John Lennon's Angry Letter To Paul McCartney Is Up For Auction

Lennon and McCartney Announce Forming of Apple Corps

Photo: Bettmann

When Paul McCartney had his now infamous 1970 interview with Melody Maker, where he announced the Beatles breakup, discussed the band's business relationship and shared his thoughts about John Lennon's relationship with Yoko Ono, it infuriated his former bandmate to the point where Lennon sent McCartney a scathing letter.

The 1971 typewritten letter with handwritten annotations begins with a sarcastic “Dear Paul, Linda et al the wee McCartney’s,” before unleashing the fury. “We give you money for your bits of Apple,” he wrote of their business relationship. “We give you more money in the form of royalties, which legally belong to Apple. (I know we’re Apple, but on the other hand, we’re not.)”

Lennon also defended "Imagine," writing: “So you think ‘Imagine’ ain’t political, it’s ‘working class here’ with sugar on it for conservatives like yourself!! You obviously didn’t dig the words. Imagine!”

“Wanna put your photo on the label like uncool John and Yoko, do ya? (Ain’t ya got no shame). If we’re not cool, WHAT DOES THAT MAKE YOU,” he wrote about his relationship with Ono, adding: “I thought you’d have understood BY NOW, that I’m JOHNANDYOKO.”

After all that, Lennon concluded the letter on a less tense note. “No hard feelings to you either," he wrote. "I know we basically want the same, and as I said on the phone and in this letter, whenever you want to meet, all you have to do is call.”

This angry piece of history can now be yours (if you've got deep pockets). The letter is up for auction via Gotta Have Rock and Roll and the bid is currently at $30,000.


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