Jealous Guy

This song was born as a directionless draft. In 1968, John Lennon brought it to Beatles rehearsals under the title Child of Nature, inspired by a talk from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi that he heard in Rishikesh, India. The song revolved around an imaginary journey through mountains and landscapes, but it remained unfinished until years later, when the musician gave it a complete turn. What began as a sketch of soundscapes ended up becoming an honest portrait of his own emotional contradictions. The definitive version, Jealous Guy, was recorded in May 1971 at Ascot Sound Studios and included on Imagine, his second solo album. It wasn’t an immediate success, but over time it became one of his most recognizable tracks, even after his death.

What makes this track special is not just its lyrics, but how it sounds. Nicky Hopkins sets the rhythm with a piano that seems to float over the acoustic base, while the string arrangements —recorded in July of that same year at Record Plant, New York— give it a melancholic and cinematic air. The original recording of Imagine contrasts with the Esher demos, where the echo of Rishikesh’s landscapes can still be heard. In 1985, the song returned to the charts when Roxy Music released it as a single, reaching number one in the UK and Australia. Although Lennon never released it in his lifetime, his version remains a testament to his ability to turn regret into music.