"They found each other across a great divide" — Sean Ono Lennon talks about his father John Lennon's "love story" with Yoko Ono

Legendary musician John Lennon's son, Sean Ono Lennon, shared his thoughts about his father's relationship with his mother, Yoko Ono. Sean's comments came after an "Ultimate Mix" version of his father's fourth solo music album, Mind Games, came out in July 2024.

Speaking to The Times about Lennon's relationship with Yoko Ono, their son mentioned it was a "love story" that should always be remembered.

"Their story is a love story. They found each other across a great divide and certainly struggled through ups and downs, but never doubted their love. It is important we remember them as an example. Even through rough patches, you can see my father thought about my mother. They were simply, irrevocably intertwined," he said.

Lennon and Yoko Ono first met in 1966 in London when The Beatles singer visited Ono's solo exhibit, as per People. They got married in 1969, a year before The Beatles announced their split. The two welcomed their first and only child, Sean Ono Lennon into the world in October 1975.

He was only five years old when John Lennon was shot dead in front of his apartment in New York City in 1980.

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"All the songs are basically about how much he loves her" — Sean Ono Lennon explains how Mind Games is about his parents' relationship

56th GRAMMY Awards (Image via Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Sean Ono Lennon recently oversaw the re-release of the revamped version of John Lennon's 1973 solo album, Mind Games. The new version dropped on July 12, 2024.

In a recent interview with Variety released on July 15, Sean Lennon was asked whether he thinks about his parents' relationship while working on his father's projects. Some of the songs in the album by Lennon were speculated to be about his relationship with Yoko Ono, and addressing this, Sean Ono Lennon said:

"Well, I mean, of course I do. And I think what really struck me in this case, with this album, is that people always talk about how they went through a separation and my dad went to L.A. and all this stuff happened. And I find it really remarkable how clear it is that he was committed to my mom and was in love with her, even in this supposedly troubled time."

Sean Lennon added that the giant mountain on the album cover of Mind Games represented his mother, while his father was represented as a "little tiny figure dwarfed by her kind of incredible magnificence." Lennon's son went on to claim that all the songs on the album were "basically about how much he loves her."

He revealed that while working on the album, he realized that the songs were allegedly composed during a supposedly "troubled time" in his parents' relationship. However, he felt that despite this, there was no doubt about the love John Lennon had for Yoko Ono.

"But what struck me is that even at the time that supposedly was a troubled time, that there was zero doubt, if you pay attention, that he was in love with my mother and was committed to her in the ways that matter most." Sean Ono Lennon said.

Sean Lennon also spoke at length about re-releasing John Lennon's solo albums to promote his music outside of The Beatles. While Lennon is best known for his work with the legendary band, the singer released several solo albums as well. Some of those albums were in collaboration with Yoko Ono.

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Sean Ono Lennon believes it is his duty to bring John Lennon's solo music to the forefront

In his July 21 interview with The Times, Sean Ono Lennon mentioned that he considers it his duty to bring his father's solo music to the forefront.

“One thing that distinguishes my dad’s solo career is how personal his lyrics became. It is like a diary, and it is my duty to bring attention to my father’s music. Not just my duty to him, but a duty to the world,” he said.

Sean believes that given how the world is right now, people seem to have forgotten a lot of things. He added that John Lennon's music meant "too much" to him and he could never let that happen to his father's solo work.

Less than a month ago, a new music video for John Lennon's popular track Aisumasen (I'm Sorry) was released. The video included rare footage shot by Lennon featuring himself and Yoko Ono living in their New York City apartment.