Elliott Smith’s seven favourite John Lennon songs
Elliott Smith is one of the most beloved names in guitar music. Fusing melancholic musings with layered yet seemingly lo-fi soundscapes, he provided the blueprint for modern indie folk in all of its intricate vulnerability. Smith has become a reference point for budding guitarists and indie enthusiasts in his own right, but, like most musicians, The Beatles were instrumental in his own musical infancy.
Smith had, quite literally, been listening to The Beatles since birth. “My folks were Beatles fans and supposedly played Sgt. Pepper’s for me before I was born,” he once explained in a conversation with Spin. Smith’s love for the Fab Four continued into his teen years when he began to develop a more personal interest in the guitar.
“My friends and I were just starting to teach ourselves guitar in 1980,” he recalled, “I was 11 and really into Beatles songs like ‘Julia’ and ‘Sexy Sadie’ – cool, kaleidoscopic chord changes. I was totally immersed in trying to figure it all out, and it was slowly happening when some madman gunned down the guide.”
Though Smith’s guitar guide may have been gone, the singer-songwriter didn’t see it that way. “It didn’t seem real at the time,” he recalled, “And to be honest, I rarely think of John Lennon as dead. There’s too much life in his music to think of him as gone.” This is an experience not dissimilar to that of Smith’s own fans – though he may have passed away two decades ago, his legacy still lives on in the life of his music and those it inspired.
Picking out his top seven favourite Lennon songs, Smith went on to illustrate that point, kicking off his list with The Beatles’ ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ from their 1966 record Revolver. In its melancholy, loneliness, and swaying soundscapes, it’s easy to see why Smith was drawn to it. “Most songs that bring up wanting to be left alone in some way or another don’t do it as gracefully as this one,” he explained.
Smith also named ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ from the same record for its similar thematic focus, suggesting that Lennoon again describes “a solid internal state you can maintain without doing battle with the outside world.”
Further showing his penchant for the emotionally vulnerable side of Lennon’s songwriting, Smith picked out ‘Yer Blues’ from the band’s self-titled record, noting its cathartic quality: “People generally try to hide their own meltdowns, unfortunately. That’s probably why it’s a relief to hear a song like this one, at least for me. ‘Feel so suicidal, even hate my rock’n’roll!’ That kind of thing is gonna get out somehow, so why not just detonate it all at once?”
The late guitarist also picked out the beautiful and dream-like ‘Across the Universe’ and the “dark, complicated, funny and popular” track ‘I Am the Walrus’. As for Lennon’s solo work, Smith chose ‘Cold Turkey’ and ‘Jealous Guy’ for their daring honesty.
Smith’s picks are full of emotional vulnerability, and it’s easy to see how this influenced his own sound. Carving out a place for himself amidst considered and beautiful soundscapes, the influence of Lennon is clear. Beyond each of their deaths, their legacy and life can be found in their music.
Find the full list of Elliott Smith’s favourite John Lennon songs below.
Elliott Smith’s favourite John Lennon songs:
- ‘I’m Only Sleeping’
- ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’
- ‘Yer Blues’
- ‘Across the Universe’
- ‘I Am the Walrus’
- ‘Cold Turkey’
- ‘Jealous Guy’
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