Mother (John Lennon song)

"Mother" is a song by English musician John Lennon, first released on his 1970 album ''John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band''. An edited version of the song was issued as a single in the United States on Apple Records, on 28 December 1970. The single edit runs 1:41 shorter than the album due to removing the tolling bells that start the song and a quicker fade-out. The B-side features " Why" by Yoko Ono. The song peaked in the United States at number 19 on the '' Cashbox'' Top 100 and number 43 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Conception

The lyrics of "Mother" address both of Lennon's parents, each of whom abandoned him in his childhood. His father, Alf, left the family when John was an infant. His mother, Julia, did not live with her son, although they had a good relationship; she was hit and killed in a car accident on 15 July 1958 by an off-duty policeman named Eric Clague, when Lennon was 17. In one of his last concerts, Lennon stated that the song was not just about his parents, but was rather "about 99% of the parents, alive or half dead".

"Mother" opens the album, starting with a funeral bell tolling slowly, four times. The song ends with Lennon repeating the phrase ''"Mama don't go, daddy come home"'', each time increasing in intensity until he screams the line as the song fades out.

Lennon was inspired to write the song after undergoing primal therapy with Arthur Janov, originally at his home at Tittenhurst Park and then at the Primal Institute, California, where he remained for four months. Lennon, who eventually derided Janov, initially described the therapy as "something more important to me than The Beatles".

Although Lennon said that "Mother" was the song that "seemed to catch in my head," he had doubts about its commercial appeal and he considered issuing "Love" as a single instead. In November 1982, a remixed version of "Love" was released as a single to help promote '' The John Lennon Collection'' LP.

An early version of "Mother" performed on an electric guitar by Lennon can be heard on the ''John Lennon Anthology'' box set.

A demo version of the song was featured in the final scene and credits of the 2009 John Lennon biographical film, ''Nowhere Boy''.

Reception

''Cash Box'' said of the single version that "spare production work and a powerful melancholy vocal give the ongits disturbing brilliance."

Personnel

The musicians who performed on the original recording were as follows:
*John Lennon – double-tracked vocals, guitars, piano
*Yoko Ono – wind
*Ringo Starr – drums
*Klaus Voormann – bass guitar

Lennon plays guitar rather than piano on the ''Nowhere Boy'' demo version.

Additional notes

*"Mother" serves as the theme song for the FX series '' Better Things''.
*"Mother" was one of the primary inspirations behind Nintendo and APE's role-playing video game series of the same name created by Shigesato Itoi.
*It was re-released on 3 March 2021 in relation to the super deluxe box of the Lennon album Plastic Ono Band.
*It was sampled by American experimental band Death Grips on their song "Double Helix" from their 2012 album The Money Store.
*It was sampled by rapper Eminem on his song Headlights in 2013.

Other versions

*Barbra Streisand recorded "Mother" (as well as Lennon's "Love") on her 1971 album '' Barbra Joan Streisand''; it was also released as a single. The song also featured on Lennon's live album '' Live in New York City'', released by Lennon's widow Yoko Ono after his death. Other songs born out of this period of therapy include " Working Class Hero" and " Isolation".
*Shigesato Itoi, creator of the ''Mother'' video game series, stated in an interview that this song was in large part the inspiration for his naming of the series.
*Mia Martini

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