3 Songs You Didn’t Know John Lennon Wrote for Ringo Starr

Together, they’re one-half of the Fab Four. The drummer and the cerebral, even psychedelic songwriter. They’re Ringo Starr and John Lennon and for the rest of history they two will be associated with one another thanks to their time together with the Beatles.

But did you know that they two worked on songs together outside the Mop Tops? Here, we dive into three songs that Lennon helped write for Starr’s solo work.

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1. “I’m the Greatest”

Written by John Lennon

Written by Lennon, this song opened Starr’s self-titled 1973 record, Ringo. The song also marks the only time Ringo, Lennon and former Beatle George Harrison got together to record post-Beatles’ breakup. It would seem that Paul McCartney wasn’t invited to that one. The song, inspired by boxer Muhammad Ali who would often say he was the greatest in the ring, was written first by Lennon for Lennon but then was edited to fit Starr. On the carnival of a song, Starr sings,

When I was a little boy
Way back home in Liverpool
My mama told me, I was great

Then when I was a teenager
I knew that I had got somethin’ goin’
All my friends told me I was great

2. “Cookin’ (in the Kitchen of Love)”

Written by John Lennon

The opening song to side two of Starr’s 1976 LP, Ringo’s Rotogravure, an album that also marked the final project to feature work from all four Beatles before Lennon was murdered in 1980, this song features Lennon playing piano. It is the only known recording from the songwriter during a five-year sabbatical he was taking from sonics at the time. On this rowdy track, Ringo sings,

Well, I’m a-cookin’,
Just a-cookin’,
Cookin’ in the kitchen of love,
Cookin’ in the kitchen of love,
Lord, lord, ain’t nothin’ to it,
I want to do it, cookin’.

Well, I’m a-truckin’,
Just a-truckin’,
Truckin’ down the highway of love,
Truckin’ down the highway of life,
Lord, lord, ain’t nothin’ to it,
Come watch me do it, truckin’.

3. “Goodnight Vienna”

Written by John Lennon

The opening title track on Starr’s 1974 album, “Goodnight Vienna” is about two people hanging out together. It’s roots come from Lennon’s time with music exec May Pang—the two dated when Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono separated. The term “Goodnight Vienna” is British slang for “it’s all over.” On the party song, Starr sings,

I took my baby to a party last night
She was so beautiful she made me uptight
Up come a butcher with her ju jus alright
It’s all da da down to Goodnight Vienna!

Felt like a bohunk but I kept up my cool
Green as a frog, man I was back into school
Zipped up my mouth coz I was starting to drool
It’s all da da down to Goodnight Vienna!

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images