennon was a douche, this just confirms it. As to Sir Paul ditto. Funny but if you watch Lennon talking with that poor businessman in his “bed-in” and attacking the poor guy for being “establishment” it’s Lennon that looks like the azz. Lennon was a drug addled, strange little man with a strange little wife. Sorry he died that way but strange folks attract strange folks.
How many nasty letters do people write due to anger? When all was said and done, John and Paul still loved eachother and were talking about a reunion. We bicker with friends and family all the time. This was just a good example. This was nothing more than that!
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