The Songs of John Lennon

When it came to writing a hit song, John Lennon had a gift. The Songs of John Lennon explores Lennon’s songwriting genius with a guided tour through twenty-five of his greatest hits during the Beatles era. Author John Stevens explains Lennon’s intuitive talent from a technical point of view, through the lens of songwriting’s three basic elements: melody, harmony, and lyric.

Through an in-depth analysis of John Lennon’s music, Stevens shows how Lennon fashioned songs that were at once politically and socially relevant during the 1960s, yet remain ageless and timeless today. There are many books on all aspects of John Lennon’s life, but until now, there has never been a text that honors Lennon’s most important contribution‹his music. This guide is a necessary companion for all songwriters and fans of John Lennon.

Features musical analysis of Lennon’s hits, including:

• A Hard Day’s Night
• Ticket to Ride
• You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
• Norwegian Wood
• Strawberry Fields Forever
• Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
• I Am the Walrus
• Come Together
• And many more!

John Stevens was a songwriting professor at Berklee College of Music. For more than 20 years, he taught “The Music of John Lennon,” one of the most popular courses in the Berklee curriculum.