Roll on John

Album: Tempest (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Dylan closes his thirty-fifth album Tempest with this heartfelt tribute to his friend John Lennon. Dylan recounts the murder of the former Beatle on the ballad as he imagines him "breathing his last." Asked why he did the song, Dylan told Rolling Stone: "I just felt like doing it, and now would be as good a time as any." He added that he felt a kinship with Lennon, saying, "We were all about the same age and heard the same exact things growing up. Our paths crossed at a certain time, and we both had faced a lot of adversity. We even had that in common. I wish that he was still here because we could talk about a lot of things now."
  • The song features quotes from several Lennon-penned songs including "Come together right now" from "Come Together" and "I heard news today, oh boy" from "A Day In The Life."
  • Dylan is showing a lot of grace in paying tribute to Lennon, as the ex Beatle included several caustic references to him in his songs. In particular Lennon wrote and recorded the stinging parody "Serve Yourself," as a riposte to Dylan's overtly Christian "Gotta Serve Somebody."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

TV Theme Songs

TV Theme SongsFact or Fiction

Was a Beatles song a TV theme? And who came up with those Fresh Prince and Sopranos songs?

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.