John Lennon on Karma
← Back to John Lennon ProfileIn his 1973 song "Mind Games," John Lennon envisions a world united in peace through the collective power of positive thought and spiritual action.
“So keep on playing those mind games together Doing the ritual dance in the sun. Millions of mind guerrillas Putting their soul power to the karmic wheel.”
“Instant Karma's gonna get you Gonna knock you off your feet Better recognize your brothers Everyone you meet Why in the world are we here? Surely not to live in pain and fear Why on Earth are you there When you're everywhere Come and get your share Well, we all shine on Like the moon and the stars and the sun Yeah, we all shine on C'mon and on and on, on, on”
John Lennon, inspired by a conversation about instant karma and his fascination with advertising, conceptualized the song as a call to immediate ethical action.
“It just came to me. Everybody was going on about karma, especially in the Sixties. But it occurred to me that karma is instant as well as it influences your past life or your future life. There really is a reaction to what you do now. That's what people ought to be concerned about. Also, I'm fascinated by commercials and promotion as an art form. I enjoy them. So the idea of instant karma was like the idea of instant coffee: presenting something in a new form. I just liked it.”