Woman Is the Nigger of the World

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“Woman is the Nigger of the World”

Single by John Lennon
from the album Some Time in New York City

Released

1972

Format

7" vinyl

Recorded

1972

Phil Spector, John Lennon and Yoko Ono

John Lennon singles chronology

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
(1971)

"Woman Is the Nigger of the World"
(1972)

"Mind Games"
(1973)

"Woman is the Nigger of the World" is a 1972 song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The phrase was originally coined by Ono during a magazine interview in 1969. Lennon later said during his Live in New York City album that it took him until 1970 to "dig it". He was hoping to show how women were and still are being treated.

The song lambasts the perceived traditional role of woman's subservience to man across all cultures. It was banned from radio airplay because of the word 'nigger', though it was played on WHRW-FM, and many prominent blacks, including black comedian Dick Gregory, spoke out in defense of the song.

The b-side features Yoko's "Sisters O Sisters," also from the Some Time in New York City album. An acoustic early-stage version appeared in a shortened form on the 2004 album Acoustic: the same version had already appeared in its full length on some bootlegs such as The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes.

John Lennon performed the song with the band Elephant's Memory and with Yoko Ono on the Dick Cavett Show in May of 1972. Because of the controversial title, ABC asked Dick Cavett to apologize to the audience in advance for the song's content, otherwise the performance would not have been shown.

John Lennon's explanation of the song on the Dick Cavett Show can be found here.

The song was included on the 1975 album Shaved Fish but left off subsequent compilations such The John Lennon Collection (1982) and Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon (1997). However it was included on 2005's Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon.