Mind Games (John Lennon song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
16 November 1973 (UK)[1]
| "Mind Games" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by John Lennon | ||||
| from the album Mind Games | ||||
| B-side | "Meat City" | |||
| Released | 29 October 1973 (US) 16 November 1973 (UK)[1] | |||
| Recorded | July–August 1973 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:13 | |||
| Label | Apple | |||
| Songwriter | John Lennon | |||
| Producer | John Lennon | |||
| John Lennon singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official video | ||||
| "Mind Games" on YouTube | ||||
| Mind Games track listing | ||||
12 tracks
| ||||
"Mind Games" is a song written and performed by John Lennon, released as a single in 1973 on Apple Records.[4] It was the lead single for the album of the same name. The US single and album were released simultaneously on 29 October 1973. The UK single and album were issued simultaneously on 16 November 1973.[5] In the US it peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 10 on the Cashbox Top 100. In the UK it peaked at No. 26.[6]
This song, which began in 1969 and can be heard in the Beatles' Let It Be sessions, was originally titled "Make Love, Not War",[4] a popular anti-war slogan at that time.[7] Another song, "I Promise", contains the melody that would later appear on "Mind Games".[4] The original Lennon demos for "Make Love, Not War" and "I Promise", recorded in 1970, are available on the John Lennon Anthology.[4][7] Lennon finished writing the song after reading the book Mind Games: The Guide to Inner Space by Robert Masters and Jean Houston (1972).[8][9] Lennon later encountered Masters in a restaurant and told him, "I am one of your fans. You wrote Mind Games."[8]
This eloquent track evoked lingering hippie sentiments mixed with the evolving mysticism of the early 1970s. In keeping with the original theme, the lyrics advocate unity, love, and a positive outlook. According to Billboard, the song asserts "that positive thoughts are the answer to happiness.[10] The lyric "Yes is the answer" is a nod to his wife Yoko Ono's art piece that brought them together originally. The song's recording coincides with Lennon splitting with his wife and beginning his 18-month "lost weekend" with May Pang.
Cash Box said that "top flight vocal performance backed by that steady, yet driving, tempo accentuates some great lyrics, all in making for a great song."[11] Record World called it "one of [Lennon's] best songs in the post-Beatle period."[12]
Mind Games, along with several other Lennon songs, was featured in the television crime drama Cold Case in the 2009 episode called "Mind Games." [13]
Personnel
According to John Lennon's official website[14] and the Mind Games album booklet:[15]
- John Lennon – vocals, slide guitar, Clavinet, Mellotron, tambourine, maracas
- David Spinozza – electric guitar
- Ken Ascher – pianos, organ, reed organ
- Gordon Edwards – bass guitar
- Jim Keltner – drums
Chart performance
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Osho's commentary
The Indian mystic Osho made a remark about John Lennon's Mind Games lyrics in a speech. He argued that Lennon was a poet who wrote about pure love, surrender, and inner transformation but didn't truly experienced these state of mind by himself. According to Osho, his words showed a dream-like reflection rather than a deep spiritual experience.[25]
