Classic rock is so pervasive that it influenced artists who don’t make rock music in any way, shape, or form. John Lennon’s songs generally weren’t as sentimental as Celine Dion’s. However, one of John’s later tracks is so emotional that it works in Dion’s hands. Her version even managed to do significantly better in the United States than the original tune.
John Lennon wrote 1 of his songs for his son, Sean Ono Lennon
Dion and John might appear to be polar opposites as artists. Regardless, John was a balladeer at times. His last album, Double Fantasy, includes the ballad “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).” Dion later covered the tune during the early 2000s.
David Sheff gave us the 1980 book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Sheff discussed hearing John sing the tune for his son, Sean Ono Lennon. “Back home, when it was Sean’s bedtime, Sean climbed onto his father’s lap and John read to him,” Sheff wrote.
“Then he sang a lullaby he wrote for Sean — a song I first heard in the studio one day during a break in our interview when John picked up an acoustic guitar, began playing, and sang a song with lyrics he’d scribbled on a sheet of paper: ‘Close your eyes. Have no fear,” he added. “The monster’s gone, he’s on the run, and your daddy’s here.’ Then he sang the chorus, his eyes shining. ‘Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy.’”
The impact that the song had on David Sheff and his son afterward
Sheff said “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” had a big impact on him. “I became a father in July 1982, two years after the weeks I spent with John and Yoko,” he said. “I’m his dad, so I’m prejudiced, but [his son] Nic was an extraordinary child, the loveliest being, a shining light.
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“Every night when I put Nic to bed, I read to him — A Hole Is to Dig, Goodnight Moon, Dr. Seuss — and then I sang a lullaby, ‘Beautiful Boy,’” he added. “Sean’s song had become Nic’s song.”
How John Lennon’s ‘Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)’ and Celine Dion’s cover performed
John’s “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” never charted on the Billboard Hot 100. On the other hand, Double Fantasy became a chart juggernaut. The record topped the Billboard 200 for eight weeks, staying on the chart for 77 weeks in total. It outperformed every one of John’s solo releases.
Meanwhile, Dion’s “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” didn’t reach the Billboard Hot 100. However, it reached No. 18 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, remaining on the Adult Contemporary chart for 18 weeks. It wasn’t a big hit, but radio stations embraced it more than the original. The tune appeared on the album Miracle. That record climbed to No. 4 and stayed on the Billboard 200 for 22 weeks. Love it or hate it, Dion’s remake introduced the song to many people.
“Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” is such a good song that it worked in the hands of both John and Dion.
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