Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him
"Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" is a song by Yoko Ono from the album Double Fantasy with John Lennon. Other versions were released, including one released as a single where Ono's voice was removed, leaving what had been Lennon's backing vocal as the primary vocal.
"Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" | |
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Song by Yoko Ono | |
from the album Double Fantasy | |
Released | 17 November 1980 |
Recorded | 1980 |
Genre | Rock |
Length | 4:02 |
Label | Geffen Records |
Songwriter(s) | Yoko Ono |
Producer(s) | John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Jack Douglas |
"Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" | ||||
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Single by John Lennon | ||||
from the album Every Man Has a Woman | ||||
A-side | "It's Alright" (Sean Lennon) (AA-side) | |||
Released | 16 November 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1980 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 3:32 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Yoko Ono | |||
Producer(s) | John Lennon | |||
John Lennon singles chronology | ||||
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Yoko Ono original version
Music lecturers Ben Urish and Ken Bielen described Ono's original version on Double Fantasy as having a "reggae feel."[1] They regard the theme of the song to be the "preordained nature of soul mates" although the lyrics acknowledge that one might not find their soul mate in this lifetime.[1] They point to the line "Why do I run, when I know you're the one" as recognizing that people may be hesitant to accept the inevitability their soul mate.[1] Beatle biographer John Blaney feels that the theme restates much of what Ono had already sung on the album in "Beautiful Boys."[2] According to Ono, the song is "about love."[2]
Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated this version to be Ono's 5th best song, preferring it to the version with only Lennon's vocals.[3]
John Lennon version
A new version of the song was created for the compilation album Every Man Has a Woman.[1] It stripped away Ono's lead vocal, while bringing Lennon's backing vocal up in the mix thus making it effectively a John Lennon song.[1][3] Ono can still be heard singing effectively backup in parts of the refrain.[1] Besides eliminating Ono's lead vocal, this version also eliminates a short instrumental part.[1] Urish and Bielen speculate that Lennon created this mix before he died in anticipation of putting together an album of other artists performing Ono's songs as a birthday present to her.[1]
It was released as a single with B-side featuring "It's Alright" by Ono and Sean Lennon.[1] The last "new" John Lennon song to be released as a single, it failed to chart in the United Kingdom but charted at #52 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the United States.[4][5] This version was included on the 1990 Lennon compilation album Lennon.[1][2] It was also released as a bonus track on the CD reissue of Milk and Honey.[6]
In 2007, the song was re-released as a UK-only 12" single on the Mynx record label where it was coupled with Elvis Costello's cover version of Yoko Ono's song "Walking on Thin Ice".[7]
Blaney criticized this version for using Lennon's harmony vocal as a lead vocal, which, according to Blaney "it is not."[2]
Personnel
This is the personnel according to the John Lennon Website.[8]
- John Lennon – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Yoko Ono – vocals
- Earl Slick – guitar
- Hugh McCracken – guitar
- Tony Levin – bass guitar
- George Small – keyboards
- Ed Walsh – Oberheim
- Andy Newmark – drums
- Arthur Jenkins – percussion
- George "Young" Opalisky – saxophone
Track listing
- UK 7" single[9]
- A. "Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" (by John Lennon) – 3:32
- AA. "It's Alright" (by Sean Lennon) – 2:26
"Everyman... Everywoman..."
"Everyman... Everywoman..." | ||||
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Single by Yoko Ono | ||||
from the album Open Your Box | ||||
Released | 2004 | |||
Genre | Rock, dance | |||
Label | Mind Train, Twisted Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Yoko Ono | |||
Producer(s) | John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Jack Douglas | |||
Yoko Ono singles chronology | ||||
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"Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" was later released as a single by Yoko Ono in 2004 under the title "Everyman... Everywoman...".[1] The lyrics were altered for this version to allow for same-sex relationships.[1] A remix version by Blow-Up was later included on Ono's 2007 remix album Yes, I'm a Witch.[10] Allmusic critic Thom Jurek called the Blow-Up remix "a full-on psychedelic rave-up worthy of the Kinks circa 1965.[10]
Track listing
- Digital download[11]
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Basement Jaxx Classix MAN2MAN Mix) – 4:02
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Murk Space Miami Mix) – 5:17
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Dave Audé Radio Edit) – 3:51
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Blow-Up Radio Edit) – 3:57
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Basement Jaxx Night Dub) – 5:45
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Ralphi Rosario Main Mix) – 8:04
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (DJ Vibe Mix) – 8:05
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Passengerz Ono Mixshow) – 6:24
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Dave Audé Dub) – 8:27
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Basement Jaxx Club Mix 2) – 7:11
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Blow Up Plastic Mix) – 5:42
- "Everyman... Everywoman..." (Basement Jaxx Classix Mix) – 4:00
Charts
Chart (2004) | Peak position |
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US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[12] | 1 |
References
- Urish, Ben; Bielen, Ken (2007). The Words and Music of John Lennon. Praeger. pp. 80, 92–93, 105. ISBN 9780275991807.
- Blaney, John (2007). Lennon and McCartney: together alone: a critical discography of their solo work. Jawbone Press. pp. 143, 147, 166, 167. ISBN 978-1-906002-02-2.
- Gallucci, Michael (18 February 2013). "Top 10 Yoko Ono Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- "Chart History - John Lennon: Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- "Top Rock Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. 13 October 1984. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- Ginell, Richard S. "Milk and Honey [Bonus Tracks]". AllMusic. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- "Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him / Walking on Thin Ice". Discogs. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- "Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him". John Lennon. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- "John Lennon – Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him (Vinyl) a Discogs". Discogs. Zinc Media, Inc. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- Jurek, Thom. "Yes, I'm a Witch". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- "Everyman... Everywoman... – Single by Yoko Ono". iTunes Store US. Apple Inc. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- "Yoko Ono Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 July 2011.