John Lennon and Yoko Ono were political activists who used their celebrity to spread the message of peace and love, even if the FBI considered them to have limited efficacy as revolutionaries, as they were “constantly under the influence of narcotics.” In March 1969, Lennon and Ono honeymooned in Amsterdam. They turned it into an event, inviting the press to their “bed-in for peace.” Several months later, they repeated the event in Montreal. This time, they recorded “Give Peace a Chance,” which was quickly adopted by protesters of the Vietnam War. In December, they financed billboards in 10 cities worldwide, declaring (in the native language) “War Is Over! If You Want It.”
Videos by American Songwriter
In August 1971, Lennon and Ono moved to New York City and embraced radical left ideologies. Richard Nixon’s administration began a four-year attempt to deport Lennon, causing a sticky legal battle with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that wouldn’t be resolved until 1976. Let’s take a look at the story behind “Gimme Some Truth” by John Lennon.
I’m sick and tired of hearing things from
Uptight, short-sided, narrow-minded hypocrites
All I want is the truth. Just give me some truth
I’ve had enough of reading things
By neurotic, psychotic, pigheaded politicians
All I want is the truth
Just give me some truth
Rishikesh, India
Though it was released as “Give Me Some Truth” on Lennon’s 1971 album Imagine, he began writing the song in 1968 when The Beatles studied Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The band performed an early version of the song during their Let It Be sessions in January 1969. Paul McCartney composed some of the lyrics even though he later admitted he didn’t remember the song. After the breakup of The Beatles, Lennon kicked his addiction to heroin and studied Primal Therapy with Dr. Arthur Janov. Lennon updated the lyrics to reflect his feelings about politics, adding references to President Nixon. Said Lennon in notes he wrote for the album, “Another ‘Oldie’ with words finished recently (if you think, ‘ah ha! He’s running out of songs’—no chance). The middle eight was written with Paul—he’s getting half the money anyway and vice versa.”
No short-haired, yellow-bellied
Son of Tricky Dicky’s
Gonna Mother Hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocket full of hope
Money for dope
Money for rope, woo-hoo
The Recording
Lennon began recording the song in May 1971 at his home recording studio in London. Lennon, Andy Davis, Rod Linton, and former Beatle George Harrison played guitars, Nicky Hopkins played piano, Klaus Voormann was on bass, and Alan White was the drummer. Continued Lennon, “I was wondering what truth I was after in India. George does a sharp solo with his steel finger (he’s not too proud of it—but I like it). I like the overall sound on this track, tho’ I’m not sure if I’d go out and buy it.”
I’m sick to death of seeing things from
Tight-lipped, condescending, mama’s little chauvinists
All I want is the truth. Just give me some truth
I’ve had enough of watching scenes from
Schizophrenic, egocentric, paranoiac prima-donnas
All I want is the truth, now-now
Just give me some truth
Politics
As Lennon updated the lyrics, he put politicians plainly in his sites. Deception, hypocrisy, and chauvinism were being protested in many countries, not just the U.S. and England. In 1980, Lennon told author David Sheff, “A part of me would like to be accepted by all facets of society and not be this loudmouthed lunatic poet/musician. But I cannot be what I am not. … I was the one who all the other boys’ parents—including Paul’s father—would say, ‘Keep away from him.’ … The parents instinctively recognized I was a troublemaker, meaning I did not conform and I would influence their children, which I did. I did my best to disrupt every friend’s home. … Partly out of envy that I didn’t have this so-called home. … I would infiltrate the other boys’ minds. I could say, ‘Parents are not gods because I don’t live with mine and, therefore, I know.’”
No short-haired, yellow-bellied
Son of Tricky Dicky’s
Gonna Mother Hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocket full of soap
It’s money for dope
Money for rope
“Insane People for Insane Objectives”
Lennon kept the “money for rope” line from the earliest version. Peter Jackson, who went through all of the footage from the Let It Be sessions, credited McCartney with the line, which was a reference to the British idiom “Money for old rope” (profit achieved with little to no effort). In 1968, Lennon told Peter Lewis with BBC2, “Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. … I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends. … and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what’s insane about it.”
Ah, I’m sick to death of hearing things from
Uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocrites
All I want is the truth, now
Just give me some truth now
I’ve had enough of reading things
By neurotic, psychotic, pigheaded politicians
All I want is the truth, now
Just give me some truth now
All I want is the truth, now
Just give me some truth now
All I want is the truth
Just give me some truth
All I want is the truth
Just give me some truth
Cover Versions
The song was not originally released as a single by John Lennon, but was used as the B-side to the song “Love” in 1982 after the singer’s brutal murder in December 1980. The song has been recorded by Generation X, The Wonder Stuff, Sam Phillips, Ash, Travis, Jakob Dylan (with Dhani Harrison, son of George) on guitar, Primal Scream, Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, Lydia Canaan, Cheap Trick, the Full Story Band, Billie Joe Armstrong (of Green Day), Mike Portnoy, and Kula Shaker.
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