John Lennon On "Happiness Is A Warm Gun"

[@ryban1001]

I love how excited he gets when he hears the song playing.

[@Theactivepsychos]

It’s the same excitement as when they finish Revolution on the edger demo when he says “it’s great that”. Too good.

[@patrickcrawford6392]

the idea of sitting in a room and listening to Beatles with John and getting his live commentary on them seems unreal...

[@Treyworld]

IKR!?

[@MaryHernandez-we5bw]

@@Treyworld Q

[@dougmeggitt5675]

Bullshit, It was definitely about heroin (a lot of people in his circle were on the stuff back then). John's heroin habit is what broke up the Beatles, he went completely insane.

[@Gremunky]

@@dougmeggitt5675 he didn't get into heroine until they did Let It Be

[@endthedrugwartoday]

Chilling!

[@Gremunky]

"Oh this is a great one" I've never heard John so excited about one of his own songs, frequently spoke very coyly about them

[@waynej2608]

And, it's so damn encouraging to hear him liking it. He was always his own harshest critic. I love this song, one of my all time favorites of The Beatles. Of course, I really like Hey Bulldog and Cry, Baby Cry, and he's a bit dismissive about those. Oh, well, he can't dig 'em all. But, I can. 👍

[@Bombellih]

One of my favourite Beatles' songs.

[@carly885]

Same

[@AlBatazz]

My best Beatles song. John the artist at his best!

[@franlabosco9462]

MINE TOO AS WELL,SHOULD’VE BEEN LONGER!

[@Lmclean89]

Becoming such an under-appreciated song. Easily a top 5 Beatle song that chorus is spine tingling.

[@iamtheralwus]

John had a knack for a great chorus.

[@carly885]

Agree

[@asphaltcowboy7567]

Easily top 5...

[@joshnorgard1941]

This song doesn’t have a chorus…

[@yourdeliveryguy857]

@@joshnorgard1941 true

[@StrawberryLegacy]

John sounds so happy here :)

[@carly885]

I love it

[@Gutter_]

That “Oooo” that John makes at 1:09 just goes to show how he knew how freaking good this song was, even impressed himself💀

[@kurumiebisuzawa2738]

Makes you realize how much of a masterpiece this song is.

[@paul195614]

One of the best Beatles songs...

[@carly885]

Agree

[@waynej2608]

Yes!

[@jamesdrynan]

The sexual innuendo of the last lyrics, "...and I feel my finger on your trigger..." always made me smile! Nice to hear John say they were falling about laughing. They had fun despite the trips they were going through at the time.

[@sybillesztorm9006]

That song is one of their best, without a doubt, and it's very unique, it is alternating between that eerie feeling and relief breaks.

[@arcarsan]

Incredible to discover this amazing interview in the last days of 2024, one of my favorite songs and he sounds so excited about it. I always thought this one was one of his best songs ever, and I think he would have agreed. Miss you John, you had a one-of-the-kind talent 🙌🏻

[@BushTuckerinMelboure]

This song makes Lennon the greatest writer ever in my mind.....

[@KungaMatata]

He became the greatest with Strawberry Fields Forever and A Day In the Life, but this certainly helped his case too.

[@prpwnage9296]

no, that's strawberry fields

[@prpwnage9296]

Only the first 45 seconds are outstanding. The rest is shite

[@ethanc1719]

@@prpwnage9296 1st 45 of what?

[@prpwnage9296]

@@ethanc1719 first 45 seconds of this song

[@CipherSerpico]

Imho, this might be John’s Best Vocal. I think it’s between this, Twist and Shout, & A Day In The Life. But I think ‘Happiness’ is the Best Display of what made him such a Great Vocalist. He was like the ‘Daniel Day Lewis of Vocalists’. He completely inhabited everything he Sang, in every part-of every Song

[@Tom-hk6ub]

He really channeled his pain into his vocal.

[@hw343434]

@@Tom-hk6ubbe channeled his joy and his love too into his voice

[@LennyJohnson5]

Adore this song! That opening section, up until the term ‘National Trust’ is majestic - John said he wrote it with a little help from Derek Taylor - the imagery is sublime. Pure Lennon, pure genius… the title is so ironic, given how he met his end.

[@sannimcable]

This interview gives me goosebumps

[@anthonymills1483]

Happiness is John Lennon singing this tune!

[@danfarrelly2732]

My favorite part of this song is at the very end of the guitar solo , you faintly hear John sing “ dooown “ . One of my top top favorite beatle song

[@el.blanco552]

I'm so happy I get to hear John and Yoko themselves enjoy and explain one of my favorite songs

[@caraschuttler8671]

This has always been my favorite Beatles song, and I’ve never thought about it being about drugs. I’ve just enjoyed the song, but I find this story so fascinating.

[@GoneFishin610]

Always thought it was just a very descriptive piece

[@adventure-bear]

Fascinating. And so sweet to hear him talk about the parts that were about Yoko, and to hear her discuss the song.

[@Zamudio55565]

Me conmueve cuando al final del tema, acá en el minuto y medio (1:29), se lo siente inspirar.. Este es uno de mis temas favoritos.

[@saresflores8952]

One of my favorite songs Hell yeah

[@carly885]

Same

[@ericmitchell133]

A classic modern masterpiece

[@WillyTheComposerOfficial]

I always thought this song was about sex. “His hands are busy working overtime”, “When I hold you in my arms and I feel my finger on your trigger”. A warm gun goes “bang, bang, shoot, shoot” and makes a man feel happy. Maybe it’s just me. Lol

[@AlanSmitheeman]

Not just you. Music critics thought that as well. They thought it was Ono making a pass at John for the first time with "Mother Superior jumped the gun."

[@waynej2608]

Well, John was the master of the double entendre, the dual meaning. It's one of the reasons we dig him.

[@BeatlemaniacsAnonymous]

Whether or not "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" is about guns, sex, love or drugs, it's an amazing song that shows John Lennon's songwriting genius at its peak.

[@paultaylor4647]

One of their greatest songs.

[@comprehensiveboycomprehens8786]

It's about the inherent sadness of someone finding happiness in shooting, somehow representing humanity desperately and pathetically looking for happiness. Well, you can interpret it freely that way, which is why these songs are so good.

[@lesterryanmd]

You don't seem to understand the meaning of the lyrics. Is english your second language?

[@ClassicRock1973]

Spoken like an idiot leftist

[@ClassicRock1973]

He just said it was random lyrics out together like a collage. The song doesn't have any real meaning

[@hofda_2909]

Alan Lloyd Sure but how do political positions have to do with anything?

[@michaelsampson215]

Alan Lloyd how can you bring how his political leanings into the conversation?

[@ralphgarcia913]

The funniest comment I heard about this was from the guy I used to play classical guitar with in college, Roberto. He said he played this song with a guy who didn't know all the words to. Instead of singing "mother superior jumped the guns" he said "Mother superior jumped the punks." That's rip roaring hilarious 🤣😂

[@2clarityin30]

This is a fascinating interview. I thought the song is about drugs. Now that John Lennon shared his writing process, it's much more interesting. Thank you for posting!

[@jeffj9322]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q56pZ2Ogjc6MeKs

[@jif635]

breaks my heart, this is the only place I can find the original song, and it's only a piece of it

[@bingsinatra5283]

Jif PeanutButter Eh? It's on The Beatles/The White Album.

[@csablan3829]

The singer is dead. If you can't find it, you're the guy he's talking about, spend a dollar and buy it on iTunes.

[@angelgjdjks5890]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3acmoGpqt6IopI

[@powertuber3.047]

It's been available since 1968 !!!

[@csablan3829]

PowerTuber 3.0 But dude it's not free, so it's just available. 🤣

[@adlofheltirchiefadvisortot40]

the bit john likes is the bit i fucking love... best outro ever

[@19grand]

Love his accent.

[@carly885]

Same

[@francelaferriere6106]

@@carly885 Love his everything, whatever they say about him.

[@foamrob6577]

LOVE his reaction to hearing that song. Also he seems to enjoy hearing should have known better

[@carly885]

Agree

[@ClassicRock1973]

Should've known better is one of the best songs on that album. His melodies are killer. I always liked his melodies better than Paul, even though Paul is called a better melodist than John. I think that is shit. John's voice and melodies and lyrics are so fucking Superior to Paul's

[@ClassicRock1973]

This was fucking great! He never mentioned this song though when Asked about his favorite Beatle songs

[@jaerivus]

From what I could hear, the song that came on just afterwards was She Loves You. He even joins in on the 2nd of the intro's "Yeah, yeah, yeah"s. P.S./Edit: I Should've Known Better is a terrific Beatles song. One of scores of my favorites.

[@LennyJohnson5]

‘I Should Have Known Better’ is an absolute gem; the classic ‘Beatlemania’ period song, with harmonica, jangling Harrison guitar break and brilliant Lennon vocal delivery, singing of longing and love. If one song sums up what the Fabs were about at this point in their career it’s this.

[@bobg6638]

Lennon’s thinking: damn those guys were good.

[@Peter64AD]

When I heard John Lennon was shot and killed Dec. 9 Tuesday morning 1980 around 5:20 am my memory went straight to this song! And l thought WOW how ironic!

[@JStarStar00]

Should have sang this in the Get Back rooftop set. The Beatles could have knocked this off with only one day of rehearsal

[@seres-de-luz]

Btw Paul has said in interviews this is his favorite song from that album.

[@brankostanojevic7421]

While listening this song, I can smell weed from speakers. Honestly. One of amazing Beatles tunes...in many lists underrated. In I'm so tired smoke is also dripping from speakers.

[@cisum1111]

And I know nobody can do me no harm. You got it John. God is everything! And your faith in him!

[@billyshears6604]

Great interview

[@EmmettXIV]

Happiness is diving deeper into what this song is all about. That's one of the best parts about music is that it be interpreted very differently between the artists and the listeners. The warm gun could be many different things, it could be in fact a warm gun, it could be a needle, it could be a person. What does the interpreters find happiness to be and what brings that happiness, the warm gun. Is happiness suicide by the warm gun, is it shooting drugs using a warm gun, a needle. What is the fix? The song has two parts, it has the hectic sound, the frantic pace of life, the chase for the fix, the happiness that the warm gun brings. Once that warm gun is used, the song takes a turn into a very mellow peaceful sound. It wouldn't sound that great if it wasn't for the frantic part in the beginning to contrast the end. I think John was honest with what the meanings behind the parts of the songs are. Sometimes as an artist, it really is just that simple and not as deep as listeners make it out to be. He denies that has anything to do with drugs, it could be true or he could be covering it up. On the flip side, artists like to make it deep, covering up true meanings by disguising them with other words.

[@worldwonderland5900]

Thank you so much for this.

[@ronsbarro4943]

Such a good song.

[@harold3165]

I would kill to listen to John listen to every Beatles song and give his immediate thoughts about it. Fuck, this was good.

[@juancarlosromobejar3795]

Cuando escuché por vez primera esta canción me cambió por completo el concepto del sonido de los Beatles, ninguna canción se le parece a esta pieza, es laberíntica y se entrelaza sus partes de una manera armoniosa y perfecta. En tan poca duración la canción sufre una tremenda metamorfosis y te incita a volverla escuchar nuevamente. A ningún otro artista o banda de rock les he escuchado realizar una pieza tan innovadora y tan brillante. Esta pieza muestra lo que es innegable decir : John Lennon es quizás el compositor más genial del rock y con la ayuda de McCartney ( otro genio con una inspiración fenomenal )se convirtieron en el dúo más grandioso de todos los tiempos.

[@conorbuckley4787]

I have Happiness is a warm Gun tattooed

[@JoeRivermanSongwriter]

My second favourite Beatles song.

[@Jarvisc12]

Amazing. Genius.

[@kazumarugou]

Indeed, the realm of genius!

[@FlyingTeacup]

When I was younger I never understood what it was about but I loved the song. Years later I was listening to it again and it "hit" me, 'it's about shooting up on heroin, omg - genius!'

[@alextakacs768]

Lennon lived a short, but happy life, here Yoko Ono talks too much, shish and listen to the song, one of the best ever... thanks John, RIP

[@jaengen]

She had nothing to add either, such an ego.

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

Yeah it may not have been about drugs but as a (9years sober) drug addict that used needles, it definitely sang to me as such.

[@jackcarr6686]

its a brilliant song, made up of utter brilliant snip-its apparently it inspired RadioHeads Paranoid Android

[@hoodedman07]

Lmao Radiohead is a joke

[@jaerivus]

@Vlad The Lad I almost upvoted you until you disparaged Queen.

[@tom_demarco]

Radiohead is overrated

[@metallica3604]

The moment he says "Someone just shot" chills

[@kimkrause4515]

Yes me too. Excellent song love it but so ironic he ends up getting shot. Fckg guns

[@jamesgrassia844]

Who cares what it's about. It's still a great song.

[@Regi.R]

I don't know how this exist but thank you...

[@letosvet1]

John being a bit disingenuous saying he didn't know anything about heroin at the time - it is widely known that Yoko and him were getting into heroin right during that period. In my opinion this interview is like many others he gave at a time when he was struggling to get his US green card and any slip-up about drugs would have been pretty bad for him

[@Oceantreasures24]

Maybe not exactly when he wrote it though

[@El_Pimpin_Shizz]

yea and also interesting enough i heard that the Beatles didnt like the harder heroin references because of the lyrics he wrote. for example the song on the white album "everybody's got something to hide except me and my monkey" monkey is another word for heroin and they said they didnt like when he wrote that cuz of the reference. And he says its about yoko but at the same time it could be the same thing that you said with this song. But at the same time if you look at the songs for his solo work, all the love songs he wrote he said himself were inspired and about Yoko which obviously would be the case since that was his wife. I guess its one of those things we will never know which adds something more to his music. And also if you look at sgt peppers and his psychedelic era he wrote alot of abstract lyrics that are up for interpretation. And use lyrics from other pieces he wrote. Another example on "A day in the life" The first verse was about his friend that passed, the second was from a news article he saw talking about the many pot holes on a certain street. This should be a question asked to yoko if his songs like this were about drugs or really about her and i hope she would be honest.

[@user-ux1vj9vx7s]

@@El_Pimpin_Shizz Monkey isn’t another name for heroin and nobody has ever referred to heroin as monkey. It probably refers to having a monkey on your back, which generally means addiction, primarily heroin, but it could mean any other burdensome nuisance in a wider sense other than addiction

[@222Lightning]

I don't care what anybody says........John and Yoko were a cool couple.

[@tomasgrounauer6180]

Great upload! Thanks for sharing! Is it from the 1980 Playboy interview?

[@Graeme726]

Is there a full length version of this interview

[@sannimcable]

Very cool 😎

[@bendagostino2217]

What a legend he was.

[@Naeshabby]

John stops mid sentence when he hears his friend George that he hasn't seen for a long time speaking

[@KAZooooo]

Does anyone know the date of this interview? This is great, love hearing them explain and that he's remembering it all over again and he's loving it.

[@RaxOldies]

I'm glad he said different kinds of RnR because I always said this is Beatles doing doo-wop!

[@andrewbishop4447]

Kinda eerie him talking about the strangeness of happiness being a gun thats just shot something or somebody and it ended up being his fate out of all the ways one can die

[@kalinakimble5660]

"Mother Superior jumped the gun"....I assumed was Yoko filling up a syringe

[@coloradoseeker8994]

Kalina Kimble Mother Superior=Morphine Sulfate

[@jeffj9322]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q56pZ2Ogjc6MeKs

[@AlBatazz]

Why so? A real stretch….

[@AlBatazz]

@@coloradoseeker8994 What a stretch.!

[@AlBatazz]

I mean…Mother Superior=Milk Syrup??

[@johnduffy6992]

Great song

[@comic4relief]

Closing tune on Side 1, baby!

[@bastianray6334]

Again one of the so many "premonitions" that John had without knowing it talking about " someone being shot with a gun"

[@sylvialane6071]

I never thought this song was about anything other than guns and shooting things. This song was new when I first heard it, I knew nothing about drugs but all the men and boys I knew went deer hunting. This song always reminded me of Elmer Fudd.

[@JolliAllGenGamer]

What year did John and Yoko give this interview? Early 1970s? 1972?

[@waynej2608]

It indicates 'Bank St', which is in Greenwich Village, NYC. Then, it has to be late '71 or '72, as they moved into the Dakota, Upper Westside, NYC in Dec of 73.

[@firstnamelastname6717]

John Lennon has predicated his death In many different ways without even realizing it in many of his interviews talk shows , etc. Here and there. I think or believed that as much as John loved life itself,that he wasn't always much sure about his own long life on earth. He wanted it but was amazed that being 40 was the time he was like born again in starting out new things in his life once again,a refreshing time, new beginnings, getting back to working on new projects and music, etc. But BANG!!! 💥 Just like that, ( It was over ). That's why we gotta live our lives as our last because we just don't know when the end us coming for us.

[@francelaferriere6106]

Where's the rest of this interview?

[@brianemanuel576]

This is gold. What year was this?

[@johnyounardi8749]

Best lennon song , until you play another one then that’s the best lol All Lennon and McCartney songs are fab

[@WatchfulHunter]

We're out of tape on this reel. Life in the 1960s.

[@idicula1979]

Who knew cold hard steel, could feel so warn in comparison. But it offers an out, it offers slumber to the unforgiving world and contorted image. And so right before I fall as I lay on the ground made gentle in final. Happiness is a warm gun infact the fire burns till melting of my cold, sad heart of hurt.

[@williamrogers1507]

Lol, same.

[@Lopfff]

He wasn’t saying that they were better than Bungalo Bill. He was just saying they were more popular

[@mhsanichar]

❤❤❤MARAVILHOSO❤❤❤

[@RavenMadd9]

genius

[@JolliAllGenGamer]

Is John telling himself to be quiet errr George at the end of the song? Funny.

[@dogmatronic]

Oh come on John ;) ‘I need a fix, cause I’m going down’

[@reggie8313]

Yeah what you think he would admit he was shooting up heroin in an interview, this song is obviously about shooting up, listen to the lyrics, collage my ass

[@reggie8313]

Exactly

[@duppykitoon]

So, was it a collage?

[@chrisconnor8086]

he says its not about heroin but i swear this song is a lyrical collage of drugs, sex, suicide, and violence

[@mumbles215]

Lennon has always been full of shite.

[@BrianNguyenIHASDACANSER]

I thought that it was about suicide.

[@chrysalis72]

If its about heroin then. It is about suicide really.

[@dboy2462]

@@chrysalis72 No. Heroin use only becomes a suicidal thing in a illegal context. Addicts in the UK and Switzerland who have legal access to injectable pharmaceutical heroin for maintenance live fairly normal lives. Most of the problems associated with heroin are caused by illegality.

[@jeffj9322]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q56pZ2Ogjc6MeKs

[@DanceOfTheDawn5963]

@@dboy2462 like this is what they’re talking about :/

[@tuffteddy1446]

In the movie 'Trainspotting' there's a character named Mother Superior. He's a drug dealer.

[@padorupadoru8039]

"i love this one" yeah, no shit, yoko, it's about you

[@prpwnage9296]

listen to these yes men

[@raymondjohnson2]

When was this interview?

[@dixgun]

Never heard this. 👍

[@zapdunga12]

"I need a fix?"

[@jerseygirl5771]

How ironic John talking about a warm gun, so sad!!

[@lynettewall8147]

I LOve happiness is a warm gun

[@jeffmoore9487]

I'm not religious but the song is kinda prophetic. Guns have a more prominent role in life today than when the song was written.

[@1doodaloniat]

John just wove them all together ... the rest of the Beatles were just in the room hanging out.

[@gabrielsepulvedacorradini6058]

Is "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" the best Beatles's track?

[@Tom-hk6ub]

Could be .... it's pretty fucking good.

[@choad1976]

Hey Charlie, how are the deaf aids?

[@waynej2608]

We're still at 'phase one, where Doris gets her oats.

[@alfieburns3979]

He's right. This isn't about drugs. It's about something worse.

[@ClassicRock1973]

What??

[@BushTuckerinMelboure]

Guns

[@BushTuckerinMelboure]

Guns

[@liamgeeson5236]

Guns are freedom.