Woman (John Lennon song)

"Woman"
Single by John Lennon
from the album Double Fantasy
B-side "Beautiful Boys" (Yoko Ono)
Released 12 January 1981 (US)
16 January 1981 (UK)
Format 7", Cassette
Recorded 5 August, 27 August, 8 September, 22 September 1980
Genre Rock, soft rock
Length 3:32
Label Geffen
Writer(s) John Lennon
Producer(s) John Lennon, Yoko Ono & Jack Douglas
John Lennon singles chronology
"(Just Like) Starting Over"
(1980)		 "Woman"
(1981)		 "Watching the Wheels"
(1981)
Double Fantasy track listing

"Woman" is a song written and performed by John Lennon from his 1980 album Double Fantasy. The track was chosen by Lennon to be the second single released from the Double Fantasy album, and it was the first Lennon single issued after his death on 8 December 1980.[1] The B-side of the single is Ono's song "Beautiful Boys".[1]

Lennon wrote "Woman" as an ode to his wife Yoko Ono, and to all women.[2] The track begins with Lennon whispering, "For the other half of the sky ...", a paraphrase of a Chinese proverb, once used by Mao Zedong.

Background

In an interview for Rolling Stone magazine on 5 December 1980, Lennon said that "Woman" was a "grown-up version" of his song "Girl".[3] On 5 June 1981, Geffen re-released "Woman" as a single as part of their "Back to Back Hits" series, with the B-side "(Just Like) Starting Over".[1] In 1965, Lennon's then-songwriting partner and fellow Beatle band mate, Paul McCartney, had written a different song entitled "Woman" for Peter & Gordon using a pseudonym. Thus, both Lennon and McCartney have individual credit for writing different charting songs with the same title.

Chart performance

The single debuted at number 3 in the UK, then moving to number 2 and finally reaching number 1, where it spent two weeks, knocking off the top spot his own re-released "Imagine". In the US the single peaked at number 2 on Billboard Hot 100 (kept out of the top spot by REO Speedwagon's hit "Keep On Loving You" and Blondie's hit "Rapture") while reaching number 1 on the Cashbox Top 100.[4]

Weekly charts

Chart (1981) Peak
position
Australia 4
Austria 3
Canada 1
Germany 4
Netherlands 11
Norway 5
New Zealand 1
Switzerland 2
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[5] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 2
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[7] 4
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[8] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1981) Rank
Australia[9] 34
Canada 15
New Zealand[10] 10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[11] 21
U.S. Cash Box 16

Personnel

Cover versions

The Shadows did an instrumental version as a medley with 'Imagine' in 1981.

Pop group Brotherhood of Man recorded a version in 1981, which was featured on their album 20 Love Songs.

Ozzy Osbourne recorded this song on his 2005 Under Cover album.

In 2007, Ben Jelen's version appeared on Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur as an iTunes exclusive bonus track.

The 2008 video game by Nintendo Wii Music features this song as playable song.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Blaney, John (2005). John Lennon: Listen to This Book (illustrated ed.). [S.l.]: Paper Jukebox. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-9544528-1-0.
  2. ↑ Playboy Interview, Sheff, 1980
  3. ↑ "1980 Rolling Stone Interview with John Lennon by Jonathan Cott". Retrieved October 27, 2006.
  4. ↑ Blaney, John (2005). John Lennon: Listen to This Book (illustrated ed.). [S.l.]: Paper Jukebox. p. 326. ISBN 978-0-9544528-1-0.
  5. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1981-01-24" UK Singles Chart.
  6. ↑ "John Lennon – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for John Lennon.
  7. ↑ Billboard
  8. ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles
  9. ↑ Australian-charts.com
  10. ↑ Nztop40.co.nz
  11. ↑ "Pop Singles" Billboard December 26, 1981: YE-9
Preceded by
"Imagine" by John Lennon		 UK number one single
7 February 1981 - 14 February 1981 		Succeeded by
"Shaddap You Face" by Joe Dolce Music Theatre
Preceded by
"The Tide Is High" by Blondie		 RIANZ (New Zealand) number one single
27 February 1981 - 3 April 1981 		Succeeded by
"The Bridge" by Deane Waretini
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