Beatles’ Ballads to the Highest Bidder
Julian Lennon is selling out, selling out his father’s song lyrics to be specific.
A financial stake in some of John Lennon’s compositions has been sold
off to Primary Wave Music Publishing. Little Julian who is John’s oldest son
and a songwriter himself, says he’s doing it to further his own career. Well, duh.
On the one hand the sale will make him some serious cash. On the other hand, Julian is getting all
sorts of publicity from forking over the priceless works of his father. In other words, he gets money and fame, and
he doesn’t have to do a single thing.
I am less irritated at the prospect of the
sale then I am at his smugness. Maybe
the sale will mean the public will have access to more of Lennon’s songs, and
that is a great thing. Art is meant to
be experienced, and songs do us no good sitting in a vault no matter how
valuable they are. But the flagrant way
he is using his father’s work to push himself is horrible. It’s like he’s admitted he has no talent and
so he must sell the work of a genius in order to get ahead. And thus he has smarmed his way onto my
“People I’d Like to See Sitting in a Pool Full of Snails†list. Enjoy the honor, Julian. Only the truly selfish will be there with
you.
