“In bad taste”: The brutal way in which John Lennon insulted Paul Simon
For most artists, John Lennon‘s awareness of their existence was enough of a privilege to make their souls radiate with happiness. It didn’t matter what Lennon said about them, whether he praised their latest release or allowed vitriol to escape his mouth; it was still an honour to be spoken about by the great man.
Due to his prestige in the music industry and his songwriting greatness, few people would dare fight fire with fire in verbal warfare. However, more often than not, Lennon saved his insults for his nearest and dearest in The Beatles, deriding their back catalogue at every given opportunity. Lennon was also his harshest critic, a trait that speaks volumes about his mission for perfectionism.
For the most part, Lennon didn’t get personal with his negative remarks and kept it strictly related to music. Nevertheless, from time to time, he did step into unnecessarily rude territory, including his outburst about Paul Simon, which was completely unrelated to the Simon and Garfunkel star’s artistic capabilities.
It’s unclear exactly why Lennon held a grudge against Simon or whether this was an off-the-cuff remark intended to be humorous. If it was meant to be funny, he missed the mark. However, the bizarre comment is intriguing as it arrived from a home recording that Simon was never supposed to hear and is an indictment of the bitterness that had begun to cripple the singer. Unbeknownst to Lennon, his ramblings were captured on a dictaphone in 1979, and it wasn’t just the miniature New Yorker who felt the wrath of Lennon. He also managed to squeeze in an attack on his former right-hand man, Paul McCartney, plus brutal shots at Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, and even Truman Capote.
The recording illuminates Lennon’s envious side, which helped him become a mercurial talent, but on a personal level, it was always his Achilles heel. The musician had a jealous streak, which could occasionally manifest itself uglily.
During the footage, Lennon bizarrely started talking about the “sense of panic and competition” that he used to experience when a creative rival released a record. He noted that “now at least I get pleasure in it instead of panic, the main pleasure being of course that it’s all a load of shit.”
“So here we sit, watching the mighty Dylan and the mighty McCartney and the might Jagger slide down the mountain [with] mud and blood in their nails,” Lennon scorned. “McCartney, Dylan, Jagger et al. are all company men in various disguises,” he harshly stated before cruelly remarking with nastiness in his voice, “Not forgetting the singing dwarf Mr Simon.”
Admittedly, Simon has never been the biggest fan of Lennon, and in 1972, he told Rolling Stone about why he found ‘Power For The People’ distasteful. He commented” “It’s a poor record, a condescending record. Like all of these cliché phrases, they’re dangerous. What does that mean — power to the people? And who is he saying it to? Is he saying it to people who have any idea what it means?”.
However, Simon didn’t have any issues with Lennon as a person, diplomatically commenting: “Many things he’s done, I think, have been pointless. Some have been in bad taste. Others have been courageous. I think he’s generally a well-intentioned guy.”
Whether there was a great purpose behind Lennon’s comments or merely a throwaway remark made in private, it doesn’t reflect well upon him. While the intention is uncertain, the most significant takeaway is the glimpse into his mindset at this juncture in his life. The Beatle felt he was above his contemporaries, even those he considered friends, and to a certain degree, he was right. Lennon was no longer playing the industry game and operating on his own terms, which liberated him to say whatever he liked.
