Real Love

John Lennon

About Real Love

"Real Love" is a song written by the English musician John Lennon, formerly of the Beatles. He recorded six demos of the song in 1979 and 1980 with "Real Life", a different song that merged with "Real Love". In 1988, the sixth take was posthumously released for the documentary soundtrack Imagine: John Lennon. In 1995, his demo was completed by his former Beatles bandmates (Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) as part of the Beatles Anthology project, along with "Free as a Bird". The song was released as a Beatles single in 1996 in the United Kingdom, United States and many other countries. It reached number 4 and number 11, respectively, in the UK and US singles charts, and earned a gold record more quickly than a number of the group's other singles. The song was not included on the BBC Radio 1 playlist, prompting criticism from fans and British Members of Parliament. The track opened the Beatles' Anthology 2 album. It is the last single by the Beatles to become a top 40 hit in the US, the last released record of new material credited to the Beatles, and the last to originate and be included on an album. 


Year:
1996
4:10
74 
#2

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All the little girls and boys
Playing with their little toys
All they really needed from you
Was, maybe, some love
All the little boys and girls
Living in this crazy world
All they really needed from you
Was, maybe, some love 

Why must we be alone?
Why must we be alone?
It's real life
Yes, it's real 

I don't expect you to understand
The kingdom of Heaven is in your hands
I don't expect you to wake from the dream
Too late for crying, now, that it seems 

All their little plans and schemes
Ain't nothing but a bunch of dreams
All you really needed to do
Was, maybe, some love

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John Lennon

John Ono Lennon MBE, born John Winston Lennon (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a founder, and member of the Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Together with Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century. Lennon left the Beatles at the end of the sixties soon after meeting Yoko Ono. He formed the Plastic Ono Band and continued a succesful solo career recording until 1975, when his second child Sean Lennon was born. In 1980, with the release of the LP "Double Fantasy," Lennon was once more in the publice eye. Lennon passed away after being shot b… more »

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Written by: John Lennon

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Composition
"Real Love" is a song written by John Lennon. Although credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, the song was composed entirely by Lennon.
John Lennon's Solo Version
The song was first recorded by John Lennon in 1979. This version remained unfinished and unreleased until 1988 when it appeared on the posthumous album "Imagine: John Lennon" as part of a jukebox-style medley.
The Beatles Reunion
"Real Love" is one of the two posthumous releases that the three surviving members of The Beatles (Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr) worked on as part of the "Anthology" project in 1995. The other being "Free as a Bird."
Construction of the Song
For the completion of the song, Paul, George, and Ringo had to work with Lennon's cassette recordings. The raw audio quality required extensive technical manipulation.
Beatles' Version Release
The Beatles' version of "Real Love" was released as a single in 1996 and peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
Music Video
The music video for "Real Love" was created using the technique of rotoscoping, and it contains sequences from various Beatles movies and home videos.
Film Feature
The song "Real Love" was featured in the documentary film based on Lennon's life called "Imagine: John Lennon."
Cover Versions
"Real Love" has been covered by several artists, including Tom Odell for the 2014 John Lewis Christmas advertisement in the UK.
Notable Reviews
Some critics praised the song for McCartney’s vocal harmonies and the shared lead vocals, while others felt it didn't live up to the Beatles' original work.
Controversies
The decision to rework "Real Love" as a Beatles song led to some criticism and controversy. People suggested that the members were tampering with Lennon's legacy; however, the surviving Beatles defended their decision, stating they felt as if they were in the studio with Lennon again.
Impact
"Real Love" is one of the rare songs that have been associated with both John Lennon's solo career and The Beatles’ collective legacy. Its posthumous completion and release bring elements of both facets of Lennon's career together.

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