“Watching the Wheels” is a single by John Lennon released posthumously in 1981 after his murder. The B-side features Yoko Ono’s “Yes, I’m Your Angel.” It was the third and final single released from Lennon and Ono’s album Double Fantasy album, and reached number 10 in the US and number 30 in the UK. In “Watching the Wheels” Lennon addresses those who were confounded by his “househusband” years, 1975–1980. During this period, he “retired” from the music industry to concentrate on raising his son Sean with Ono. The acoustic demo of “Watching the Wheels” is featured in the ending credits to the 2009 film Funny People. The song features a hammered dulcimer accompanying the lead piano. The photograph on the cover was taken by Paul Goresh, a fan of Lennon who also took the infamous photo of Lennon signing a copy of Double Fantasy for his killer, Mark David Chapman. Both photos were taken at the same place, in front of the Dakota building, which was the site of his 1980 shooting. Later, Chapman was recorded in police custody reciting the line “People say I’m crazy” from the song.
Written by: Lennon
Recorded: 6 August-13 October 1980
Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Jack Douglas
Album Released: 17 November 1980
Single Released: 13 March 1981 (US); 27 March 1981 (UK)
John Lennon: vocals, keyboards
Earl Slick, Hugh McCracken: electric guitar
Tony Levin: bass guitar
George Small: keyboards
Michelle Simpson, Cassandra Wooten, Cheryl Mason Jacks, Eric Troyer: backing vocals
Andy Newmark: drums
Matthew Cunningham: hammer dulcimer
Arthur Jenkins: percussion
Available on:
- Double Fantasy
- Power To The People – The Hits
- John Lennon Anthology
- Acoustic
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