In addition to being one of the most essential classic rock stars of all time, John Lennon was a famous activist for left-wing causes. He even wrote a tune about a renowned activist from the time period. The activist in question discussed what he thought of the song and he contrasted John with the modern stars Lady Gaga and 50 Cent.
John Lennon wrote a song about an activist who was put in jail for a marijuana offense
John Sinclair is an activist for racial equality and marijuana legalization. He was once part of an anti-racism organization called The White Panthers. The “Give Peace a Chance” singer released a song about Sinclair simply called “John Sinclair” on the album Some Time in New York City.
After Sinclair was imprisoned for a marijuana offense, his supporters held a concert demanding his release. John performed “John Sinclair” at the show. During a 2010 interview with HuffPost, the activist recalled hearing the song “John Sinclair” for the first time. “I first heard it in prison when one of my lawyers came and played it for me,” Sinclair said. “I couldn’t believe he would come and play it for my concert.”
Sinclair discussed how he paid homage to John for writing the tune. “My first wife and I went to New York to say ‘Thank you’ in December,” he said. “I got out on the 13th.”
John Sinclair said the ‘Imagine’ singer was more of an activist than modern stars
Sinclair revealed what he thought of the “Imagine” singer. He praised the former Beatle for his social activism. “When he wrote ‘Power to the People,’ putting up the billboard in Times Square, the Bed-ins for Peace — I liked all of that a lot,” Sinclair said.
Sinclair contrasted John with more contemporary singers. “You think you’d see Lady Gaga doing a Bed-in for peace?” he asked. “Or 50 Cent? It’s a different world. No one with the taste or musicality of John Lennon would ever be heard today.”
John Lennon discussed why he wrote a tune about John Sinclair in the 1st place
During a 1980 interview from the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John discussed why he wrote “John Sinclair.” “They wanted a song about John Sinclair,” he said. “So I wrote it. That’s the craftsman part of me. If somebody asks me for something, I can do it. I can write anything musically. You name it.” He said he could just as easily write songs for Julie Harris and Julie London; those two singers had a style very different from John’s.
On another note, John said he preferred to write songs that were inspirational. “John Sinclair,” on the other hand, is a bit lyrically downbeat. The track also stands out from John’s other political tunes because it’s about a single person, instead of a broad concept such as peace or populism.
“John Sinclair” showed that John’s songwriting could be very specific — and it meant a lot to Sinclair.
