The “Gobbledygook” Beatles Song That John Lennon Called One of His Favorites, Despite Legal Controversy

In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono found a nonviolent way to protest the Vietnam War. For their honeymoon, the newlywedded Lennon and Ono would remain in bed for a week, with media invited into their hotel room. The first “Bed-in Protest” was in Amsterdam at the Hilton Hotel, and the second was in Montreal at the Queen Elizabeth.

While in Montreal, counterculture figure and LSD advocate Timothy Leary visited the hotel room. Leary planned to run for Governor of California in 1970, against future US President Ronald Reagan, and wanted John Lennon to come up with a song out of his campaign slogan “Come Together – Join The Party!” Lennon agreed, and the two parted ways. Lennon took this phrase and, in fact, wrote a song. But not the song that Leary had anticipated.

John Lennon Touches on “Come Together” in a 1980 Playboy Interview

Over a span of three weeks in August and September 1980, David Sheff interviewed John Lennon for Playboy magazine, a mere three months before Lennon’s death. This issue of Playboy hit the newsstands just days before Lennon’s death in 1980 and can be found in David Sheff’s book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

On the subject of “Come Together,” Lennon explained, “Come Together is me, writing obscurely around an old Chuck Berry thing. I left the line in “Here comes old flat-top.” It is nothing like the Chuck Berry song, but they took me to court because I admitted the influence once years ago. The thing was created in the studio. It’s gobbledygook; “Come Together” was an expression that Tim Leary had come up with for his attempt at being president or whatever he wanted to be, and he asked me to write a campaign song. I tried and I tried, but I couldn’t come up with one. But I came up with this, “Come Together,” which would’ve been no good to him. You couldn’t have a campaign song like that, right?”

Lennon went on to explain, “Leary attacked me years later, saying I ripped him off. I didn’t rip him off. It’s just that it turned into “Come Together.” What am I going to do, give it to him? It was a funky record- it’s one of my favorite Beatles tracks, or one of my favorite Lennon tracks, let’s say that. It’s funky, bluesy, and I’m singing it pretty well. I like the sound of the record. You can dance to it. I’ll buy it!”

“Come Together” Became One of The Beatles’ Biggest Hits

Timothy Leary’s campaign was short-lived as he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a 1968 marijuana possession conviction. A copyright infringement claim against Lennon from the legal representation of Chuck Berry was settled outside of court in 1973. The claim stated Lennon lifted lyrics and song structure from Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me”. Berry claims he never received any money from the case.

The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Abbey Road sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. The Beatles would release one more album, Let It Be, before their highly publicized breakup in 1970.