"I Know (I Know)" is a song written by John Lennon released on his 1973 album Mind Games.[1] The song is included on the 1998 box set John Lennon Anthology and the 2020 compilation album Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes.
| "I Know (I Know)" | |
|---|---|
| Song by John Lennon | |
| from the album Mind Games | |
| Published | Lenono Music. |
| Released | 16 November 1973 |
| Recorded | July–August 1973 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 3:49 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriter(s) | John Lennon |
| Producer(s) | John Lennon |
| Mind Games track listing | |
12 tracks
| |
Music and lyrics
editLennon called the song "just a piece of nothing",[2] though some have read the song as either a confession of troubles with his relationship with Yoko Ono or a message to former bandmate Paul McCartney.[1] Beatle biographer John Blaney notes that the song has Lennon apologizing to Ono and acknowledging that he has a lot to learn.[3] Music critic Paul du Noyer agrees that this is a song in which Lennon apologizes to Ono for his "unworthiness."[4] Music lecturers Ben Urish and Ken Bielen say that the theme of the song is the way love is like a living thing that grows as it is nurtured and as the two people involved get to know each other and recognize how each views the other.[5] Music critic Johnny Rogan noted that the song ends with a conclusion similar to that of Lennon's earlier song "God": that only his belief in his relationship with Ono is real.[6]
Blaney points out that Lennon incorporates a "delicate guitar figure" he learned from Donovan into the song, which Blaney believes "gives 'I Know (I Know)' and honesty that enhances his plea for his lover's absolution."[3] Du Noyer believes this guitar figure sounds like the Beatles.[4] Lennon worked hard when overdubbing the song to develop the song's delicate arrangement.[3]
Reception
editDu Noyer considered "I Know (I Know)" to be one of the "stronger ballads" on Mind Games.[4] Urish and Bielen claim that it "stand out as lyrically superior to and expressing a more complex maturity than most of the songs on the album."[5] Rogan similarly called it one of the best songs on the album, saying that "the emotional commitment, largely missing from other songs he recorded during this period, is clearly revealed here."[6]
Personnel
editThe musicians who performed on the original recording were as follows:[1][3][7]
- John Lennon – vocals, acoustic guitars, tambourine
- David Spinozza – electric guitars
- Ken Ascher – piano, organ
- Gordon Edwards – bass guitar
- Jim Keltner – drums
- Michael Brecker – saxophones
References
edit- ^ a b c "John Lennon: I Know (I Know)". The Beatles Bible. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
- ^ Sheff, David (2000). All we are saying : the last major interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. John Lennon, Yōko Ono, G. Barry Golson (1st ed.). New York: St. Martin's Griffin. p. 214. ISBN 0-312-25464-4. OCLC 45008581.
- ^ a b c d Blaney, J. (2007). Lennon and McCartney: Together Alone – A critical discography of their solo work. Jawbone Press. pp. 82–83. ISBN 9781906002022.
- ^ a b c du Noyer, P. (1999). John Lennon: Whatever Gets You Through the Night. Thunder's Mouth Press. p. 78. ISBN 1560252103.
- ^ a b Urish, B.; Bielen, K. (2007). The Words and Music of John Lennon. Praeger. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-0-275-99180-7.
- ^ a b Rogan, Johnny (1997). The Complete Guide to the Music of John Lennon. Omnibus Press. p. 83. ISBN 0711955999.
- ^ Booklet accompanying Mind Games reissue (Capitol Records, 2024).