What You Got (John Lennon song)
| "What You Got" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by John Lennon | |
| from the album Walls and Bridges | |
| A-side | "#9 Dream" |
| Released | 16 December 1974 |
| Recorded | July–August 1974 |
| Genre | Funk rock |
| Length | 3:06 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriter(s) | John Lennon |
| Producer(s) | John Lennon |
| Walls and Bridges track listing | |
12 tracks | |
"What You Got" is a song written by John Lennon that was first released on his 1974 album Walls and Bridges. It was later released as the B-side to his top 10 #9 Dream single.
Lyrics and music
The lyrics of "What You Got" reflect Lennon being upset at being separated from wife Yoko Ono at the time, during his "lost weekend."[1] This is particularly the case of the refrain of "You don't know what you got until you lose it."[1][2][3][4] Lennon acknowledged that this is the case, stating that "Well, that's talkin’ about Yoko. You really don't know what you got till you lose it."[1][5] The lyrics are peppered with other cliches, including more reassuring ones such as "You gotta hang on in," and the refrain ends with the phrase "give me one more chance."[4][6] One line, "Well it's Saturday night and I just gotta rip it up" recalls Little Richard's song "Rip It Up" but unlike Little Richard, Lennon is not looking to celebrate Saturday night but rather expressing his anxiety about his personal situation and lamenting the time he has wasted getting drunk to try to forget about it.[1][3][6]
Music lecturers Ben Urish and Ken Bielen describe "What You Got" as a "
Reception
Blaney states that "What You Got" "may not have much to say lyrically, but it said it musically in the most fashionable way possible."[2] Du Noyer similarly states that it is "short on poetry, but it's satisfyingly stuffed with drama."[3] Rogan states that "although the party atmosphere suggests one long drinking binge, neither the musicianship not the arrangement is noticeably slack," going on to say that this song sounds better than most of the songs on Lennon's previous album Mind Games.[4] Communications professor Michael Frontani calls it one of Lennon's best vocal performances.[9]
On the other hand,
Far Out critic Tim Coffman rated it as Lennon's 8th greatest deep cut, calling it "a portrait of a man lost without the love of his life" and saying "Set to an early rock and roll shuffle, Lennon turns in a performance which feels like the hardcore equivalent of an early 1960s pop rock song, howling in frustration as the gentle staccato guitars follow his every word."[12]
Personnel
The performers on "What You Got" were:[2][8]
- John Lennon - vocals, electric guitar
- Jesse Ed Davis - electric guitar
- Eddie Mottau - acoustic guitar
- Nicky Hopkins - piano
- Ken Ascher - clavinet
- Klaus Voormann - bass
- Jim Keltner - drums
- Arthur Jenkins - percussion
- The Little Big Horns (Bobby Keys, Steve Madaio, Howard Johnson, Ron Aprea & Frank Vicari) - brass instruments
Alternate version
A 1:15 long edit of a demo of the song was issued on John Lennon Anthology.[7][8] Lennon plays this version on an unplugged electric guitar.[7][8]
References
- ^ a b c d e "What You Got". The Beatles Bible. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ ISBN 9781906002022.
- ^ ISBN 1560252103.
- ^ ISBN 0711955999.
- ISBN 9781429958080.
- ^ ISBN 9780275991807.
- ^ ISBN 0-615-11724-4.
- ^ ISBN 0966264959.
- ISBN 9780521869652.
- ISBN 0517544938.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Walls and Bridges". Allmusic. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ^ Coffman, Tim (22 January 2024). "10 greatest John Lennon deep cuts". Far Out. Retrieved 2024-01-24.