"Woman" | ||||||||||||
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Single by John Lennon | ||||||||||||
from the album Double Fantasy | ||||||||||||
B-side | "Beautiful Boys" (Yoko Ono) | |||||||||||
Released | 12 January 1981 (US) 16 January 1981 (UK) |
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Format | 7", Cassette | |||||||||||
Recorded | 5 August, 27 August, 8 September, 22 September 1980 | |||||||||||
Genre | Soft rock | |||||||||||
Length | 3:32 | |||||||||||
Label | Geffen | |||||||||||
Writer(s) | John Lennon | |||||||||||
Producer(s) | John Lennon, Yoko Ono & Jack Douglas | |||||||||||
John Lennon singles chronology | ||||||||||||
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14 tracks |
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"Woman" is a song written and performed by John Lennon from his 1980 album Double Fantasy. The track was chosen by Lennon to be the second single released from the Double Fantasy album, and it was the first Lennon single issued after his death on 8 December 1980. The B-side of the single is Ono's song "Beautiful Boys".
Lennon wrote "Woman" as an ode to his wife Yoko Ono, and to all women. The track begins with Lennon whispering, "For the other half of the sky ...", a paraphrase of a Chinese proverb, once used by Mao Zedong.
In an interview for Rolling Stone magazine on 5 December 1980, Lennon said that "Woman" was a "grown-up version" of his song "Girl". On 5 June 1981, Geffen re-released "Woman" as a single as part of their "Back to Back Hits" series, with the B-side "(Just Like) Starting Over".
The single debuted at number 3 in the UK, then moving to number 2 and finally reaching number 1, where it spent two weeks, knocking off the top spot his own re-released "Imagine". In the US the single peaked at number 2 on Billboard Hot 100 (kept out of the top spot by REO Speedwagon's hit "Keep On Loving You" and Blondie's hit "Rapture") while reaching number 1 on the Cashbox Top 100.
The Shadows did an instrumental version as a medley with 'Imagine' in 1981.
Pop group Brotherhood of Man recorded a version in 1981, which was featured on their album 20 Love Songs.