When it comes to music legends, few names command as much respect and admiration as John Lennon and Bob Marley. They were visionaries, shaping their respective genres—rock and reggae—in ways that still influence artists today. But what if I told you that Lennon wasn’t always a fan of Marley?
Yes, the Beatles founder, known for his progressive views on music and culture, had some harsh words for the reggae icon during a studio session in 1980.
August 1980—Lennon was in the studio recording what would become his final album, Double Fantasy.
During a session for his song “Borrowed Time”, Lennon was frustrated. He wanted the track to have a strong reggae feel, but his session musicians weren’t nailing the groove.
At some point, Lennon let his frustration out, turning his criticism toward Bob Marley himself. He said:
“Marley was great at first, but later on, he lost it.”
While Lennon was criticizing Marley, Marley was calling Lennon one of the greats.
Lennon’s song “Borrowed Time”—the very track he was struggling to perfect—was actually inspired by a lyric from The Wailers.
A Lennon-Marley collaboration would have blended Lennon’s melodic, introspective songwriting with Marley’s poetic, socially conscious lyrics. Picture a song that starts with a reggae rhythm, then breaks into Lennon’s dreamy, surreal chorus, and ends with both of them harmonizing about peace, love, and revolution. It could have been a genre-defying masterpiece.
Tragically, both John Lennon and Bob Marley passed away within a year of each other.
Lennon was assassinated in December 1980 outside his New York apartment. Marley passed away in May 1981, after a long battle with cancer.
