"I’m 40, I wanna talk to the people my age. I’m happy if the young people like it, and I’m happy if the old people like it, I’m talkin’ to guys and gals that have been through what we went through, together — the sixties group that has survived. Survived the war, the drugs, the politics, the violence on the street – the whole she-bang – that we’ve survived it and we’re here. And I’m talkin’ to them. And the "Woman" song is to Yoko, but it’s to all women. And, because my role in society – or any artist or poet’s role – is to try to express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel, not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all. And it’s like that’s the job of the artist in society, not to...they’re not some alienated being living on the outskirts of town. It’s fine to live on the outskirts of town, but artists must reflect what we all are. That’s what it’s about – artists, or poets or whatever you wanna call it. And that’s what I’m tryin’ to express on behalf of all the men to all the women, through my own feelings about women – when it dawned on me, "God! It is the other half of the sky" as the late-great Chairman MacDougal said, right? I mean, they are the other half of the sky, and without them there is nothing. And without us there’s nothing. There’s only the two together creating children, creating society. So what’s all this B.S. about, you know, "women are this" and "men are that" – we’re all human, man. We’re all human. And, I am tryin’ to say it to Yoko, but to all women, you know? On behalf of all men, in a way. If that’s taken it too much on meself, I feel that artists are that – they’re reflections of society... Mirrors."
React to this quote
More by John Lennon
See allResonant Thoughts
"The Sultan now received information that there was a city in Hindustan called Thanessar, and there was a great temple there in which there was an idol called Jagarsom, whom the people of Hindustan wor…"
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"Little by little, a new consciousness is awakening humanity to its inner needs. The old, competitive spirit…"
— Benjamin Creme"The main point seems to be that I'm arrogant and narcissistic, which should be news to exactly four people."
— Barrett Brown"An information system is an organisation of people, materials and machines that serves to facilitate the tr…"
— Brian Campbell Vickery"Anthony Lynch, the Cork corner-back, will be the last person to let you down - his people are undertakers."
— Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh"People at Rochester Institute Of Technology"
— Varadaraja V. Raman"The people must have confidence in their publicly-owned industries. Private industry must have the necessar…"
— Harold Wilson
