Reviews for How Do You Sleep? Lyrics

@Lou, two reviews below me, actually, Paul McCartney wrote a song in direct response to this one, called Silly Love Songs, in which Paul knocks at the fact that John was doing nothing but wasting time when he wrote love songs...
That's my interpretation of that song, yours could differ from mine, of course.

They both had the biggest egos in the world, and after everything they went through, it would be hard not to resent each other with heads as big as theirs. But I can't blame them for their egos, they were and are the most influential band of all time

"I can almost assure you John Lennon would have cared less about who was covering Paul's songs." Um, check your facts. It was Yoko who has said -- multiple times -- that John was upset that more people covered Paul's songs than John's. John was obsessed with Paul's success in the 70s, resentful that Paul's Beatles songs were bigger hits. I think Paul, to some degree, has always been obsessed with John, too. But this song -- How Do You Sleep? -- is John as a lousy human being. Mr. Peace and Love is actually advocating hating on a friend. Paul certainly has his faults, too, but Paul has NEVER publicly criticized John's music or musical skills, and Paul certainly could have done both. But Paul never stooped so low. His little digs in Too Many People never named John and could have been about anyone. And he never tried to diminish John as a musician as John repeatedly tried to do to Paul. It's really appalling behavior on John's part. The opposite of love is indifference. If John wasn't so obsessed and jealous of Paul, John wouldn't have continually attacked Paul publicly. You only hurt the ones you love.

The first comment on this page says that after decades of listening to the beatles he cannot argue with the suggestion that all Paul 'did' was yesterday. All I can say is you didn't listen very hard through those decades. I don't favour either John or Paul, they were equals and we see how mcuh they needed each other when we look at the majority of their pretty awful solo projects, but if you look (Really look!) at the beatles strongest years and their most seminal albums, Paul's contribution is at the very lest equal to John's To sum up, it is a stupid comment by somebody who clearly isn't a beatles fan!

Simply put, John is responding to innuendo by Paul that The Beatles may get back together if Yoko stops causing trouble. John is saying loudly and clearly: "The Beatles are over, done; no more Lennon-McCartney". And John's also saying that he really was The Beatles, since the only thing Paul did was "Yesterday". Its hard to argue with that after decades of listening to the music.

Honestly, I don't know if it actually matters what happened to The Beatles, and with all the various feuds they had. Some really great songs came out of it. It sounds terrible, but it's true. Arguing about the semantics of everything is pointless. Unless you actually were a Beatle, you will never know what all happened. When it comes down to it, fame messes with your head. Fame messes with anyone's head, and when you are god-like in other peoples eyes, things can't go well. I'm not going to put any blame on anyone. I just wish that it hadn't happened with The Beatles. I miss 'em...

Some of you were right this song is a rebuttal to Paul McCartney's "Too Many People" not a Jealousy thing, I can almost assure you John Lennon would have cared less about who was covering Paul's songs, "Too many people" was an obvious message to John, an insulting message at that, so this song was not just written to piss off Paul, it was written in order to respond to Paul's message, Go read up

John was jealous of Paul so get YOUR facts straight. If you knew anything, you would know that John constantly told that jap of his that he was jealous of Paul because of the fact that more artists covered Paul's songs and not his and that made John doubt himself.

No, John was a-jealous. That doesn't mean McCartney wasn't. John was being whinier about it. Paul wasn't directly insulting him: He made a few passing lines about his increasingly idiotic self and relationship with Ms. Oh, no. John made a song about him not being able to sleep at night (pretty good song though). Still, the feud was stupid and I can't believe either of them could be such assjerks.

Imogen do you really belive that john was jealous of paul? Paul relased several songs dissing john. He started that. Please get your facts right before you say anything.

John created the beatles. If it was not for John, Paul would not excist..

Your odviously some freak show Mccartney fan who hasn't got much going for yourself.

James Brown wuz da best but dey wont let a black man get his propers. Dem Beetles stole most their songs from black artist. Dey got no shame. Why yall care dey had a fight bout some gayness? Dey wish dey was black jus like all you fools. Peace to the beast.

Kayy... PAUL > EVERYBODY. John was jealous because everyone liked Pauls happy-go-lucky attitude better than John's sarcastic bitter attitude. He shouldve been more appreciative, Paul kept the Beatles together through the LSD years and if it hadn't been for his enthusiasm, the Beatles would've broken up much earlier. So scuse me, but Paul kicks ass, and, not to speak ill of the dead, but John was just being whiny.

be thoughtful listening to How Do YOU Sleep... for John, typically, is sharing his divided inner feelings, honesty clashing with hurt, resulting in another entrancing melody... one feels the pull of the American Indians (I wonder if he picked up the lick from the anti-polution commercial of the time where a tear comes to the Warrior Chief's eye when trash is tossed at his mocassins from a desert highway car.) Lennon expresses in simplicity clever thought amid deep feelings.... Lennon admits he was hurt by a prior McCartney song. Who sees through whose eyes? These two KNEW each other and both knew how to affect the media. The only thing you done was Yesterday.... and since you're gone (you quit the Beatles) you're now just another day... an admission that Paul was better as a Beatle than a soloist? a suggestion not to forget his roots with John? One can read into the poetry. Paul had gotten John's agreement not to quit the band and then Paul quits... that's how I remember the story. Of course, Ringo quit before both of them (listen to the drummer on Back in the USSR and Birthday)... the tortured breakup of this Monster Band didn't mean Lennon could conjure some humor... those freaks were right when they said you was dead (agreeing that they were much worse than Paul or John) yet admitting that something had died in John's eyes... that character mattered and a sense of betrayal sweetly seethed in his sighing cries of the song. John knows Paul couldn't forget what they did together and to present the spin he did about the breakup was quite hurtful. John typically was able to use his life experiences to gender a creative pulse that leaves us knowning something unpleasant such is betrayal can also give us something hopeful... a search for understanding. Rock on! esq

Paul and Ringo would give anything right now to have John and George back among the living. Lennon and McCartney were the finest songwriters and arrangers of the past five decades, hands down. The volume of their work is astounding and the creativity/virtuosity of their music remains an inspiration to so many people. Big frekking deal if they took potshots at each other. This is the stuff that accompanies many musical partnerships(e.g., Simon and Garfunkle and The Eagles). The song itself "How Do You Sleep?" is very good and has withstood the test of time. Just enjoy it and don't over-analyze the predictable fighting betwenn musical legends.

John wrote this about Paul when he insulted John in one of his songs so this was a comback. It talks about the "Paul is dead" clues in the lyrics. For example, "Those freaks was right when they said you was dead. And "The only thing you did was 'Yesterday'" Yesterday was Paul's only big hit before "Wensday Morning at 5 o'clock as the day began" meaning he supposedly died November 22, 1967. Which leads me to "Sgt. Pepper" with clues in the album as well. That is why he said "So Sgt. Pepper took you by suprise."
It was said that Paul was replaced with Willam Campel nickname BILLY SHEARS who is refrenced in the songs "Sgt.Pepper and With A Little Help From My Friends."