Our lives at 45 rpm

Third in a series of posts on one Dullard's collection of 45s

Song: "Nobody Told Me"
Artist: John Lennon
Year released: 1984
Highest U.S. chart position: 5

DULLARD TAKE: Listening to "Nobody Told Me" is a bittersweet experience. Here is John Lennon, sounding so confident, self-assured, full of life — comfortable at last as a father, husband, performer and man. And there you are, hearing that voice that would soon be silenced.

"Nobody Told Me" is not a standout in the Lennon canon, although it does appear on some of the numerous anthologies that attempt to sum up his solo career. (Memo to Yoko: Enough already!) This is a goof of a song with lyrics that go from the oxymoronic to the absurd, which you might expect from a writer who once claimed to be the walrus:

Everybody's talking and no one says a word
Everybody's making love and no one really cares
There's Nazis in the bathroom just below the stairs.

Musically, "Nobody" is rollicking, with a great sing-along chorus. Its catchiness underscores the fact that Lennon was regaining his pop sensibilities just as his life was cut short.

Much of Lennon's work can be split into the "serious" John and the "fun" John. His most powerful work (such as "God" from the Plastic Ono Band era) prevails, but his whimsical efforts shouldn't be overlooked. "Nobody Told Me" is one of those efforts.