Best Songs By John Lennon
On Acoustic

Crippled Inside is from the 1971 John Lennon Imagine album.

This song was a track on that album but was never released as a single.

For this one I use drop D tuning with a capo on the 5th fret.  Play a root down root up down and repeat rhythm pattern with the chords C, D, G, A7, D7 and E7 with some lead required.

Happy Christmas was released by John Lennon  in 1972 as a protest song against the Vietnam War. The song climbed the charts in the UK and peaked at #4.

After Lennon's death in 1980, it re-surfaced on the UK charts and reached #2. It can be found as a track on his Shaved Fish compilation album released back in 1975.

I play this one in standard tuning with the chords G, Am, D, C, Dm, F and D7 and a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. Just a few riffs in this as you play through the rhythm.

Imagine hails from the 1971 album of the same name was is also on the 1975 compilation album Shaved Fish.  This was the best selling single for Lennon which he said was inspired by his wife Yoko Ono.

In the US the song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was released in the UK in 1975 to promote the Shaved Fish album reached #6. After Lennon's death in 1080, the song hit #1. 

Some picking in this song with a down root down root stroke for the verses and in the ch you can use a down down up down down up and repeat rhythm pattern. Played in standard tuning with the chords G, C, G6, Am, Am/G, D and Bm with some lead.

Jealous Guy was written in 1968 and into 1969 while the Fab Four visited India, on a retreat of sorts. But the group never recorded the song. 

So in 1971 Lennon cut the track for his Imagine album. The song was not released as a single at the time but after his death, a group called Roxy Music did a version that was an international success. A year later the Lennon version was released. It charted, but not in the top 40.

I play a down down up down up and repeat or use a down down down down up rhythm pattern with some picking required in standard tuning. The chords here are G, Em, D, D7, Em/D, A7, C, F, A# and D/Gb.

Mind Games hails from the 1973 the album "Mind Games" and was released as the lead single from that album. Lennon scored a #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and a #26 in the UK.

Lennon had read a book titled Mind Games which inspired the title as he'd called this song by several different names on demos.

Use a capo 3rd fret in standard tuning, this one has the chords C, B, Am, Am/G, F, D, G/F, G/E, G and G/D. No lead as you play a down down down down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

Oh My Love the last song recorded for the Imagine album of 1971 and had been used in a few films such as "Little Darlings" and Heartbreakers".

The song has been covered numerous times by artists such as Jackson Browne, The Bells and Fredo Viola to name a few.  

I use a capo 2nd fret here with a bit of picking in standard tuning. The chords needed are Am7, Bm, G, Dbm, D7sus, D7, Em, B7 and C with a bit of arpeggio as you move thru the chords.

Out The Blue can be found on the 1973 album "Mind Games" and was one of several songs dedicated to Yoko Ono.

They were separated at the time and is about finding love in unexpected places. The initial recording was cut down somewhat from the final release.

For rhythm here play a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern in standard tuning with no lead. The chords you'll need are G, A7, D, A#, Bm, Gb, C, Bm/A, Gdim, F, B7, Em, Em/D, Ab and A#.

Real Love originated as a song for a stage play John Lennon was writing and began to build the song in 1977 under the title Real Life. The name was eventually changed to Real Love. But in spite of 6 recordings by Lennon, the song was never quite finished.

Paul, George and Ringo completed the song for the Beatles Anthology 2 album of 1995 but the original was put on the "Imagine, John Lennon" soundtrack album from 1988. 

As a single release the song reached #4 in the UK and #11 in the US.

Some lead in this one in standard tuning while playing a root up down up - up down up and repeat pattern. The chords here are D, Dmaj7, C9, A7sus, A7, Dm, Faug, Em and Gm.

Stand By Me was recorded by John Lennon as a cover version of the classic song "Stand By Me" originally performed by Ben E. King. Lennon's rendition of the song was included on his 1975 album "Rock 'n' Roll," which featured covers of several rock and roll classics.

Lennon's version of "Stand By Me" was produced with a slightly different arrangement, incorporating his signature style and vocal delivery. While staying true to the soulful essence of the original, Lennon's rendition injected his own unique interpretation into the song.

The chords here are A, Gbm, D and an E. For rhythm play a down up up down rhythm pattern which then repeats as you move through the song. Some picking required in this one.

Starting Over is from the 1980 album "Double Fantasy". 

The song was released in Oct and Lennon was murdered in Dec. It was his first single and it went to #1 in both the US and the UK.

I play this in standard tuning with a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with no lead work. The chords you'll need are G, G/D#, G/#E, G7, C, Cm, Am, D, Bm, E7, C7 and F.

Watching The Wheels was released after Lennon's death from the "Double Fantasy" album. The album was out approx 3 weeks before john Lennon's death. At the time, the album was largely criticized. But after his death, the album became a worldwide success and won a Grammy in 1981 and 1982.

The song reached #10 on Billboard, #7 on the Cashbox chart and #30 in the UK.

The chords here are C, F, Dm, G, Gsus, Am, F/G, Am/G, D/Gb, Fm, A, Ab, Gb and C7 in standard tuning with no lead work required. For rhythm play a down down up down up down - down up down up down up and repeat.

Woman was a song dedication to all women around the world. This song was the first single from the 1980 "Double Fantasy" album.

This song was a UK #1 replacing his previous #1 Imagine.

Just a few riff throughout with the chords Dsus, D, G6, Em, Gbm, Bm, A7sus, A7, Dmaj7 and A. Play a root up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern in standard tuning.