Mr. Write's Page

For a big chunk of my working life, I was a copywriter in the advertising department of a humongous corporation. Being in a creative atmosphere like that, and being a wordsmith-type person, I often sent to my friends and co-workers assorted stuff that I thought was funny, interesting, or otherwise worth sharing.

If you’ve read this blog before, you may be familiar with such regular features as “Quotes o’ the Day” and “Tune o’ the Day.” Well, I started sending quotes and song lyrics to my colleagues years ago.

I mention this to introduce the very last set of song lyrics that I shared with my friends at work. It happened in 2005, soon after I announced my retirement.

John Lennon wrote “Watching the Wheels” to explain why, in 1975, he abruptly quit the music business to focus on life and family. The song was released a few months after his murder.

In 2005, I was getting off the merry-go-round, too. What finale could be more appropriate than “Watching the Wheels”?

Watching the Wheels

By John Lennon, 1981
Written by John Lennon

People say I’m crazy, doin’ what I’m doin’.
Well, they give me all kinds of warnings, to save me from ruin.
When I say that I’m okay, well, they look at me kind of strange.
“Surely you’re not happy now. You no longer play the game.”

People say I’m lazy, dreamin’ my life away.
Well, they give me all kinds of advice, designed to enlighten me.
When I tell ’em that I’m doing fine, watching shadows on the wall,
“Don’t you miss the big time, boy? You’re no longer on the ball.”

I’m just sittin’ here watchin’ the wheels go round and round.
I really love to watch them roll.
No longer riding on the merry-go-round.
I just had to let it go.

People askin’ questions, lost in confusion.
Well, I tell them there’s no problem — only solutions.
Well, they shake their heads, and they look at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
I tell them there’s no hurry — I’m just sitting here doing time.

I’m just sittin’ here watchin’ the wheels go round and round.
I really love to watch them roll.
No longer riding on the merry-go-round.
I just had to let it go.
I just had to let it go.
I just had to let it go.