Borrowed Time (John Lennon song)
Encyclopedia
"Borrowed Time" is the title of a song from John Lennon
and Yoko Ono
's last album, Milk and Honey. While the single failed to chart in the United States, it charted at #32 in the UK Singles Chart
.
The song was inspired during Lennon's 1980 sailing holiday from Newport Rhode Island to Bermuda
. During the journey Lennon's yacht encountered a prolonged severe storm resulting in most of the crew eventually succumbing to profound fatigue and seasickness, Lennon (free of seasickness) was eventually forced to take the yacht's wheel alone for many hours. Lennon found this terrifying but invigorating with the effect of both renewing his confidence and making him contemplate the fragility of life (Lennon claimed his recovery from heroin addiction some years earlier had rendered him immune to seasickness). Once he arrived in Bermuda Lennon heard the line 'living on borrowed time' from Bob Marley
's "Hallelujah Time" and was inspired by his recent experience to write the lyrics around that theme, Marley was also the inspiration for the reggae feel of the music. Lennon commented that living on borrowed time was exactly what he was doing but then said "come to think of it, what we all are doing, even though most of us don't like to face it" (Seaman, 1991, p159).
The B-side features Ono's song "Your Hands" from the same album.
The song was covered
by O.A.R.
for Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
, Amnesty International
's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur
.
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
's last album, Milk and Honey. While the single failed to chart in the United States, it charted at #32 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The song was inspired during Lennon's 1980 sailing holiday from Newport Rhode Island to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. During the journey Lennon's yacht encountered a prolonged severe storm resulting in most of the crew eventually succumbing to profound fatigue and seasickness, Lennon (free of seasickness) was eventually forced to take the yacht's wheel alone for many hours. Lennon found this terrifying but invigorating with the effect of both renewing his confidence and making him contemplate the fragility of life (Lennon claimed his recovery from heroin addiction some years earlier had rendered him immune to seasickness). Once he arrived in Bermuda Lennon heard the line 'living on borrowed time' from Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
's "Hallelujah Time" and was inspired by his recent experience to write the lyrics around that theme, Marley was also the inspiration for the reggae feel of the music. Lennon commented that living on borrowed time was exactly what he was doing but then said "come to think of it, what we all are doing, even though most of us don't like to face it" (Seaman, 1991, p159).
The B-side features Ono's song "Your Hands" from the same album.
The song was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by O.A.R.
Of a Revolution
O.A.R. is an American rock band composed of Marc Roberge , Chris Culos , Richard On , Benj Gershman , and Jerry DePizzo...
for Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur is a compilation album of various artists covering songs of John Lennon to benefit Amnesty International's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur...
, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
.