The 23 Most Inspiring John Lennon Quotes About Peace, Love & Happiness
Today would have been his 80th birthday.
YourTango John Lennon, the man behind some of the most popular music in the world and who inspired an entire generation to dream big when it comes to peace, love and happiness, is perhaps unsurprisingly responsible for a multitude of powerful quotes that still inspire many of us to this day.
was born on October 9th, 1940 in Liverpool, England, Lennon co-founded one of the most influential bands of all time — The Beatles — alongside childhood friend Paul McCartney when they were just teenagers.
As the inspiring John Lennon quotes below prove, the late singer, songwriter, and activist grew to be one of the most legendary voices in modern history.
After countless hits, number-one-albums, and sold-out venues, The Beatles disbanded officially in 1970. Lennon then focused on creating new ideas and forming a platonic-turned-romantic relationship with singer Yoko Ono, who he married and had another son with a few years later.
John Lennon's new ideas were based on love and peace. His solo-work dealt with these themes and he became an activist against war. He blended his music beautifully with these ideas which spurred conversations about achieving peace and loving one another.
John Lennon was tragically shot and killed outside of his Manhattan apartment on December 8, 1980. Fans across the world lamented and showed their support as the world had lost an icon. Ono later scattered his ashes in Central Park, where the Strawberry Fields memorial remains to this day.
In celebration of his legacy, we've gathered the best John Lennon quotes and lyrics about peace, love and happiness to inspire you.
The 23 Best John Lennon Quotes
1. “Being honest may not get you a lot of friends, but it'll always get you the right ones.” — John Lennon
2. “Living is easy with eyes closed.” — John Lennon from The Beatles, "Strawberry Fields"
3. “As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot.” — John Lennon
4. “We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.” — John Lennon
5. “If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.“ — John Lennon
6. “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” — John Lennon from The Beatles, "Beautiful Boy"
7. “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life.” — John Lennon
8. “When I cannot sing my heart, I can only speak my mind.” — John Lennon from The Beatles, "Julia"
9. “If I fell in love with you would you promise to be true? And help me understand, 'cause I've been in love before and I found that love was more than just holding hands.”— John Lennon from The Beatles, "If I Fell"
10. “Only by trying on other people’s clothes do we find what size we are.” — John Lennon
11. “We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it.” — John Lennon
12. “I’m not afraid of death because I don’t believe in it. It’s just getting out of one car, and into another.” — John Lennon
13. “When I touch you I feel happy inside. It's such a feelin' that my love I can't hide.” — John Lennon and Paul McCartney from The Beatles, "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
14. “Everything is as important as everything else.” — John Lennon
15. “What we’ve got to do is keep hope alive. Because without it we’ll sink.” — John Lennon
16. “Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.” — John Lennon
17. “Nothing's gonna change my world.” — John Lennon from The Beatles, "Across The Universe"
18. “Happiness is inside you not with another person.” — John Lennon
19. “Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” — John Lennon
20. “Rituals are important. Nowadays it’s hip not to be married. I’m not interested in being hip.” — John Lennon
21. “Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now?” — John Lennon
22. “God is a concept by which we measure our pain.” — John Lennon, "God"
23. “Part of me suspects that I’m a loser, and the other part of me thinks I’m God Almighty.” — John Lennon
Brian Montes is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.