Whether you know him as a Beatle, a peace activist, or the man behind Imagine, John Lennon left an indelible mark on music and culture. But beyond the iconic round glasses and the unforgettable lyrics, there are some curious and lesser-known tidbits about the man himself.

Here are 15 fun facts about John Lennon that might surprise you, amuse you, or make you admire him even more:

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1. “You say stop and I say go, go, go” – Hello Goodbye (1967)

John Lennon created the track “Revolution 9” completely on his own after the rest of the Beatles went on holiday. Naturally everyone else hated it, despite this fact, it was put on the Beatles self titled white album.

2. “There are places I remember” – In My Life (1959)

John Lennon’s first band before the Beatles was a band called The Quarrymen, Paul McCartney saw them perform in a church event and offered to join, creating the legendary Lennon-McCartney songwriting duo.

3. “Fixing a hole where the rain gets in” – Fixing a Hole (1967)

Lennon didn’t know how to tune his guitar at first because he was so used to playing banjo. He payed someone to do it to tune it for him! When McCartney joined The Quarrymen, he decided enough was enough and taught him.

4. “For fussing and fighting, my friend” – We can Work it Out (1965)

Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep?” (1971, Imagine) was written at the height of post-Beatles tensions. It took sharp aim at McCartney’s music and character, mocking everything from the song Yesterday to his “pretty face.”

5. “Help me if you can, I’m feeling down” – Help! (1965)

The Beatles song “Help!” was a literal cry for help from Lennon after the media hounded him in the earlier Beatles years for being “fat”.

6. “In my life, I’ve loved them all.” – In my Life (1965)

Lennon’s father walked out on him and his mother when Lennon was young, so when his mother died in 1946, he lived with his Aunt Mimi until mid-1963.

7. “I’m a loser” – I’m a Loser (1964)

During his 18-month “Lost Weekend” (1973–75), Lennon had an affair with May Pang, his and Yoko’s PA—an arrangement oddly encouraged by Yoko herself. Though chaotic, it was also a time of musical output and brief peace with McCartney.

8. “Take a sad song and make it better” – Hey Jude (1968)

Lennon’s favourite Beatles song was “Hey Jude,” being penned by McCartney for Lennon’s oldest son Julian.

9. “Happiness is a warm gun” – Happiness is a Warm Gun – (1968)

Lennon’s assassin, Mark David Chapman, actually asked Lennon a couple hours before shooting him to autograph a copy of “Catcher in the rye”. Chapman later sat on the pavement outside of the apartment reading the copy just after shooting Lennon.

10. “They’re gonna make a big star out of me” – Act Naturally (1965)

In October 1968, Lennon and Yoko were arrested for possession of cannabis resin in their London flat. Lennon took the fall, pleading guilty.

11. “You can radiate everything you are” – Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey (1968)

Apart from John Lennon, he sang also by the name of Dr. Winston O’ Boogie, The Rev. Thumbs Gherkin, The Rev. Fred Gherkin, Long John, Mel Torment and others.

12. “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make” – The End (1969)

On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot five times in the back with a .38 Special outside the Dakota, in front of Yoko Ono. He died shortly after at age 40.

13. “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together” – I Am the Walrus (1967)

John Lennon loved “I Am the Walrus” (1967) because it was deliberately surreal and nonsensical—a cheeky jab at over-analysis.

14. ‘All you need is love” – All You Need Is Love (1967)

John Lennon struggled with dyslexia, making schoolwork difficult, but he thrived in Art and Music—where his creativity really took flight. Encouraged by his Aunt Mimi, these talents became his strongest forms of expression.

15. “Tomorrow I’ll miss you” – All My Loving (1963)

John Lennon died at 11:15 pm at night on the 8th of December 1980 while the Beatles song “All My Loving” was playing on the hospital radio.

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And there we have it: 15 facts about John Lennon, the man who defined generations, with a troubled life cut too short.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these facts. If you know a fact about Lennon you want us to know, make sure to put it in the comments.