A Working Class Hero Is Something to Be

You can access the playlist for my show today here.

The Seven O'Clock Special was "Love" by John Lennon, from the 1970 album Plastic Ono Band. It made me sad to think about his death, which happened 25 years ago this Thursday. After the Seven O'Clock Special we had a moment of silence, which you probably thought was me screwing up the equipment again. A big thanks to the caller who knew what I intended...

Today I played a number of Beatles/Lennon songs in what turned into a memorial show, at least in my mind:

"Strawberry Fields Forever" from Magical Mystery Tour

"Love" from Plastic Ono Band

"Instant Karma" from Shaved Fish

"Oh My Love" from Imagine

"Because" from Beatles Anthology 3

"The End" from Beatles Anthology 3

There are a lot of sites dedicated to the life and work of John Lennon, but this is the official one (www.johnlennon.com).

Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon was released October 4. From www.johnlennon.com: "The double CD set, executive produced by Yoko Ono, will offer the most comprehensive collection of Lennon's hit singles and key album tracks to date--38 songs in all."

Among other things, John Lennon was a protest singer and a social activist. Guess that's one reason I like him so much. "Working Class Hero" is one of my favorite Lennon songs.

Working Class Hero
by John Lennon

As soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me