Lennon Naked Page #5

of America in Vietnam

and against Cold Turkey

slipping down the charts.

(LAUGHS)

You can't put that.

Put whatever I want,

she never bought a copy.

Stick it in the envelope with the letter

and send a copy

to the Prime Minister, too.

Are you going to sign it?

With love, John Lennon of Bag.

JOURNALIST:
While you're in bed

and you're giving your press conferences

in pillow cases, are you laughing at us?

I don't want to sound unkind,

but don't you think that this

may have been construed

as just another Lennon stunt?

If I'm going to get on the front page,

I might as well get on

the front page with the word "peace".

-But you've made yourself ridiculous.

-To some people. I don't care.

You are too good for what you're doing.

If it saves lives...

You don't think... Oh, my dear boy,

you are living in a never-never land.

You don't think you've saved

a single life.

What do you know about a protest

movement anyway? You're a fake.

We did an advertising campaign

for peace, can you understand that?

No, I can't.

It shouts of vulgar

and self-aggrandisement.

Are you advertising John Lennon

or peace?

You want nice, middle-class

gestures for peace?

Manifestos written by a lot of

half-witted intellectuals

and nobody reads them.

That's the trouble

with the peace movement.

You know, I can't think of anyone

who seems more remote

from the ugliness

of what is happening than you,

and I'm someone who

admired you very much.

Well, I'm sorry you like

your mop tops, dear,

and you thought

I was satirical and witty

and you liked A Hard Day's Night, love,

but I've grown up.

You obviously haven't.

Have you?

-Yes, folks.

- (CROWD LAUGHING)

She didn't want to listen.

We were making good points

but she didn't want to hear them.

Me dad's a dad again.

That young wife of his, Pauline,

she's had a baby.

I've got a half-brother, David.

Me mother had two more,

three more after me.

Now he's at it again.

We'll have a baby, John, you'll see.

I feel like I'm the father

and he's the son.

John. You helped him,

you gave him money and a house

and you helped him.

Can you believe they got me to choose?

-Choose what?

-Choose this, choose that.

John, when you are

bringing up children...

Excuses, don't make excuses for him.

(THUNDER CLAPPING)

It's not peace I want, it's pandemonium.

(CHILDREN CHATTERING)

(GULLS CAWING)

JOHN:
I tried to change me name,

swap Winston for Ono.

They wouldn't let me.

I said, "What am I paying

all these lawyers for

"if I can't even change me name? "

"I'm sorry if it comes

as a disappointment," he said,

the commissioner for oaths.

I said, "I renounce it,

I renounce Winston.

"Okay? Is that all right with you

if I do that, any objections? "

"Disappointment."

What a British word that is,

it's like fog or mushy f***ing peas.

What is that?

Heroin, Pete, have a little taste.

She's pregnant again.

-Great.

-Yeah.

We can't be living like this.

We're cleaning up our act.

So you told her you'd get me in

to sort it out.

Well, I can't very well

find a cleaner, can I?

Look at all the f***ing...

Take it all out in the yard and burn it.

Get off your arse.

Pete, it'll only take you half an hour,

there's an hoover in there somewhere.

We're in pain, Pete. We're like

bears in a cave, licking our wounds.

You think you've got it hard?

Oh, 'cause I'm not a miner

or a steelworker I can't have it hard,

or on the dole or whatever?

You're wasting your talent.

What do you know about my talent?

I've known you all me bloody life.

An artist has to destroy

as well as create.

(SCOFFING)

If you say so.

You're a shopkeeper, Pete.

Keep your little thoughts to yourself.

I haven't even started.

The Beatles, all that, it's music hall.

It's bollocks, most of it.

I've stuck with you, John,

these last months,

when a lot of people haven't.

I'm paying you, Pete.

You know that's not what it's about.

But I'm not cleaning up this sh*t.

Then why are you still here?

I'm not.

(JOHN AND YOKO SCREAMING

ON TAPE RECORDER)

REPORTER:

What is that saying to us, John?

JOHN:
That's just saying

whatever you want it to say,

it's just us expressing ourselves

without any words or format,

you know, not formalising

the sound we make.

REPORTER:
The difference

between that, obviously,

and a child is that

a child doesn't 't actually

put it on record and sell it.

JOHN:
No,

but in a couple of years they will.

(SCREAMING CONTINUES)

(BABY CRYING)

I'm sorry, John.

The proportion you'd pay in tax

on Arrangement A is on the pink sheet.

The proportion for Arrangement B

is on the yellow sheet.

Sorry, the yellow sheet...

Uh, actually, let's keep this simple.

Let me have the yellow sheets back.

Forget the yellow sheets,

or just turn them over.

The tax liability for Arrangement A

is on the green sheet.

I liked it better when Brian

used to slap sweaty fivers on us

after the gig.

We might have been poor

but what we had, we had in our hand.

I know it's a little complicated

but the fact is, you're rich men.

That's a good fact. I like that fact.

Well, here's another, fellas,

and it's not on coloured paper.

It's over.

-What's over?

-Us.

The Beatles.

It's finished.

The album's coming out in 1 0 days.

So? That's it, then.

-Abbey Road and out.

-Hang on a minute.

I started this band, I'm finishing it.

There's four of us in this band.

There is, yeah, and if there

isn't four of us, there isn't a band.

-You're jetlagged, John.

-I'm not.

We just need to do something fresh,

we need to get out there on the road,

we need to get out there

in front of people and make music.

That's what I've been doing in Toronto

with Yoko and Clapton.

I don't need the rest of you to do that,

you're a weight round me f***ing neck.

-Thanks very much.

-Do you want me to toss you off

or you want me to tell you

what I'm really thinking?

What you're really thinking

or what she's really thinking?

Face it, we're not doing anything

that means anything any more.

You know it, admit it.

That's not my view,

that's not George's view,

that's not Ringo's view.

Christ, the voice of reason.

You just spoke for them, Paul.

Don't you ever want to strike out,

start afresh,

feel what it is to be creative?

-The Beatles is creative.

-It was once, maybe,

for six months in Hamburg,

but it isn't now.

-We're family, John.

-F***ing family.

Look, John,

you do what you're doing,

you have your fun.

Why say it's over

when you can't see the future?

'Cause up here it's over.

But out there it's not.

What are you saying? Keep me mouth shut?

You think that means it isn't true?

No announcement, no news.

We never perform anyhow, what's changed?

-Everything.

-Nothing.

Maybe that's the difference

between me and you, Paul.

Maybe it is.

I won't be changing me mind.

If you do, you do,

if you don't, you don't.

Could be a song there.

(LAUGHS) Well, get your guitar.

See ya.

REPORTER:
What about the future

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