Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Noted avant-garde artist, known for her conceptual work and as the wife of John Lennon.
On the island
Eight records
I feel so much, you know, about this song. Yes, I regret nothing too. I... I don't really feel like I I had a choice always. I feel that um I just managed to uh survive.
During the First World War, the soldiers on both sides of the trenches in Christmas, one Christmas, it's a famous story, but um they just came out of the trenches and hugged each other, kissed each other and you know, singing songs together kind of thing.
I don't know why, but just one day John in England sang Liverpool Lou and said, Isn't it beautiful? And you know, when Sean was born, he would just uh sing this song until Sean goes to sleep, almost every night.
Well, that's Bob Marty, One Love, One World, One People, and such a beautiful song that you know I have n no word for it really.
This is called When I Grow Too Old to Dream, and it has a very personal memory for me.
Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)Favourite
I chose this because of Sean, you know, and I really appreciated the fact that John made this song for Sean. And of course John didn't know that he was gonna pass away very soon.
Sean is a very accomplished musician, singer-songwriter, and I like this song very much, but in a way it's very painful for me to listen to this song, but somehow it does attract me. I mean this song attracts me always. It is a song of loss and pain.
This is a very young women's group in Iceland. And Iceland happens to be my new love, really. It's a beautiful, beautiful country.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:28In those initial days of your explosive fame, did you find people's attitude hurtful?
Well, it was hurtful in a way, but um I had John beside me, which was um it did help. And also it seemed almost as if those things were happening in a distance. So all was said out there didn't seem to hurt that much.
Presenter asks
5:12Do you remember anything of [the firebombing of Tokyo in 1945]?
Well, yes, I do. But it's it's sort of a painful memory in a way. because um of all the things that happened. Um Well it it influenced my thinking as well. that things can change so suddenly.
Presenter asks
9:01Did your art help you with whatever was going on inside?
Well, yes, it was like my security blanket. And without that, I wouldn't have been. Sheer now.
Presenter asks
10:58What happened when you first met [John Lennon]?
The keepsakes
The book
Wu Cheng'en
Well, um, Sayuki, which is a a Chinese story, it's a very profound and fun Chinese story, and it really changed my life when I was a little girl.
Well, I had a show in Indica Gallery and it was a one woman show. And just after I finished putting everything together. John Dumber, who was um the owner of Indica Gallery, just came in with John. But I didn't know it was John, some guy, you know. I mean, most people would not believe I mean, they always say, Well, you must have known. No, I just didn't.
Presenter asks
23:36Were you happy when you found out you were pregnant?
Not really. I I thought, well, um It s it sounds very s strange now, I suppose. But I thought, well, I should um let John decide whether I should keep it or not.
Presenter asks
26:18Are you able to tell us what you remember of that evening [when John Lennon was shot]?
Well, it was a sort of slightly warm, warm night. And uh I said uh shall we go and have dinner or something before we go home? And he was saying, No, let's go home because I want to see Sean before he goes to sleep. ... But that's the last thing he said then. that he wanted to see Sean.
“You know, your life is not to appease people, but to be yourself.”
“I don't really feel like I I had a choice always. I feel that um I just managed to uh survive.”
“I just want to say to my two children. Not to defend me. I don't want them to waste their time defending me. Don't even think about the past or your mother. Because your mother had a great life and you should know that.”