Gimme Some Truth

John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band, Flux Fiddlers

About Gimme Some Truth

"Gimme Some Truth" (originally spelled "Give Me Some Truth") is a protest song written and performed by John Lennon. It was first released on his 1971 album Imagine. "Gimme Some Truth" contains various political references emerging from the time it was written, during the latter years of the Vietnam War.


Year:
1971
3:16
3,791 
#4

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I'm sick and tired of hearing things from
Uptight short sided narrow minded hypocritics
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
I've had enough of reading things
By neurotic psychotic pigheaded politicians
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth

No short-haired, yellow-bellied
Son of tricky dicky's
Gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocket full of hopes
Money for dope, money for rope

No short-haired, yellow-bellied,
Son of tricky dicky's
Gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocket full of hopes
Money for dope, money for rope

I'm sick to death of seeing things from
Tight-lipped condescending mama's little chauvinists
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
I've had enough of watching scenes from
Schizophrenic egocentric paranoiac primadonnas
All I want is the truth just give me some truth

No short-haired, yellow-bellied,
Son of tricky dicky's
Gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocket full of hopes
It's money for dope, money for rope

I'm sick to death of hearing things from
Uptight short sided narrow minded hypocritics
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
I've had enough of reading things
By neurotic psychotic pigheaded politicians
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


John Lennon

John Ono Lennon MBE, born John Winston Lennon (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a founder, and member of the Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Together with Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century. Lennon left the Beatles at the end of the sixties soon after meeting Yoko Ono. He formed the Plastic Ono Band and continued a succesful solo career recording until 1975, when his second child Sean Lennon was born. In 1980, with the release of the LP "Double Fantasy," Lennon was once more in the publice eye. Lennon passed away after being shot b… more »

14 fans

Written by: John Winston Lennon

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

ALBUM
"Gimme Some Truth" by John Lennon features in his album called "Imagine", a solo studio album, released in 1971.
INSPIRATION
John Lennon penned this song during his Beatles’ period. It is believed to be inspired by the frustration he was experiencing during litigation with the band's former manager, Allen Klein.
POLITICAL CONTEXT
This song was penned during a politically charged time. Many scholars interpret "Gimme Some Truth" as Lennon’s criticism of politicians. It’s often considered to reflect his anti-war sentiment and frustration with the Nixon era in the US politics.
SONGWRITING
Although this song is attributed to John Lennon alone, it is said that the first verse of the song was actually written by Lennon and Yoko Ono in their "bed-in" held in Montreal in 1969.
COVER ARTISTS
"Gimme Some Truth" has been covered by various artists over the years, including Pearl Jam, Sam Phillips, and Cheap Trick.
RE-RELEASE
A compilation album named after the song, "Gimme Some Truth", was released on October 9, 2020, also known as John Lennon's 80th birthday. The set features 36 songs handpicked by Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon (John’s son).
MUSIC VIDEO
There's a music video for this song, which utilizes historic black and white film footage from Lennon’s life to create a visual context for the lyrics.
SONG STYLE
"Gimme Some Truth" is known for its aggressive, hard-edged vocals and direct political lyrics, making it a deviation from the typically softer and more fantastical songs by John Lennon.
INSTRUMENTATION
The song features heavy guitar lines played by George Harrison (a former bandmate from The Beatles). Harrison's slide guitar work was particularly praised in this song.
RECEPTION
Despite its controversial lyrics, "Gimme Some Truth" has been celebrated by music critics for its unfiltered critique of society and politics, and its strikingly transparent lyricism.

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