Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) Live 1970

John Lennon was a complex guy. He was angry, prone to addiction, and an absolute genius. His vocal and playing ability were the weakest part of his game. Despite this - he was perhaps one of the best songwriters of all time.

Instant Karma was a huge break from "Hard Days Night" - which is arguably one of his better songs (about an acid trip interestingly enough). The Beatles were cheesy until they weren't - if Paul McCartney had it his way they would have been singing 30s and 40s style songs forever.

John's album "Double Fantasy" was probably the best Beatles album post Beatles. Wings had a few HUGE successes - George had even more success - but John Lennon dropped an album that you could listen to in its entirety over and over and over.

Instant Karma is a song about love - but with a twist. "Recognize your brother - everyone you meet" - that was the message of this song. The "golden rule" everyone learned in school - but using an eastern concept to express what most of us in the west learned as children "treat others how you want to be treated".. I think John liked the idea of Karma - do unto others - OR ELSE pay for it in the next life.

Brilliant writer - his songs "shine on".