Over the years, many musicians have paid homage to the legendary John Lennon through their music. In 2012, Bob Dylan joined their ranks with his heartfelt tribute, “Roll On, John.” Long before Lennon’s tragic death on December 8, 1980, he and Dylan shared a parallel journey as contemporaries in the music scene. Dylan even introduced The Beatles to marijuana, and Lennon acknowledged Dylan by name in “God” from his first solo album after leaving the band.
Nearly thirty years after Lennon’s passing, Dylan took a quiet, unpublicized visit to the former Beatle’s childhood home. With his understated appearance and the passage of time as a disguise, Dylan blended seamlessly with other tourists. This visit planted the seeds for the emotional, eight-verse tribute that would later become “Roll On, John.”
During a European tour in 2009, Dylan used a rare day off to explore Lennon’s childhood residence in Woolton, Liverpool. He joined a small group of 13 visitors on a National Trust minibus tour, which showcased the house restored to its 1940s condition and featuring early Lennon memorabilia. According to a National Trust spokesperson, Dylan went completely unrecognized by his fellow tourists.
Reflecting on Lennon’s formative years, Dylan was particularly struck by the imagery in “Strawberry Fields Forever.” “He used to hang out in the park behind his house,” Dylan said. “In Britain, there’s all this history of hangings, and that line—’Nothing to get hung about’—always puzzled me. I realized he meant it literally: ‘Don’t worry, Mum, there’s nothing they’re going to hang me for.’ That kind of detail fascinated me.”
While The Beatles and Dylan experienced massive success during the 1960s, there was also an undercurrent of competition as both acts dominated the global charts. Despite this rivalry, Dylan always felt a personal connection to Lennon. “John came from the northern regions of Britain, the hinterlands, just like I did in America,” Dylan shared with Rolling Stone in 2012. “We both grew up in tough environments where the odds were stacked against us.”
He elaborated on their shared struggles, saying, “We were the same age, exposed to the same cultural influences, and faced similar challenges. Our paths crossed at a pivotal time, and we understood the difficulties each of us endured. I wish he were still here. There’s so much we could talk about now.”
“Roll On, John” chronicles Lennon’s life journey—from his early days in Liverpool to his final moments in New York City. Dylan skillfully weaves references to iconic Beatles lyrics, including “Come together right now over me” from “Come Together” and “I heard the news today, oh boy” from “A Day in the Life.” When asked about crafting the tribute, Dylan humbly remarked, “A person’s life is so vast—there’s endless material to draw from. I simply chose the parts I felt connected to and understood.
