I found this song on Bearshare, called "Serve Yourself" by John Lennon, that's supposedly an unreleased answer to Dylan for when he found God... is it really by John? It doesn't sound like him at all... The first few lyrics are You say you found Jesus, eh? Christ He's the only one You say you found Buddha Sittin' in the sun You say you found Mohammed facing to the east You say you found Krishna Dancing in the sea/seat Well there's something missing (this part I can't figure out) and it's your mother! your mother, don't forget your mother, lad You got to serve yourself Nobody gonna do for you You got to serve yourself Nobody gonna do for you Well you may believe in devils and you may believe in laws etc etc etc.... This guy sounds more Irish or Scottish than John... does anybody have anymore info on this song?
I think it's basically saying, believe whatever the fuck you want, but don't expect some higher power to do things for you. There is no substitute for direct action on your part. Or something along those lines.
That's what it looks like to me, or perhaps my interpretation is biased by my beliefs? Eh, either way.
I get it now... I'm so stupid... But this man sounds so Irish... and his voice is way too high, even for John...
I'm listening to it right now... it's definitely John. He's doing a goofy voice, but it's him, all right.
I love this song!!!! It is sung by John and it is also written by John......If you listen to the John Lennon anthology, you'll find that he does a lot of different voices, and it's pretty cool........the drunken irish man, the crazed lunatic, the jamaican, etc (just some of the voices as I've named them).........Oh yea, I also wanted to include a copy of the lyrics in their entirety: You say you found Jesus Christ he's the only one you say you found Buddah sittin' in the sun, you say you found Mohammed facin' to the east you say you found Krishna dancin' in the street. Well, there's somethin' missin' in this god almighty stew and it's your mother, your mother, don't forget your mother, lad. You gotta serve yourself nobody gonna do it for you you gotta serve yourself nobody gonna do it for you well, you may believe in devils and you may believe in laws but if you don't go out and serve yourself, lad (ain't no room service here....?......) It's still the same old story a bloody holy war a fight for love and glory ain't gonna study war no more a fight for god and country we're gonna set you free we'll put you back in the stone age if you won't be like me. Get it? You gotta serve yourself ain't nobody gonna do it for you you gotta serve yourself ain't nobody gonna do it for you yeah, you may believe in devils and you may believe and laws but Christ, you gonna have to serve yourself and that's all there is to it. So get right back here, it's in the bloody fridge! God, when I was a kid, we didn't have stuff like this, T.V. Fuckin' dinners and all that crap! You fuckin' kids, all fuckin' the same, want a fuckin' car now? Lucky to have a pair of shoes? You tell me you've found Jesus Christ, that's great and he's the only one you say you've just found Buddah and he's sittin' on his arse in the sun, you say you found Mohammed kneelin' on a bloody carpet, facin' east you say you found Krishna with his bald head, dancin' in the street well, Christ now and you're bein' heard. You gotta serve yourself ain't nobody gonna do it for you, that's right lad you better get that straight into your fuckin' head! You gotta serve yourself, you know that, who else is gotta do that for you it ain't me, kid, I tell you that. Well you may believe in Jesus and you may believe in Marx and you may believe in Marks and Spencers and you may even believe in bloody woolworths but there's something missin' in this whole bloody stew and it's your mother, your poor bloody mother she worked for you in the back bedroom full of piss and shit and fuckin' midwives god, you can't forget that awful moment, you know you should have been in the bloody war, lad, and you would know all about it well, I'll tell you somethin', It's still the same old story a holy bloody war you know with the pope and all that stuff a fight for love and glory ain't gonna study no more war I fight for god and country and the queen and all that we're gonna set you free, yeah, bomb ya back into the fuckin' stone age if you won't be like me you know, now get down on your knees and pray well, there's something missin' in this god almighty stew and it's your god damn mother, you dirty little git now get in there and was your ears. Ha-ha-ha .....................Peace..................Stacey.....................................
there is two versions...i have both...one is a slow mellow version done on piano, and the other is a fast hard acousti song with the string of obsenities... it was in response to Dylan's you gotta serve sombody, and was meant to be sort of a joke...It also contrast Lennon's other demo "you saved my soul" in which he wrote when he was "born agaoin" and even took sean to church and stuff...he watched televangelists, and even saw Dylan perform "you gotta serve somebody" on bily graham [i think it is]....however i don't think john ever liked televangelists if you heard the "saved my soul" song...
i also think the piano demo has more verses than the acoustic one...all three are definitally worth adding to any sollection
Yes it is a reply to Dylans You gotta serve somebody. He is basically exagerating his scouse accent (Liverpool) he was very good at the Dylan pastiches, there are several on the anthology. There is no one to touch that man, that includes old Bob.
