John Lennon

"Det blir aldrig som man tänkt sig."

""You grow with music, or the music outgrows you." - attributed to Lennon, but no verifiable source found"

"First you must learn to smile as you kill."

"Once a thing's been done it's been done, so while this nostalgia — I mean for the '60s and '70s, you know, looking backwards for inspiration, copying the past — how's that rock 'n' roll? Do something of your own. Start something new, you know? Live your lives now. Know what I mean?"

"John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him."

"Everything is OK in the end. If it's not OK, it's not the end."

"Imagine there's no heaven, It's easy if you try, No hell below us, Above us only sky, Imagine all the people Living for today..."

"Well, I don't want to be a soldier mama, I don't want to die Well, I don't want to be a sailor mama, I don't want to fly Well, I don't want to be a failure mama, I don't want to cry Well, I don't want to be a soldier mama, I don't want to die"

"I want you to make love, not war — I know you've heard it before."

"This is ex-Beatle, John Lennon. I've been wanting to write you, but I guess I didn't really want to face reality. I never do this, this is why I take drugs. Reality frightens me and paranoids me. True, I have a lot of money... but basically, I'm afraid to face the problems of life. Let me begin to say, I regret that I said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. I don't even like myself anymore — guilt. My Cousin, Marilyn McCabe has tried to help me. She told me you were praying for me. … I want happiness. I don't want to keep up with drugs... Explain to me what Christianity can do for me. Is it phoney? Can He love me? I want out of Hell. I am, I hate to say, under the influence of pills now. I can't stop. I only wish I could thank you for caring."

"John Lennon has been my idol all my life but he's dead wrong about revolution... find a representative of gluttony or oppression and blow the motherfucker's head off."

"I definitely did look up to John. We all looked up to John. He was older and he was very much the leader; he was the quickest wit and the smartest and all that kind of thing."

""three quarters of the Beatles"."

"If art were to redeem man, it could do so only by saving him from the seriousness of life and restoring him to an unexpected boyishness."

"You know life can be long And you got to be so strong And the world is so tough Sometimes I feel I've had enough"

"I was the dreamweaver, but now I'm rebornI was the Walrus, but now I'm JohnAnd so dear friends, you'll just have to carry onThe dream is over."

"How can I give love when I don't know what it is I'm giving?"

"So Sgt. Pepper took you by surprise You better see right through that mother's eyes Those freaks was right when they said you was dead The one mistake you made was in your head How do you sleep?"

"We all been playing those mind games forever Some kinda druid dudes lifting the veil. Doing the mind guerrilla, Some call it magic — the search for the grail."

"So keep on playing those mind games together Doing the ritual dance in the sun... Putting their soul power to the karmic wheel."

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

"Before you go to sleep Say a little prayer Every day in every way, it's getting better and better Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Beautiful boy... Out on the ocean sailing away I can hardly wait to see you come of age But I guess we'll both just have to be patient 'Cause it's a long way to go, A hard row to hoe... But in the meantime before you cross the street take my hand Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"

"Before Elvis there was nothing."

"Ringo isn't even the best drummer in the Beatles."

"Was it a millionaire who said "Imagine no possessions"?"

"He must have been a gardener that cared a lot, Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop; But now it all looks strange, it's funny how one insect Can damage so much grain."

"He's a son of a bitch and an anti-American."

"John Lennon was many things to many people. A poet, a rocker, a leader, a troublemaker, a father, a husband — a man. Growing up, to me, he was a hero. The work of John Lennon was marked by its exquisite beauty and by its brutal honesty. So in that vein, let me say, that while I'm both deeply honored to be here — I'm also incredibly pissed-off. I'm outraged because this passionate prophet of peace, and so many others, are not with us here — because we live in an all-too-violent world. And so in the spirit of this occasion it is up to all of us, to do what we can, not only to keep John's songs alive, but help rebuild New York — and that includes your host..."

"Although there were no strict rhythm and lead roles in The Beatles, many music fans often highlight John Lennon's rhythm playing and how well it complimented George Harrison's lead guitar. We can easily say that Lennon has laid out some of the foundations for rock 'n' roll guitar players all around the world."

""Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear." — frequently attributed to Lennon, but entirely unsourced"

"They hate you if you're clever, and they despise a fool."

"They keep you doped with religion and sex and TV, And you think you're so clever, and classless and free, But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see."

"God is a concept by which we measure our pain."

"I don't believe in ElvisI don't believe in ZimmermanI don't believe in Beatles.I just believe in meYoko and meAnd that's reality."

"Imagine there's no countries, It isn't hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion, too, Imagine all the people Living life in peace..."

"Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can; No need for greed or hunger – A brotherhood of man; Imagine all the people Sharing all the world..."

"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"

"You can shine your shoes and wear a suit You can comb your hair and look quite cute... You can go to church and sing a hymn You can judge me by the color of my skin You can live a lie until you die One thing you can't hide Is when you're crippled inside"

"In the middle of a dream In the middle of a dream I call your name Oh Yoko Oh Yoko My love will turn you on"

"We're playing those mind games together Pushing the barriers, planting seeds Playing the mind guerrilla Chanting the mantra, Peace on Earth."

"Love is the answer and you know that for sure. Love is a flower, you got to let it — you got to let it grow. ...Faith in the future, out of the now..."

"Yes is the answer and you know that for sure. Yes is surrender, you got to let it, you got to let it go…"

"I know it's true It's all because of you And if I make it through It's all because of you And now and then If we must start again Well, we will know for sure That I will love you."

"Now and then I miss you Oh, now and then I want you to be there for me Always to return to me I know it's true It's all because of you And if you go away I know you'll never stay."

"I know you understand the little child inside of your man.... Woman, please let me explainI never meant to cause you sorrow or painSo let me tell you again and again and again...I love youNow and forever."

"'I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round I really love to watch them roll No longer riding on the merry-go-round I just had to let it go Ah, people ask me questions Lost in confusion Well, I tell them there's no problems, Only solutions Well, they shake their heads and they look at me, as if I've lost my mind I tell them there's no hurry, I'm just sitting here doing time"

"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."

"I've sold my soul to the devil."

"It was just a gradual development over the years. Last year was "All You Need Is Love." This year it's "Give Peace a Chance." Remember love. The only hope for any of us is peace. Violence begets violence. If you want to get peace, you can get it as soon as you like if we all pull together. You're all geniuses and you're all beautiful. You don't need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are. Get out there and get peace. Think peace, live peace, and breathe peace and you'll get it as soon as you like. Okay?"

"I really thought that love would save us all."