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Borrowed Time – promo video, 1984

Milk And Honey cover artJohn Lennon went on a sailing holiday in 1980 between Newport, Rhode Island and Bermuda and along the way encountered a severe storm that lasted for several hours. The crew got seasick and fatigued causing John to have to take the wheel of the yacht alone for a few hours. This terrifying experience renewed his respect for the fragility of life and invigorated him at the same time. His recovery from a heroin addiction some years before had left him immune to seasickness, and this really paid off here. Once in Bermuda, he heard the line “living on borrowed time” from Bob Marley’s song Hallelujah Time and because of his recent near death experience wrote the lyrics about that theme. The reggae feel of the song is also inspired by Bob Marley. The song was featured on John & Yoko’s Milk And Honey album released in 1984. The video is a nice collection of snippets from John & Yoko’s past and is included on the Lennon Legend DVD.

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I don't own Milk and Honey, so this was the first time hearing this track for me. Very enjoyable (a bit repetitive, though) and the video was charming.

lennonista - you get the joke, yes the title is meant both ways - try me at donovanthom@yahoo.com.
Read 'Last Days of John Lennon' by his personal assistant, Fred Seaman

Thanks so much! Many more. Can contact me.

My 'Lennon At Sea' project is a work in process, no real end in sight, looking for publisher. Using over 200 sources, great amount of detail. See Thom Donovan @ facebook, will show samples.

These are really cool Thom.

Really looking forward to checking out your project (at work right now and the firewall won't let me access Facebook)... but I already love the idea and the title, which can be taken literally or metaphorically. (Sadly, Lennon was a little "at sea" for a few years there.) That Jamaican record would have been amazing...

Another Beatle/Lennon first: Michael Jackson's glove is well documented and very famous. (Didn't it just sell for about 200k?) At about 3'15" into the video, we see Lennon riding around in the back of a car and he's wearing plastic gloves. He's got them on in the next scene, too. Now it's official - Michael Jackson stole the glove look from none other than John Lennon! All hail the great one.

.... how many more pages to go?
It sounds like a 'must read' for sure.

I am drawing a graphic novel, 'Lennon At Sea,' based on the Bermuda sailing story, his world travels, and homes by the sea, including islands. It is currently 300 pages long. John initially intended to record a solo album in Jamaica, hoping to meet Bob Marley and use real reggae session players. Love this version!