Whatever Gets You Thru the Night

John Lennon

About Whatever Gets You Thru the Night

"Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" is a song written by John Lennon, released as a single in 1974 on Apple Records, catalogue Apple 1874 in the United States and Apple R5998 in the United Kingdom. It peaked at number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox Top 100. It also peaked at number 36 on the British singles chart. It was the lead single for the Walls and Bridges album in the US; in the UK it was released the same day as the album. In Canada, the song spent two weeks at number two, and became the 30th biggest hit of 1974.  


Year:
1974
3:27
98 
#4

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Whatever gets you through the night
It's all right, it's all right
It's your money or your life
It's all right, it's all right
Don't need a sword to cut through' flowers
Oh no, oh no

Whatever gets you through your life
It's all right, it's all right
Do it wrong, or do it right
It's all right, it's all right

Don't need a watch to waste your time
Oh no, oh no

Hold me, darlin', come on, listen to me
I won't do you no harm
Trust me, darlin', come on, listen to me
Come on, listen to me; come on, listen, listen

Whatever gets you to the light
It's all right, it's all right
Out of the blue, or out of sight
It's all right, it's all right
Don't need a gun to blow you mind
Oh no, oh no

Hold me, darlin', come on, listen to me
I won't do you no harm
Trust me, darlin', come on, listen to me
Come on, listen to me, come on, listen, listen

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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 »

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Written by: John Lennon

Lyrics © Tratore, Downtown Music Publishing

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


14 facts about this song

Release Year
"Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" was released on September 23, 1974.
Chart Performance
It was the first number-one single in the United States by a former member of The Beatles during the period they were each recording solo work, making it one of John Lennon's most successful songs.
Album Appearance
The song is the opening track on John Lennon's album 'Walls and Bridges'.
Featured Artist
Elton John played piano and organ on the song, and also sang harmony with Lennon.
Bet Resulting in On-stage Performance
The song's success led to John Lennon's only live stage appearance after The Beatles’ last concert in 1966 as it resulted from a bet with Elton John that, if the song reached number 1, Lennon would join Elton on stage.
Music Genres
"Whatever Gets You Through the Night" is a fusion of rock n roll and dance/disco music which was an emerging genre around the time of the song's release.
Unique Title Origin
The title 'Whatever Gets You Thru the Night' was inspired by a phrase Lennon heard on late-night television.
Track Composition
The track features a saxophone solo played by Bobby Keys, the same musician known for his work with The Rolling Stones.
Live Performance
The live performance of this song with Elton John on November 28, 1974, at Madison Square Garden in New York City was Lennon's last live performance.
Music Video
The original promotional video for the song, created in 1974, is made of clips from Lennon’s 1972 Madison Square Garden concert, and other videos featuring him and Yoko Ono.
Grammy Nomination
"Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975.
Cover Versions
The song has been covered by several artists over the years, including lead guitarist from The Eagles, Joe Walsh.
Unique Broadcast Mix
A special broadcast sound mix of the track, which has the lead vocal completely isolated in the left speaker and the instruments more prominent in the right channel, was prepared for airing on The King Biscuit Flower Hour radio show in 1974.
Philosophical Message
The song's lyrics encourage listeners to pursue whatever means necessary to find happiness, a philosophy that Lennon often injected into his music.

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    "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/995091/John+Lennon/Whatever+Gets+You+Thru+the+Night>.

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    Whatever Gets You Thru the Night

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1974

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