I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama
| "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama" | |
|---|---|
| Song by John Lennon | |
| from the album Imagine | |
| Released |
9 September 1971 (US) 8 October 1971 (UK) |
| Recorded |
c. 11–16 February, 24 May, 4 July 1971 Ascot Sound Studios, Surrey |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 6:05 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriter(s) | John Lennon |
| Producer(s) | John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Phil Spector |
"I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama" (also known as "I Don't Want To Be a Soldier") is a song written and performed by John Lennon, and released in 1971 as the fifth track on his second studio album, Imagine. The song is a rant against the expectations of society.[1]
Recording
This song was first recorded, along with "It's So Hard", during the February 1971 sessions that also yielded the "Power to the People" single. The song began as a studio jam. Take 2, described as a raw, funk version of Lennon's song "Well Well Well", was included in the John Lennon Anthology box set. Lennon was unhappy with this version and re-recorded it during the Imagine sessions.
The final version of the song is the only song on Imagine to feature Phil Spector's Wall of Sound effect to its full extent.[1]
Lyrics
The song contains only 25 different words, very similar to Lennon's song "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", from The Beatles 1969 album Abbey Road.[1]
Reception
In a review for the Imagine album, Ben Gerson of Rolling Stone described the song as "an enumeration of all the roles John withdraws from," along with describing Lennon's vocals as sounding "both long-suffering and cruel."[2] Gerson also compared the song's melody to the Kinks' "You Really Got Me".[2]
Covers
The song was covered by grunge supergroup Mad Season in 1995 and released as a bonus track on the deluxe version of their only studio album, Above, in 2013.[3] The cover features lead vocals by Layne Staley.
Personnel
- John Lennon – vocals, electric guitar
- George Harrison – slide guitar
- Nicky Hopkins – piano
- Joey Molland – acoustic guitar
- Tom Evans – acoustic guitar
- Klaus Voormann – bass guitar
- Jim Keltner – drums
- Alan White – vibraphone
- Mike Pinder – tambourine
- Steve Brendell – maracas
- The Flux Fiddlers – strings
Personnel per The Beatles Bible.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "John Lennon: I Don't Want To Be A Soldier | The Beatles Bible". www.beatlesbible.com. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- 1 2 "Imagine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ↑ "Cover versions of I Don't Want to Be a Soldier by John Lennon | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
