exploremusic

44 Years Ago today Lennon said it

2 years ago by Jeff Woods | March 4, 2010 10:11 am

Ever wish you could reach out an pull the words back into your mouth.

We all do.

Today in ’66, came the words that would get Lennon in deep doo-doo.

John was doing an interview with a woman named Maureen Cleave of the Evening Standard (UK), and said  "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink… We’re more popular than Jesus now—I don’t know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity."

Nobody noticed in England, or if they did, they didn’t get their panties in a bunch.   Then, when quoted by American teen magazine called ‘Datebook’, several months later, it hit the fan.   I almost cry everytime I see shots of those punters burning original Beatles records.  

It was yet another reason for the Beatles to quit touring.

And another bit of inspiration for a new Beales song, here with lyrics.

Enjoy,

Jeff

 

Send to a friend Filed Under: Legends of Classic Rock

• 17

• Lola

  March 4, 2010 at 11:14 am

  Do you think that Elton John was borrowing a page out of Lennon’s book when he recently declared that “Jesus was a gay man”?

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• Emily

  March 4, 2010 at 1:38 pm

  I wonder if John was correct. If he said television was more popular than Jesus, would he have gotten into as much trouble in the Bible Belt? This was really the ending to The Beatles right here was it not? (John & Yoko)

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• Lola

  March 4, 2010 at 1:50 pm

  Sorry, I can’t remember the exact quote – just the Maureen Holloway version!

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• Young Gun

  March 4, 2010 at 2:00 pm

  I love that quote, Lennon is one of my heroes. I suppose it’s ironic that I find burning Beatles records closer to sacrilege than “insulting” Jesus…

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• strangedays

  March 4, 2010 at 2:18 pm

  @ Young Gun: I definitely agree–it is closer to sacrilege to burn a Beatles record than to “insult” Jesus. And I’m Catholic (albeit a very liberal Catholic)! hah

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• Norman

  March 4, 2010 at 4:48 pm

  John Lennon was one of the greatest icons of our times. He wasn’t afraid to change the face of music or to try to change
  the world or challenge our perceptions of it. He didn’t shrink from the limelight. It didn’t overwhelm him or make him diffident. He was himself -straight-shooting and quick-witted, charming, unashamed and well aware even of his own self-contradictions. Our lives are all so much incalculably richer for his existence and poorer for his absence. (thanks Jeff for all your Beatles postings)

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• Jim K

  March 4, 2010 at 5:03 pm

  Current tally, world wide sales: Bible 2.5 billion Beatles 750 million. Granted the Bible had a 1900 year head start.

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• serge

  March 4, 2010 at 10:49 pm

  Seems like if someone tells it like it is, people seem to take it the wrong way. Then like today. I guess the truth hurts.

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• Jim J

  March 4, 2010 at 11:07 pm

  A good friend of mine was selling Beatles memorabilia, especially Beatles record albums to customers in the Southern United States in the later half of the 1970′s. Sales were brisk and he made a decent buck off of it. Supply and demand.

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• Darryl

  March 4, 2010 at 11:52 pm

  John’s hatred against religion and Christianity caused him to do and say many stupid things. His interview (with I forget whom) about this song where he aggressively claimed to speak for everyone was about the most arrogant statement I’ve ever heard from a musician. John fought against God his whole life. People’s private views about God are their own but when they take up the banner and make a public career out of it, well, others will find it offensive. And then everyone’s shocked when he’s murdered by some deranged lunatic. Coincidence?

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• laurel

  March 5, 2010 at 1:58 am

  I remember it well…they were my favorite band, and John was my fave fab…people get sooo uptight when you attack their GOD..it’s worse than attacking them…personally..love all the old videos ..

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• Jason

  March 5, 2010 at 3:04 am

  so is this the reason for the comments they play over and over with John Lennon saying “I didn’t say we were bigger than Jesus … or better than Jesus – I was just sayin’..” ? was this some attempt at recovering their image in the media in a later interview?

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• Christina

  March 5, 2010 at 3:47 pm

  Yes so he did. I miss him terribly.

  But I just want to comment how much I enjoyed this little music video clip with the lyrics, and thinking all the while how great and endearing that the 2 pals recorded the song together without anyone else (not even George or Ringo), on a song about John and Yoko no less, how well Paul drummed and harmonized just enough, how great John’s guitar sounded. Thanks.

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• Uncle Too Too

  March 6, 2010 at 11:01 am

  I was born a Roman Catholic , but fortunetly Confirmed a Beatles supporter . I have more respect for John’s mussings than I do the behaviour of Catholics, then or now . Room in the closet for the radicals . Miss you John . P.S. Wondering if you recorded a slow version of “Help” on a 45 . Let me know .

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• Elaine

  March 8, 2010 at 7:36 am

  for sure, I like them a lot better now than I did then!

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• jon

  March 8, 2010 at 5:02 pm

  Ummm, if we were to say ‘do the math’… with regards to Jim K’s numbers, the Beatles would have sold 36.1 billion copies over the same time period as compared to the bible’s 2.5 billion. nuff said.

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• Phil

  March 9, 2010 at 5:35 pm

  A gross over reaction to an accurate statement. John was not talking theology or even ‘greatness’ for that matter. The simple reality is that we live in a global village with multiple medias that can communicate ideas across the globe in seconds. Jesus didn’t have that advantage. In their time in the spotlight, many millions know the likes of Britney Spears, Cher, Marilyn Manson, Tom Green, Tiny Tim, etc. etc. … It took centuries of evangelization for Jesus to be known by that many people.

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