# Working Class Hero

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1970 song by John Lennon

For the John Lennon compilation album, see [Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon](/source/Working_Class_Hero%3A_The_Definitive_Lennon). For the John Lennon tribute album, see [Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon](/source/Working_Class_Hero%3A_A_Tribute_to_John_Lennon).

"Working Class Hero" UK B-side label Song by John Lennon from the album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Released 11 December 1970 Recorded 27 September 1970 Studio EMI Studios, London Genre Folk Length 3:48 Label Apple Songwriter John Lennon Producers John Lennon Yoko Ono Phil Spector

"**Working Class Hero**" is a song by [John Lennon](/source/John_Lennon) from his 1970 album *[John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band](/source/John_Lennon%2FPlastic_Ono_Band)*, his first album after the [break-up](/source/Break-up_of_the_Beatles) of [the Beatles](/source/The_Beatles). It was released as the B-side to the single "[Imagine](/source/Imagine_(song))" in Britain on 24 October 1975.

## Theme

Stridently political,[1] the song is a commentary on the difference between social classes. According to Lennon, it is about [working class](/source/Working_class) people being processed into the [middle classes](/source/Middle_class), into the "machine".[2] Lennon also said, "I think it's a revolutionary song – it's really just revolutionary. I just think its concept is revolutionary. I hope it's for workers and not for tarts and fags. I hope it's about what "[Give Peace a Chance](/source/Give_Peace_a_Chance)" was about. But I don't know – on the other hand, it might just be ignored. I think it's for the people like me who are working class, who are supposed to be processed into the middle classes, or into the machinery. It's my experience, and I hope it's just a warning to people, Working Class Hero."[3]

The song continued a string of political Lennon recordings that began in 1968 with the Beatles' "[Revolution](/source/Revolution_(Beatles_song))" and continued in 1972 with the release of *[Some Time in New York City](/source/Some_Time_in_New_York_City)*.[1]

## Recording and sound

Recorded at [EMI Studios](/source/EMI_Studios) on 27 September 1970,[4] the song features only Lennon, singing and playing an acoustic guitar as his backing. The chord progression is very simple, and builds on A-minor and G-major, with a short detour to D-major in one line of the chorus. Lennon's strumming technique includes a riff with a [hammer-on](/source/Hammer-on) pick of the E note on the D string and then an open A string.[5] The tone and style of the song is similar to that of "[Masters of War](/source/Masters_of_War)" and "[North Country Blues](/source/North_Country_Blues)" by [Bob Dylan](/source/Bob_Dylan), a known influence of Lennon. Both are based on [Jean Ritchie](/source/Jean_Ritchie)'s arrangement of the traditional [English](/source/England) [folk song](/source/Folk_song) "[Nottamun Town](/source/Nottamun_Town)".

According to tape operator Andy Stephens, the song took more than 100 takes to record.[6] The recording is the composite of two different takes: the tone of the guitar and vocal changes between 1:24 and 1:45 for the verse "When they've tortured and scared you".

## Reception

*[Classic Rock](/source/Classic_Rock_(magazine))* critic Rob Hughes rated "Working Class Hero" as Lennon's fourth best political song, saying that "The class wars provide the impetus for Lennon’s searing commentary on the repressive nature of institutional power."[7] *[Ultimate Classic Rock](/source/Ultimate_Classic_Rock)* critic Nick DeRiso rated it as Lennon's fourth greatest solo political song, calling it "one of Lennon's most brutally frank and emotionally gripping moments."[8]

*[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)* contributors Timothy and Elizabeth Bracy rated it as Lennon's third best solo song, calling it "a stark, acoustic ballad reminiscent of [Bob Dylan](/source/Bob_Dylan)'s '[Masters of War](/source/Masters_of_War)'" and "a painful recognition that the [Age of Aquarius](/source/Age_of_Aquarius) has meant less than zero."[9]

## Controversy

In 1973,[10] US Representative [Harley Orrin Staggers](/source/Harley_Orrin_Staggers) heard the song – which includes the lines "'Til you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules" and "But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see" – on [WGTB](/source/WGTB) and lodged a complaint with the [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) (FCC). The manager of the station, Ken Sleeman, faced a year in prison and a $10,000 fine, but defended his decision to play the song saying, "The People of Washington DC are sophisticated enough to accept the occasional four-letter word in context, and not become sexually aroused, offended, or upset." The charges were dropped.[11] Other US radio stations, like Boston's [WBCN](/source/WBCN_(FM)), banned the song for its use of the word "fucking".[12] In Australia, the album was released with the expletive removed from the song and the lyrics censored on the inner sleeve.[13] The American release did not censor the lyrics, neither on the album nor on the inner sleeve.

## Personnel

- [John Lennon](/source/John_Lennon) – vocals, [acoustic guitar](/source/Acoustic_guitar)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) ["Working Class Hero"](https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/john-lennon/songs/working-class-hero/). *The Beatles Bible*. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Wenner, Jann](/source/Jann_Wenner) (December 1970). ["John Lennon interview"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070910201912/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/16313366/john_lennon_the_rolling_stone_interview). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. New York City: Wenner Media LLC. Archived from [the original](https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/16313366/john_lennon_the_rolling_stone_interview) on 10 September 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["John Lennon's Song: Working Class Hero"](https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/john-lennon/songs/working-class-hero/). The Beatles Bible. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Madinger, Chip; Raile, Scott (2015). *LENNONOLOGY Strange Days Indeed – A Scrapbook of Madness*. Chesterfield, MO: Open Your Books, LLC. p. 210. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-63110-175-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-63110-175-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Lennon, John (1983). *Lennon: The Solo Years*. Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation. p. 156. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-88188-249-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88188-249-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-farout_6-0)** Coffman, Tim (3 November 2024). ["'Working Class Hero': The John Lennon song that took over 100 takes to get right"](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-john-lennon-song-that-took-over-100-takes-to-get-right/). Far Out. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Hughes, Rob (8 December 2021). ["John Lennon's 10 best political songs"](https://www.loudersound.com/features/10-best-john-lennon-political-songs). *[Classic Rock](/source/Classic_Rock_(magazine))*. [Louder Sound](/source/Louder_Sound). Retrieved 19 June 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** DeRiso, Nick (9 October 2013). ["Top 10 John Lennon Solo Political Songs"](https://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-lennon-solo-political-songs/). *[Ultimate Classic Rock](/source/Ultimate_Classic_Rock)*. Retrieved 8 January 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Bracy, Timothy; Bracy, Elizabeth (13 May 2014). ["The 10 Best John Lennon Songs"](https://www.stereogum.com/1681100/the-10-best-john-lennon-songs/lists/). Stereogum. Retrieved 3 May 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Raz, Guy (29 January 1999). ["Radio Free Georgetown"](http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=16638). [Washington City Paper](/source/Washington_City_Paper). Retrieved 31 March 2009.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Blecha, Peter](/source/Peter_Blecha) (2004). [*Taboo Tunes: A History of Banned Bands & Censored Songs*](https://archive.org/details/tabootuneshistor0000blec/page/160). Backbeat Books. pp. [160–161](https://archive.org/details/tabootuneshistor0000blec/page/160). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-87930-792-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87930-792-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Schechter, Danny](/source/Danny_Schechter) (1997). *The More You Watch, the Less You Know: News Wars/Submerged Hopes/Media Adventures*. [Seven Stories Press](/source/Seven_Stories_Press). p. 106. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-888363-80-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-888363-80-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Blaney, John (2005). *John Lennon: Listen To This Book*. Paper Jukebox. p. 59. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9544528-1-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9544528-1-X).

v t e John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Songs Side one "Mother" "Hold On" "I Found Out" "Working Class Hero" "Isolation" Side two "Remember" "Love" "Well Well Well" "Look at Me" "God" "My Mummy's Dead" 2000 reissue bonus tracks "Power to the People" "Do the Oz" Related John Lennon discography Plastic Ono Band Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band Primal therapy Lennon Remembers John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Imagine Some Time in New York City Mind Games Walls and Bridges Rock 'n' Roll

v t e John Lennon Discography Instruments Jukebox Song list Death Studio albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Imagine Mind Games Walls and Bridges Rock 'n' Roll with Yoko Ono Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions Wedding Album Some Time in New York City Double Fantasy Milk and Honey Live albums Live Peace in Toronto 1969 Live Jam Live in New York City Compilations Hits Shaved Fish The John Lennon Collection Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon Instant Karma: All-Time Greatest Hits Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon Power to the People: The Hits Icon Themed Menlove Ave. Wonsaponatime Acoustic Peace, Love & Truth Box sets Lennon John Lennon Anthology John Lennon Signature Box Gimme Some Truth Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes Power to the People Video The John Lennon Video Collection Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon Books In His Own Write A Spaniard in the Works Skywriting by Word of Mouth Films Self-Portrait (1969) Apotheosis (1970) Fly (1970) Erection (1971) Up Your Legs Forever (1971) Live in New York City (1972) Imagine (1972) Bootlegs A Toot and a Snore in '74 S.I.R. John Winston Ono Lennon Associates The Quarrymen The Beatles Plastic Ono Band David Peel The Lower East Side Band The Dirty Mac May Pang Harry Nilsson John Sinclair Rosaura Lopez Fictionalised Chapter 27 In His Life: The John Lennon Story John and Yoko: A Love Story The Killing of John Lennon Lennon Naked Birth of the Beatles Nowhere Boy Backbeat Two of Us The Lennon Report Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed Yesterday Tributes and memorials The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute: Live from the Beacon Theatre, NYC "All Those Years Ago" Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" "Here Today" Imagine Peace Tower "The Immigrant" Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur John Lennon Art and Design Building John Lennon Museum John Lennon Park John Lennon Peace Monument John Lennon Educational Tour Bus "The Late Great Johnny Ace" Lennon (musical) Lennon Bermuda Lennon Wall "Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)" Liverpool John Lennon Airport Non-Violence Strawberry Fields "Roll On John" Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon The Beatles Statue Related media Imagine: John Lennon soundtrack I Met the Walrus John John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky Lennon Remembers LennoNYC The Lives of John Lennon The Lost Lennon Tapes Marx & Lennon: The Parallel Sayings Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon The Pope Smokes Dope Pussy Cats The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits One to One: John & Yoko "That's My Life (My Love and My Home)" The U.S. vs. John Lennon soundtrack Other topics 251 Menlove Avenue Kenwood Tittenhurst Park The Dakota Bagism Bed-in Imagine Piano Peace Project John Lennon Artificial Intelligence Project John Lennon UFO incident Lennon–McCartney LennonOno Grant for Peace Mark David Chapman "More popular than Jesus" Nutopia Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Sweet Toronto Psychedelic Rolls-Royce 4147 Lennon Category

v t e John Lennon songs Discography John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band "Mother" "Hold On" "I Found Out" "Working Class Hero" "Remember" "Love" "Well Well Well" "Look at Me" "God" "My Mummy's Dead" Imagine "Imagine" "Crippled Inside" "Jealous Guy" "It's So Hard" "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" "Gimme Some Truth" "Oh My Love" "How Do You Sleep?" "How?" "Oh Yoko!" Some Time in New York City "Woman is the Nigger of the World" "Attica State" "New York City" "Sunday Bloody Sunday" "The Luck of the Irish" "Cold Turkey" Mind Games "Mind Games" "Tight A$" "Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)" "Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)" "Nutopian International Anthem" "Out the Blue" "Only People" "I Know (I Know)" "You Are Here" "Meat City" Walls and Bridges "Going Down on Love" "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" "Old Dirt Road" "What You Got" "Bless You" "Scared" "#9 Dream" "Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)" "Steel and Glass" "Beef Jerky" "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)" "Ya Ya" Rock 'n' Roll "Be-Bop-a-Lula" "Stand By Me" "Rip It Up"/"Ready Teddy" "You Can't Catch Me" "Ain't That a Shame" "Do You Want to Dance" "Sweet Little Sixteen" "Slippin' and Slidin'" "Peggy Sue" "Bring It On Home to Me/Send Me Some Lovin'" "Bony Moronie" Double Fantasy "(Just Like) Starting Over" "Cleanup Time" "I'm Losing You" "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" "Watching the Wheels" "Woman" "Dear Yoko" Milk and Honey "I'm Stepping Out" "Nobody Told Me" "Grow Old with Me" Other non-Beatles recordings "Instant Karma!" "Power to the People" "Give Peace a Chance" "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" "Move Over Ms. L" "Angel Baby" "To Know Her Is to Love Her" "Real Love" Singles Lifetime 1969 "Give Peace a Chance" / "Remember Love" (Ono) "Cold Turkey" / "Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow)" (Ono) 1970 "Instant Karma!" / "Who Has Seen the Wind?" (Ono) "Mother" / "Why" (Ono) 1971 "Power to the People" / "Open Your Box" (Ono) (UK) "Power to the People" / "Touch Me" (Ono) (US) "Imagine" / "It's So Hard" (US) "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" / "Listen, the Snow Is Falling" (Ono) 1972 "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" / "Sisters O Sisters" (Ono) 1973 "Mind Games" / "Meat City" 1974 "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" / "Beef Jerky" "#9 Dream" / "What You Got" "Ya Ya" / "Be-Bop-a-Lula" (Germany only) 1975 "Stand by Me" / "Move Over Ms. L" "Imagine" / "Working Class Hero" (UK) 1977 "Stand by Me" / "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" (reissue) (US) 1980 "(Just Like) Starting Over" / "Kiss Kiss Kiss" (Ono) Posthumous 1981 "Woman" / "Beautiful Boys" (Ono) "Watching the Wheels" / "Yes, I'm Your Angel" (Ono) (UK) "Watching the Wheels" / "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" (US) 1982 "Love" / "Give Me Some Truth" 1984 "Nobody Told Me" / "O' Sanity" (Ono) "Borrowed Time" / "Your Hands" (Ono) "I'm Stepping Out" / "Sleepless Night" (Ono) "Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" / "It's Alright" (Ono) 1985 "Jealous Guy" / "Going Down on Love" 1986 "Rock and Roll People" (promo) 1998 "I'm Losing You" (promo) Category

v t e Plastic Ono Band John Lennon Yoko Ono Members 1969–1974 Eric Clapton Klaus Voormann Alan White Ringo Starr Delaney Bramlett Bonnie Bramlett Jim Gordon George Harrison Nicky Hopkins Bobby Keys Keith Moon Billy Preston Jim Price Hugh McCracken Stuart Scharf David Spinozza Kenneth Ascher Michael Brecker Arthur Jenkins David Friedman Pete Kleinow Don Brooks Jeremy Steig Jesse Ed Davis Eddie Mottau 2009–present Sean Ono Lennon Cornelius Yuka Honda Michael Leonhart Erik Friedlander Albums Live Peace in Toronto 1969 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band Some Time in New York City Approximately Infinite Universe Feeling the Space Mind Games Walls and Bridges Shaved Fish Live in New York City Don't Stop Me! Between My Head and the Sky The Flaming Lips with Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band Take Me to the Land of Hell Singles "Give Peace a Chance"/"Remember Love" "Cold Turkey"/"Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow)" "Instant Karma!"/"Who Has Seen the Wind?" "Mother"/"Why" "Power to the People"/"Open Your Box" "Power to the People"/"Touch Me" "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"/"Listen, the Snow Is Falling" "Woman Is the Nigger of the World"/"Sisters, O Sisters" "Now or Never"/"Move on Fast" "Death of Samantha"/"Yang Yang" "Mind Games"/"Meat City" "Whatever Gets You thru the Night"/"Beef Jerky" "#9 Dream"/"What You Got" "Working Class Hero" Related articles List of Plastic Ono Band line-ups Elephant's Memory The Dirty Mac Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Sweet Toronto Category

v t e Green Day Billie Joe Armstrong Mike Dirnt Tré Cool John Kiffmeyer Studio albums 39/Smooth Kerplunk Dookie Insomniac Nimrod Warning American Idiot 21st Century Breakdown ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré! Revolution Radio Father of All Motherfuckers Saviors Live albums Bullet in a Bible Awesome as Fuck Woodstock 1994 BBC Sessions Compilations 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours International Superhits! Shenanigans Demolicious Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band EPs 1,000 Hours Slappy Sweet Children Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking Tune In, Tokyo... Last Night on Earth: Live in Tokyo 21 Guns Tours Pop Disaster Tour American Idiot World Tour 21st Century Breakdown World Tour 99 Revolutions Tour Revolution Radio Tour Hella Mega Tour The Saviors Tour Associated acts Foxboro Hot Tubs The Network Pinhead Gunpowder The Frustrators The Lookouts The Big Cats The Influents The Longshot The Coverups Related articles Discography List of songs Awards and nominations Jason White Adeline Records Seltzer v. Green Day, Inc Punk Bunny Coffee Cigarettes and Valentines Money Money 2020 Stop Drop and Roll!!! American Edit Green Day's American Idiot soundtrack Green Day: Rock Band songs ¡Cuatro! Foreverly "Boulevard of Broken Songs" Ordinary World Nimrods Love Is for Losers No Fun Mondays Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So! Category

Authority control databases MusicBrainz work MusicBrainz release group

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Working Class Hero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Class_Hero) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Class_Hero?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.