John Lennon's Watching the Wheels seems like an especially appropriate Song for the Day in the light of yesterday's post. Lennon wrote this song to answer those who were mystified by his withdrawal from his musical career from 1975-1980 in order to enjoy family life with his wife Yoko Ono and their son Sean.
It's not widely known that John fulfilled a lifelong ambition by learning how to sail in early 1980 and that in June of that year, accompanied by a small crew, he sailed a 43-foot sloop from Newport to Bermuda. There is a fascinating account of the voyage at Whatever gets you through the storm. Apparently the passage inspired John to come out of his five year retirement from the music business. Once in Bermuda, he started writing songs for a new album Double Fantasy, which he recorded with Yoko and which was released in November 1980.
Three weeks later, on 8 December 1980, John Lennon was murdered.
The morals of this story (uh oh, I feel another list coming on) are...
- People say I'm crazy.
- It's good to put family first.
- I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round.
- If you have a sailing ambition, do it now. Next year may be too late.
- When you take a break from the activity that defines your identity you can take it to a whole different place when you return to it.
- Sailing can change your life.
- I just had to let it go.
6 comments:
hadn'd heard this song in ages. didn't know he made this sail passage. thanks on both.
All we are saying, is, "Give keelboats a chance."
"Whatever gets you through your life -- 'salright, 'salright"
I've got blisters on me fingers!!
Poignant post. Thanks.
ah! we're not the only ones...!
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