Album: Imagine (1971)

License This Song 

• You can shine your shoes and wear a suit
  You can comb your hair and look quite cute
  You can hide your face behind a smile
  One thing you can't hide
  Is when you're crippled inside
  
  You can wear a mask and paint your face
  You can call yourself the human race
  You can wear a collar and a tie
  One thing you can't hide
  Is when you're crippled inside
  
  Well now you know that your
  Cat has nine lives
  Nine lives to itself
  But you only got one
  And a dog's life ain't fun
  Momma take a look outside
  
  You can go to church and sing a hymn
  You can judge me by the color of my skin
  You can live a lie until you die
  One thing you can't hide
  Is when you're crippled inside
  
  Well now you know that your
  Cat has nine lives
  Nine lives to itself
  But you only got one
  And a dog's life ain't fun
  Momma take a look outside
  
  You can go to church and sing a hymn
  Judge me by the color of my skin
  You can live a lie until you die
  One thing you can't hide
  Is when you're crippled inside
  
  One thing you can't hide
  Is when you're crippled inside
  One thing you can't hide
  Is when you're crippled inside Writer/s: John Winston Lennon
  Publisher: Downtown Music Publishing
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 4

• Astro from AustraliaCan't agree with you Glen, some of the stuff John wrote for Imagine were superb examples of songwriting - Gimme Some Truth (surely one of the greatest ever protest songs) and How Do You Sleep. And Joe I agree with you it is about being heartbroken, crippled inside its the way I feel after having to get my 18 years old dog put down a few days ago. The song sums it up perfectly.
• Joe from WisconsinEverybody thinks this sounds like john taking a dig at paul or even himself. But I feel like crippled inside is what he calls it when you're heartbroken. And when you're heartbroken, there's nothing you can do to hide it.
• Glenn from UkThis was at the point when John Lennon departed from himself as a songwriter. The lyrics and finish of the song were an atrocious departure from Lennon's days without McCartney, eg. "Well now you know a cat has nine lives. Nine lives to itself....." and the finish, "One thing you can't hide......". As a songwriter, Lennon's career compared to McCartney took a nose dive with the exception of Imagine and Happy Christmas, War is Over. This song was a typical example of the cheesiness of his lyrics as he began to improvise most of what he wrote, trying to sound American and leaving behind his creativity with The Beatles years. The manipulative Yoko had truly destroyed what could have been a genius.
• Ken from Louisville, KySome people thought this was another song aimed at Paul, but John said it was about the hypocrisy in all of us, including himself.

More Songfacts:

Jump AroundHouse of Pain

The horn flourish at the beginning of "Jump Around" comes from Bob and Earl's "Harlem Shuffle"; the squeal throughout the song might be a Prince sample.

CruiseFlorida Georgia Line

The first use of the term "bro-country" in print was used to describe "Cruise," the breezy hit from Florida Georgia Line that checks the boxes of girls, trucks and back roads.

ImagineJohn Lennon

Yoko Ono has always denied requests to cover "Imagine" with the line "no religion, too" omitted or changed.

Mambo No 5 (A Little Bit Of)Lou Bega

The party tune "Mambo No 5 (A Little Bit Of)" was the theme song for the 2000 Democratic Convention (the party of Bill Clinton), until someone noticed the line, "A little bit of Monica in my life."

Two TribesFrankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Two Tribes" features British actor Patrick Allen reading extracts from a government civil defense leaflet.

Take Me HomePhil Collins

Phil Collins' "Take Me Home" is about a patient in a mental institution and was inspired by the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Editor's Picks

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.