On December 5, 1980, just three days before he was gunned down outside his home in New York, John Lennon gave a marathon nine-hour interview with a reporter from Rolling Stone magazine.
Yesterday (December 8) marked the 30th anniversary of Lennon’s death, which was commemorated around the globe by fans paying tribute to his message of peace and love. As part of that celebration, Rolling Stone magazine devoted its final 2010 issue to an interview the singer did three days before his death.
Excerpts from Jonathan Cott’s interview with the English singer-songwriter were originally published in a tribute issue in January 1981, but the full talk sat on a Cott’s closet shelf for nearly 30 years.
“Earlier this year I was cleaning up to find some files in the recesses of my closet when I came across two cassette tapes marked ‘John Lennon, December 5th, 1980,” said Cott. “It had been 30 years since I listened to them, and when I put them on, this totally alive, uplifting voice started speaking on this magical strip of magnetic tape."
The tapes help paint a portrait of the artist’s mindset at the time of his death. After a five year hiatus, the release of the album Double Fantasy marked his return to the music industry and the media spotlight.
In audio excerpts from the interview on Rolling Stone’s website, Lennon laments, "I cannot live up to other people’s expectations of me, because they’re illusory," he said of the pressure to live up to his legacy. "Give peace a chance, not shoot people for peace … I only put out songs and answer questions … I cannot be 18 and be a punk … I see the world through different eyes. I still believe in love, peace and understanding, as Elvis Costello says."