They Call Me John

So, I got about 60 or more records the other day from a friend of mine. Purple Rain, Maggot Brain, bunch of Dead, Black Flag, etc.... Also picked up three records from the Kiss The Sky booth at Louche Puce market in Aurora. A Brian Ferry/Roxy Music double record, Mott The Hoople's self titled album and Lennon's Imagine.
They called me John Lennon in high school. Yup. My yearbook can prove it. "Have a nice summer John Lennon." "Give Peace a Chance, Lennon." "Kiss the Ono for me." Something like that. I go for all things androgynous. Apparently, at the age of 14, I decided I would rather be known as a man about 40 years my senior and I was so cool with that. I purposely picked out the most Lennonized glasses I could find in 1988- gold, round specks, that wrapped around my ears in a Mrs. Clause kind of way. I decided to let go of the Cicero high hair fad and indulge my inner flatness. Yup, grew out the bangs too and parted it in the middle, tucked behind my ear...uh, kind of like now. I remember reading somewhere how Patti Smith wanted to be Keith Richards and she pulled if off real well. I inhaled the Beatles morning, noon and night and in ninth grade, I became one with the walrus.
Imagine. What can I say that hasn't already been said. Brilliant record with an ethereal shot of John on the cover and a profound back displaying the words of Yoko. "Imagine the clouds dripping, dig a hole in your garden to put them in,"- Yoko '63. Who doesn't love a good Ono quote? Ok. About a billion. But give the muse some love because without her, we probably would not have heard the heart sinking beauty, "Jealous Guy," "Imagine," "How Do You Sleep," "How," and everyone's favorite- including my husband's- "Oh Yoko."
Last but not least, I give a shot out to Lennon's south side Chi-town genius- "Those freaks was right when they said you was dead." Best lyric evah.