The 5 Greatest Beatles Songs Written by John Lennon

Published Nov 8, 2026, 12:21 AM EST Audrey Connelly is a writer living and working in Boston, MA. Music is and has always been one of the most important parts of her life. While rock & roll is her true love, Audrey's taste runs the gamut. Deep cuts, overplayed Billboard Hot 100 hits, trip hop, reggae, musical theater. It's all fair game. However, if she's being totally honest, she is not a huge fan of (most) country music, but she is (mostly) willing to give anything a listen or two. She has previously contributed to Atwood Magazine and has brought her passion for writing and music – specifically classic and alternative rock – to Collider. While he is most celebrated as one half of the greatest songwriting duo known to man, John Lennon’s talent as an independent lyricist is just as impressive – even before the dissolution of The Beatles. Throughout his life, he wrote prolifically. Not just songs, but poetry and prose and political essays. He existed in a constant state of creation. Image via Instagram/@paulmccartney Lennon’s work was at its peak when writing autobiographically, as displayed in his songwriting during the latter half of the '60s. During this time, he dug deeper than ever before, his style and skill evolving into something that transcended the popular music of the era. He took on a big role in the anti-war and counterculture movements, which had a huge impact on his art. These are the five greatest Lennon-penned Beatles songs of all time. 5 “Revolution” (1968) The Beatles made three versions of “Revolution”: the fast-paced, hard rock single version was first released in August 1968. The slower, bluesy version is titled “Revolution 1” and an abstract, artistic iteration called “Revolution 9” appear on The Beatles’ self-titled album, more commonly known as “The White Album.” The single version is by far the best known and the most fitting for commercial reception and radio play. Lennon was inspired by the frequent political protests in 1968 while writing this song. He supported social change and the Leftist movement, but rejected violent protest. He believed change could be affected through peaceful methods. His lyrics reflect this: "When you talk about destruction / don't you know that you can count me out." The New Left, a political movement born of the counterculture, took offense to the song. They felt as though the song was flippant and dismissive, and The Beatles (Lennon specifically) were not as radical as they had once thought. Lennon later regretted his approach to “Revolution,” changing the lyrics from “You say you want a revolution/ Well, you know/ We all want to change the world” to “You say you want a revolution / We better get it on right away” when performing the song live. 4 “Come Together” (1969) “Come Together” is the opening track on Abbey Road, one of their most popular records. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 after the album’s release in 1969. The song was inspired by nonviolent protest of the Vietnam War led by Lennon and his second wife, Yoko Ono. These protests were joined and supported by many of the big players in the counterculture movement, including many new wave politicians. One of these politicians had a campaign slogan: "Come Together – Join the Party!” The phrase stuck with Lennon, and from it, he distilled this song’s title. The lyrics catch the listener’s attention, nonsensical and outlandish throughout the verses: “He wear no shoeshine, he got toe-jam football/ He got monkey finger, he shoot Coca-Cola/ He say, ‘I know you, you know me’/ One thing I can tell you is, you got to be free.” These lines are thought to reference drugs, as well as underline the pandering and political unrest that so defined this era. Some of the lyrics come directly from R&B legend and rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry – Lennon interpolated much of his 1965 single, “You Can’t Catch Me.” 3 “All You Need is Love” (1967) “All You Need is Love” was released as a non-album single in 1967. The song was the United Kingdom’s contribution to Our World – a historic television program, the first live, multinational, multi-satellite broadcast. Artists from all over the world contributed to the program, which was available in 24 countries, but The Beatles’ performance was by far the most highly anticipated. The lyrics are intentionally simplistic, idealistic, and point-driven: “Nothin' you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time/ It's easy/ All you need is love/ All you need is love/ All you need is love, love/ Love is all you need” Lennon knew it would be received by an international audience, and tailored it accordingly. The other members of the band disagree on whether he wrote the song specifically for Our World or reworked something he had already created, but either way the message is clear: love conquers all. The song became synonymous with flower power and the push for peace on earth. 2 “In My Life” (1965) Lennon thought of “In My Life” as his first “real” piece of work – despite writing and recording it halfway through The Beatles’ career. The song (and Rubber Soul, the album on which it appears) marks a departure from the more simplistic love songs the band had been producing. It was written autobiographically, based on nostalgia for his childhood in Liverpool. He wrote the lyrics in the form of a poem, initially naming specific places from his childhood before deciding on a more generalized format. This song is a meditation on home and the past, rife with themes of peace, acceptance, and memory. It is beautiful and comforting and by far one of Lennon’s most well-rounded pieces of work. The lyrics are deeply self-reflective, filled with gratitude and emotion: “Tho' I know I'll never lose affection/ For people and things that went before/ I know I'll often stop and think about them/ In my life I love you more.” A fun fact about the instrumentals: the piano solo during the bridge was tape-recorded at half-speed, producing a double-time recording that sounds more like a harpsichord than a traditional piano piece. 1 “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” (1965) “Norwegian Wood” is an absolute masterpiece. Lennon wrote this song as a thinly-veiled account of an extramarital affair he had in London. The lyrics are mysterious and cheeky, referring to his time spent in this unnamed woman’s apartment without admitting to anything outright. The addition of George Harrison’s bright, twangy sitar adds a folky texture to the track. Despite its unsavory subject matter, the song itself is comforting and folky, evoking a cozy, wine-soaked evening by a roaring fire. The narrative of “Norwegian Wood” deviates from the familiar description of a rock star’s sexual escapade. Instead of Lennon pursuing this woman, she had apparently seduced him – she lured him into her apartment, and then ultimately made him sleep in the bath: “She told me she worked/ In the morning and started to laugh/ I told her I didn't/ And crawled off to sleep in the bath.” This subversion of a common trope makes the song all the more interesting. The imagery is vivid and strangely beautiful – the listener can picture the illicit affair unraveling before their very eyes.