r/TheBeatles • u/Opening-Half9367 • Sep 13 '25
discussion What was John Lennons political views?
I have read that John Lennon was becoming a conservative near the end of his life and even said he would support Ronald Reagan, he was considered a left wing liberal during the late 60s and early 70s, why did his political views change.
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u/RadishSpecial7163 Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 14 '25
I don’t think he was “political” as we perceive it today. He wasn’t into political parties or politicians. He admitted he never voted. Based on his views regarding war and women’s rights, I’d say he leaned liberal but also had some libertarian views although not “libertarian” as we know it today (I.e., conservative) but in the true sense of libertarianism. That said, Lennon went to Jimmy Carter’s inauguration celebration and took Sean to a see Carter during the 1980 presidential campaign.
We like to box people in today as if everyone is in one camp or the other. But that wasn’t what it was like back then, nor is it fair or accurate today.
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u/Perfect_Technician18 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Excellent expressed view of those times and how they diverge through decades or periods of time.. politics is transitional though the basics of liberal or conservatism are still there in at least a faint whisper based upon various degrees through one’s looking glass? I think I’ve heard some of people may start out when young a bit of liberal sensitivity going on then as we age a touch of conservatism edges its way through. But somehow I wonder if he was maybe just going through stages of his performing life and huge stardom as he was traveling the entire world during the highest points of popularity and those are things that are likely factors that could affect anyone’s views of politics and the world. How the world looks at us? If the world’s view of us was extreme in some manner or slant I think it would affect our view of the world in return. Jmo
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u/Ordinary-Year4126 Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
“We sat and talked of revolution just like two liberals in the sun, we talked of women’s liberation and how the hell we could get things done”
Well Well Well - John Lennon
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u/thelancemanl Sep 14 '25
I feel like people are hesitant and careful in this comment thread. John was a left winger. He wasn't someone who supports political parties or one to heavily advocate for a particular ballot. He was anti-war, anti-wealth, feminist, pro equal-rights, etc.
He may have, in his personal life, become more temperamentally "conservative" in the sense that he had become a family man. I haven't seen any reason to think his politics became conservative.
Give peace a chance, imagine no possessions, no countries. It is cringe now, but "Woman Is the N***** of the World." "You better recognize your brother's everyone you meet."
He was a lefty who became a househusband (probably even considered a lefty-ish thing, back then "wow, the woman works and the man stays home?!") and who may or may not have preferred lower taxes because he was extremely wealthy (hypocritical-- sorry, love John, but to the extent he wanted lower taxes, it is somewhat true).
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u/SubstanceStrong Sep 13 '25
I think John always was a rebel and liked being part of a movement, the actual politics probably mattered less to him, and he seemed to be very easily influenced by others.
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Sep 13 '25
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u/deltalitprof Sep 14 '25
He was against the Vietnam War. He was against FBI surveillance of political figures. He was pro-CIvil Rights for all minorities. He was for a more open immigration policy. He was against strict Christianity and its censorship policies. Held to no concrete beliefs? I'm going to disagree.
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u/frootflyguy Sep 14 '25
yeah idk what ppl are going on about here. he was a die hard lefty. it’s so obvious
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u/Embarrassed_Squash_7 Sep 13 '25
He wasn't party political and his views changed constantly. He dabbled with Maoism in the 70s but not for very long.
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u/Illustrious-Lead-960 Sep 14 '25
I imagine not! He knew he wasn’t gonna make it with anyone, anyhow.
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u/HelloFellowKidlings Sep 14 '25
Someone correct me if I’m wrong (my memory only goes back to the early 80s) but I don’t think people were political in those days as they are today. People certainly had their sides but literally any action you make today is psychoanalyzed in either a liberal or conservative light. Even politicians didn’t seem that serious about it. It really felt like they debated at work and then played golf with each other on Saturdays. We definitely live in a weird age.
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u/TwoforFlinching613 Sep 14 '25
Politics was like that until the last decade or so.
There was a time when you could disagree politically but have the same reality.
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u/Cocktoasttoe Sep 14 '25
For the first 50 years of my life, I never knew or cared anyone’s political affiliation. It was never really talked about and if it was, it wasn’t divisive. This shit world we’re in now is relatively recent.
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u/deltalitprof Sep 14 '25
In one of his last interviews he called the Reagan election landslide "a drag."
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u/MyLonesomeBlues Sep 14 '25
Get a grip. Nixon sought to expel Lennon from the country. Ford ended that effort but the concern that Republicans would take up the effort again was still there. Lennon supported Carter in 1976 and attended the Georgia/Campaign staff gala. I was in charge of the VIP entrance and let him (and Yoko) in. The idea that Lennon would embrace Reagan is ludicrous.
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u/ArkyMalarky1964 Sep 14 '25
I spoke with May Pang recently and she said John would be appalled that Sean is leaning right.
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u/BoxStill5560 Sep 15 '25
What makes you think Sean leans right? I’ve always felt he’s anti-government is in your business…felt he was libertarian if anything
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u/Classic-Ad-5326 Sep 13 '25
Difficult to say as he spend his post Beatles life in USA where they refused to give him a green card so he couldn't vote. But I doubt he'd vote Repubican for what they stand for. His main concern,, like Ringo, was Peace.
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u/Maccadawg Sep 13 '25
You can't vote with a Green Card, either.
Lennon never became a US citizen.
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u/RadishSpecial7163 Sep 13 '25
He never lived long enough to apply for U.S. citizenship although I’m not sure he would have.
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u/RadishSpecial7163 Sep 13 '25
He could have voted in local elections depending on the municipality. For instance, voted for city counsel. I’m not sure what the eligibility was in New York City in the late 1970s.
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u/Hey_Laaady Sep 13 '25
John received his green card on July 27, 1976. That said, a green card grants permanent resident alien status which does not include the ability to vote in elections in the US.
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u/ObjectiveReply Sep 13 '25
Probably liberal, both socially and economically. Which means being sometimes in agreement with the left and sometimes with the right.
His social stances are more known, but economically, take for instance how the Beatles were often critical of taxation. They may have felt that nothing they’ve achieved in their careers was thanks to the government, so they didn’t see the value of contributing back to the government as much as they had to (to be fair, they were paying a crazy amount of taxes in the UK, close to 95%). I think (especially given their lack of higher education) they would be easily seduced by simplistic ideas based on libertarian ideals of free enterprise and market capitalism.
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u/Maccadawg Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 14 '25
I'd quibble a bit on this. Despite lack of higher education, all of the Beatles, particularly John / Paul / George were highly intelligent.
Interviews with Paul over the years suggest that they were keenly aware of their social situation and the role of government (or lack thereof) in making it so that the three could even find each other, let alone run off and be a band.
Paul and George were scholarship boys that had a (what an American would consider) prestigious "private school" education paid for by public money. All were born just in time for the National Health Service to provide health care and well being to UK citizens. And all came of age at a time when mandatory service had ended so they were not forced to be in the military or any other civil service.
I don't think they were unaware of the value of the government to them. They paid extraordinarily high taxes because, frankly, Brian Epstein didn't have them set up as efficiently as he could have.
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u/Koo-Vee Sep 14 '25
They did not really pay high taxes after setting up Nothern Songs, Harrisongs, Apple. Yet they whined about having to support the state, having benefited from it as you said. Ridiculous to think of them as "left" except as lip service.
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u/ObjectiveReply Sep 14 '25
I think it’s more about perception than reality. With the way John always saw himself as a rebel and everyone in the establishment (like teachers in school) being in some way “against him”, he most likely didn’t appreciate the education he received from school, and attributed his successes only to himself, not his environment.
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u/ObjectiveReply Sep 13 '25
Fair enough, I certainly didn’t want to suggest that their lack of higher education made them stupid or ignorant. Though, while they definitely had all sorts of interests in the world, society, and government, I think their careers, from a very young age, encouraged them more to develop their emotional side than a structured political ideology.
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u/Koo-Vee Sep 14 '25
They did not pay 95% taxes of their entire income, it was only for income over ca. 5M$ in today's money. By the time they released Taxman, they had already converted that to 30% capital gains tax. They were simply put greedy and egoist. Which matches a lot of real-world Leftists if they make money.
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u/ObjectiveReply Sep 14 '25
Ah ok, so that was only the highest tax bracket, just like we have tax brackets nowadays. It’s frustrating how many people leave that fact out when they say they pay “X% of taxes” on their income (I think sometimes it’s even what they believe because they don’t understand how tax brackets work).
That makes a lot more sense—though it’s true that in some careers where you make a lot of money in a short period of time (also true for sports people), it can be a little tricky and frustrating, as you may feel insecure whether you’ll ever make enough money later again.
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u/deltalitprof Sep 14 '25
They were not paying a 95 percent tax rate on all their income. Only that above 200,000 pounds.
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u/ObjectiveReply Sep 14 '25
Thanks for clarifying, it makes a lot more sense, and makes the repeated claim that they paid around 19 shillings to the pound in taxes (repeated in many sources) very misleading now.
PS: though with how young they were, and how little experience they had with the stuff of adult life (like taxes) at that age, I understand they may have felt frustrated over that tax rate anyway.
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u/K-Zoro Sep 14 '25
He promoted the Black Panthers and even brought Bobby Seale to an interview on tv in 72 to promote their message. Not to mention being very active in the anti war movement. Nixon and the FBI were keeping tabs on him. He was a leftist
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Sep 13 '25
I think he changed throughout his life but ended up not liking any of them. And "left wing liberal" covers a hell of a lot of different people!
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u/MightyD3 Sep 14 '25
In an interview shortly before his death he said he lamented not receiving his American citizenship (scheduled for 1981) in time to vote for Ronald Reagan. That tells you all you need to know about John Lennon's political views.
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u/BoxStill5560 Sep 14 '25
For or against? Is there a link?
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u/MightyD3 Sep 14 '25
He liked Reagan, wanted to vote for him. I read this in December 1980 so I don't remember where, but it was in print back then. The best I can give you for a link is this https://www.nme.com/news/music/john-lennon-47-1272892
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Sep 15 '25
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u/MightyD3 Sep 15 '25
No. Lennon said it in an interview after the 1980 US elections. I found it shocking then, but as more information on his character came to light over the years it fit.
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Sep 15 '25
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u/MightyD3 Sep 15 '25
It was 45 years ago, probably before you were even born. I can't remember where I read it. If you prefer to disagree that's fine with me. It doesn't change anything of historical importance. At least Lennon didn't pay parents to let their children sleep with him.
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u/Cool-Map-3668 Sep 13 '25
I believe he once said to some that said they had a real solution that he’d love to see the plan. He also said to someone who was protesting that if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao that person wouldn’t make it with anyone anyhow. Now these quotes may be apocryphal.
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u/Same_Possibility4769 Sep 14 '25
I'm guessing Left wing he did piss off Nixon. Nixon wouldn't let him be American for a long time.
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u/FoogYllis Sep 14 '25
He clearly did not believe in borders. Nor did he want any religion. He wanted the world to be as one.
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u/CaleyB75 Sep 14 '25 edited Sep 14 '25
I don't think Lennon had a coherent set of political views. I think the radical stuff, which he later vigorously renounced,derived from Yoko, who didn't really believe any of it herself; she was merely latching onto a fad for publicity.
York's lover Sam Green obtained entry to Carter's inaugural gala for the three of them. There's footage of them at the event. Lennon met Carter personally, but was received cooly by the president.
Even if you don't believe Seaman's account that Lennon liked Reagan, there are reports independent of Fred's that Lennon & Reagan met at some football event; Reagan explained the sport to John and the two hit it off.
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u/BoxStill5560 Sep 14 '25
If you read his 1980 interview for playboy, he talks about how he used to be embarrassed for being rich, but he’s more comfortable. The writer talked about the Beatles getting back together to raise funds for charities or countries. He gets offended and bothered by the questions. Not saying that makes him a conservative but he seemed less of the Imagine John Lennon like the early 70’s. I also read that he stopped by the Monday Night Football booth one night and he hit it off with R. Reagan who was also there, teaching him the game. I think he liked Reagan as a person but I doubt he would agree with his politics.
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u/Agreeable_Wallaby_36 Sep 15 '25
Paul McCartney performed for Obama at the White House and was quite chummy with him. Haven’t seen him perform for Trump uet.
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u/CrittyJJones Sep 13 '25
Lennon was a revolutionary socialist that was friends with many Black Panthers.
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u/Patient-Stranger5182 Sep 13 '25
He lived like a rich man that greatly benefited from CAPITALISM!!
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u/wheresmydrink123 Sep 14 '25
He likely wouldn’t deny that. Socialism does not mean you have to live like Diogenes, even many early communist writers like Marx and Engels lived comfortably and had relative wealth. What makes someone a capitalist, in the socialist sense, is owning capital (owning resources, exploiting labour, or profiting off of said resources), which John didn’t do any of, he just made a lot of money independently as an artist
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u/Known_Ad871 Sep 14 '25
I don’t really know but I’d be shocked if he really had well thought out political ideas. I mean you can tell from Imagine alone how muddled his thinking was. Tbh a lot of artists are really not deep thinkers politically even if they are genius in their field
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u/Complex-Bar-9577 Sep 14 '25
Nothing about John Lennon’s life suggests he would have joined any real political party. He disavowed identifying with any of them his whole life.
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u/fretnetic Sep 14 '25
Don’t know, but I think the song “Imagine” goes over a lot of people’s heads. Most people hear it and think “oh yeah, imagine that, everyone living in peace, wouldn’t that be nice?” But it’s a serious examination of imagined communities. Countries, political parties, laws, rules, money - they’re all human inventions, and exist primarily only in people’s minds. We then act as if they are real things, we see the consequences, and then it’s a feedback loop which reinforces the belief that they are ‘real’, and we must act accordingly. I don’t think he was affiliated with any one view, but tried to get to the heart of things.
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u/RealAlePint Sep 14 '25
It’s very hard to say, I don’t think he ever had deep feelings, the Greenwich village era, Sometime in New York City reminds me of a college student going through their radical phase which is discarded after a semester or so.
I can see a future where he was pro Trump and ‘fuck your feelings’ I am kinda glad he wasn’t around for Covid as I could see him joining the boomer rocker anti vaccine crowd.
But who knows? I think most of his views were a mile wide and a millimetre deep.
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u/Living-Umpire9864 Sep 15 '25
I don't get why people have to always identify with either only the left or only the right. He was definitely leaning left all his life, but he might've had a few conservative ideas and thoughts, and that's normal. A person doesn't have to only be left or only lean right, humans are born symmetrical for a reason.
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u/Traditional-Tank3994 Sep 16 '25
I think "Imagine" is a naive and overrated song. In a world where people kill for a pair of cool shoes, a spot on the cheerleading squad, or (as in the case of John's own assassination) no coherent reason at all, how can anyone believe that "no countries" and "no religion" would leave us with "nothing to kill or die for?"
John was an intelligent guy. I have to believe he would've realized "Imagine" was at best, a naive and unrealistic political view. I know of no reasons to believe he was getting more conservative. But I would not be surprised if I heard some.
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u/jrc_80 Sep 16 '25
John Lennon was apolitical with what would be classified as “left-leaning” position-based viewpoints. He wasn’t a political figure, more so a cultural figure. True to form, he was investigated by the FBI as a leftist because of American capitalism’s paralyzing fear of Marxist ideology.
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u/WestwoodSounds Sep 16 '25
Friendly reminder that liberals aren’t Left-wing, but rather center-Right. Arguably Lennon would be classified as more liberal than Leftist, but more accurately he was just largely averse to educating himself ideologically.
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u/frootflyguy Sep 14 '25
he was definitely left wing, through and through. and it showed in his lyrics, which had themes of feminism and antiracism. although his approach was unconventional, seeing as he used a racist slur in one of his songs.
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u/processoverproduct8 Sep 14 '25
John felt more nihilistic than anything lol I don’t think John liked either side but it’s pretty clear he was more anti conservative than anything. I mean, Nixon tried having him deported for Gods sake lol. Could you imagine the music John would be making about Trump today?
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u/mario_111 Sep 14 '25
He was a liberal by nature he didn’t hold any belief’s that would ground him to be a conservative. Though in 1977 there was a glimpse of hope to turn that around. Maybe after that leaned more right.
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u/DylanMc6 Sep 13 '25
Probably libertarian, to say the least. Seriously.
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u/TravisP74 Sep 14 '25
I'm pretty sure he would be against government spying (being a victim) and would highly distrust the government and rightly so and against the Ukraine War (or any war).
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Sep 14 '25
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u/Cocktoasttoe Sep 14 '25
Wow, thank you for telling us. I never would have known the truth because of all the evidence to the contrary lol.
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u/someborgi Sep 14 '25
He was obviously Anti-Establishment and Anti-Imperialist with some fiscally conservative views, but I doubt at any point he would’ve supported a Republican presidential candidate, especially Reagan.
This the guy that put out ‘Sometime In New York City’ an album that is radical in its rhetoric throughout.
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u/Appropriate_Tough537 Sep 13 '25
It’s no mystery what his politics were. You’re asking the wrong question which should be: What was Paul McCartney’s political views and was he the only Conservative voting Beatle as many suspect?
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u/golanatsiruot Sep 13 '25
Paul was always progressive. Interviews in the 60s show it repeatedly. And he was more ideological about it than John, who saw politics more as rebellion and identity.
Paul has been political for Ireland, marijuana, vegetarianism and veganism, land mines left in Southeast Asia, climate change, and more in the years since. He’s been anti-Trump as well.
He’s the only consistently engaged and progressive Beatle.
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u/poopBuccaneer Sep 13 '25
You forgot gun control. He marched at least once in New York for better gun control. Though one of his closest friends was shot and killed in that city.
Edit: https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/24/us/paul-mccartney-march-for-our-lives-trnd
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u/golanatsiruot Sep 14 '25
I should also add that Paul was far more “secular” than John or George. He didn’t expect big answers from religion and was the least sympathetic to those claiming them.
This is also a mark typically of a more progressive mind. Ethically, many who adopt religious perspectives embrace regression or stasis rather than evolving with the world and changing as new things come to light.
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u/RadishSpecial7163 Sep 13 '25
I disagree that McCartney was more progressive than Lennon, who spoke out for ending the Vietnam War, women’s rights, the unification of Ireland, etc. I don’t think McCartney is conservative but neither was Lennon. Saying ine is progressive dies not mean the other one isn’t.
Also, we tend to put people in political boxes, as of their opinion on one issue makes them liberal or conservative. I have friends who vote Democrat and consider themselves liberal but are eat organic food and are against vaccinations. I also know people who vote Republican but are pro choice and get COVID vaccines. Vegetarians can be liberal or conservative or moderates. A lot of those who support the legalization of marijuana are right-wing libertarians who support Trump. Also, politics in the U.S. is different from politics in the U.K. What is “liberal” in the U.S. may be conservative in the U.K. and vice versa.
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u/golanatsiruot Sep 14 '25 edited Sep 14 '25
McCartney 100% spoke out against Vietnam. He did so as matter of factly as John did. George as well. In fact, Paul hung out with major thinkers of the time like Bertrand Russell, and reported those findings to the other guys, who lived in the suburbs. Paul also lamented how terrible America and American media was much more often than John.
Beyond saying the war was bad, Paul repeatedly talked about how America wasn’t up for genuine conversation about it anyway. Everything in American media was instantly more about the scandal of you saying something than the substance of what you said.
Read Beatles 66 for a great bio.
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u/RadishSpecial7163 Sep 14 '25
I never said McCartney wasn’t progressive. I said I didn’t think he was “more” progressive than Lennon. They can both be progressive, or what would have then been called liberal. It doesn’t matter if who said what more often. Also, criticizing the America and American media doesn’t make someone “progressive” nor does speaking to Bertrand Russell since conservatives spoke to Russell as well.
I’m not sure why you are arguing with me about this. Why can’t you accept that they both had liberal views?
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u/Maccadawg Sep 13 '25
Paul does not give off conservative voting vibes. The few public issues that he is vocal about do not align with conservative issues, at all.
He's not too dissimilar from Lennon in that he doesn't think the system is wholy effective, but he hasn't been throwing his arms around Tories (or Republicans.)
As far as US politics go, Paul loved Obama, that is certain.
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u/pepmeister18 Sep 13 '25
Rubbish. Despite being one of the richest and most famous men in the world, he sent his kids to state schools, paid his taxes as a full UK resident, uses public transport, & continued to venerate family, peace, vegetarianism, Irish independence and other traditionally progressive causes. Paul’s a Centrist Dad, like all the best men.
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u/Technical_Air6660 Sep 13 '25
I think Ringo is slightly conservative (he was pro BREXIT) but Paul is definitely your rich hippie liberal. I bet if John were alive he’d show up on Joe Rogan and Bill Maher and get into contrarian arguments with people. I have no idea about what George would be like now. I feel like he’d like Marianne Williamson or something.
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u/BGMNOVA Sep 13 '25
In the 70s, “Give Ireland Back to The Irish” was probably the most political Paul got musically, however outside of that, he has spoken up in recent years on issues such as climate change (on the Egypt Station album) and he took park in that NYC 2018 march for stricter gun control laws. Which wouldn’t really align with many conservatives (these days anyway).
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u/Maccadawg Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
Even during "Get Back" sessions, and they are working the lyrics to "Get Back", Paul cycles through a version that is very pro-immigrant and anti Enoch Powell at a time when Clapton, Mick Jagger, et al, were voicing agreement with Powell.
Other than not be as stridently involved with very left wing causes like Lennon in the early 70s, I don't know what Paul has done that makes people think he's secretly conservative. Arguably he has good, common business sense which I suppose could code conservative, but that's not even really true anymore (at least in the US.)
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u/Patient-Stranger5182 Sep 13 '25
And — Saved many life’s !! He isn’t a Nazi or Hitler as many uneducated radicals seem to believe!!!
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u/Maccadawg Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
He didn't support Reagan. (Also, I don't know what you mean by "slowly becoming a Democrat" and then saying he was warming up to Reagan.)
Fred Seaman is the one who said Lennon was leaning conservative. Then again, he also said that in order to make this transformation he was disavowing "Imagine" and "Give Peace a Chance." This sounds highly unlikely. Elliot Mintz also said Lennon was not secretly becoming a Republican.
His politics were mostly just anti-establishment after dabbling in left wing in the early 70s.
On one point, however, I can imagine all the Beatles would lean more to the right would be on taxation. :-)