John Lennon‘s “Mind Games” might seem internally contradictory, but it’s beautifully cohesive. John’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, said the song is like a Möbius strip. He also revealed what he thought about it compared to his father’s other tunes.
John Lennon’s ‘Mind Games’ is more complex than The Beatles’ ‘All You Need Is Love’
During both his time with The Beatles and his solo career, John was known for his uplifting songs. Tunes like “All You Need Is Love,” “Imagine,” and “Power to the People” have given people hope and solace for decades. It’s remarkable he was able to inspire so many listeners, especially considering his music also had a dark side. “Don’t Let Me Down,” “Yer Blues,” and “How Do You Sleep?” are just some of the examples of John wallowing in anger or sadness.
“Mind Games” is the perfect marriage of John’s sensibilities. The lyrics are about how happiness is a mind game — the internal decision to embrace positivity. But the track sounds spacey and almost a little sad, and John sings some of the lines with a certain desperation.
John Lennon was right to give his self-empowerment anthem a dark side
The incongruity of “Mind Games” is part of what makes it so good. We can all be happier by choosing to love, by saying “Yes,” and by seeing the magic around us. But making those decisions isn’t always easy. By letting a touch of darkness seep into the arrangement and vocals of “Mind Games,” he lets the light in the track shine through more powerfully.
“Give Peace a Chance” and “All You Need Is Love” gave us great slogans. “Mind Games” is better because it has a more thorough prescription for living. And that’s what makes it John’s true masterpiece.
Sean Ono Lennon said ‘Mind Games’ is 1 of his father’s top 2 songs
During a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, John’s son, Sean, discussed his feelings about the album Mind Games. “It’s the more composerly side of him, because his best songs on Plastic Ono Band and Imagine are these really raw songs, like ‘Gimme Some Truth,’ ‘How Do You Sleep?’ They’re really rock songs. They’re almost more simple than most anything he did in The Beatles. I mean, ‘Revolution’ is pretty similar. Hip, edgy, distorted stuff.
“[But] ‘Mind Games’ is this beautiful composition,” he said. “It’s almost like a Möbius strip, because it loops back on itself. It’s like ‘God’ in that it doesn’t have a discernible chorus. So it’s an unconventional song structure. But in this case, it’s very pop, it’s very musical — I don’t think you have to be edgy to like it.
“I always thought his guitar line was strings, but it’s not,” Sean added. “It’s just him on guitar. I think it’s a jewel in the whole John Lennon solo career. I would say ‘Mind Games’ and ‘#9 Dream’ are my two favorite songs in terms of John Lennon, the musical composer.”
With a co-sign like that, it’s no surprise “Mind Games” is an incredible song.
