Woman

Woman

John Lennon

Written by

John Lennon

Key:Eb major
Duration:3:31

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Summary

"Woman" is a beautifully crafted soft rock ballad from John Lennon's final album Double Fantasy (1981). Built on warm, flowing chord progressions in Eb major and Lennon's heartfelt vocal delivery, the song stands as one of his most emotionally direct solo works—a mature love letter that became a posthumous worldwide hit after his assassination in December 1980.

soft rocklove balladJohn Lennonposthumous hitDouble Fantasy

Musical Analysis

The harmony of 'Woman' is elegant in its simplicity. Built on classic diatonic progressions in Eb major, the song uses the time-tested I–vi–ii–V circle in the verse to create warmth and forward momentum. The shift to IV-based harmony in the chorus provides an…

Chords

verse:Eb - Cm - Fm - Bb
chorus:Ab - Eb - Ab - Bb - Eb

History

John Lennon wrote 'Woman' during his five-year hiatus from music, a period spent as a house husband raising his son Sean in the Dakota apartment building in New York City. The song emerged as part of a burst of creativity in 1980 when Lennon returned to songwr…

“The whispered words at the beginning of the song are Lennon saying 'For the other half of the sky'”

Full Musical Analysis

The harmony of 'Woman' is elegant in its simplicity. Built on classic diatonic progressions in Eb major, the song uses the time-tested I–vi–ii–V circle in the verse to create warmth and forward momentum. The shift to IV-based harmony in the chorus provides an emotional lift without introducing unnecessary complexity. This restraint allows Lennon's vocal performance and lyrical sincerity to remain the focal point—a hallmark of his mature songwriting style that prioritized emotional communication over harmonic sophistication.

John Lennon wrote 'Woman' during his five-year hiatus from music, a period spent as a house husband raising his son Sean in the Dakota apartment building in New York City. The song emerged as part of a burst of creativity in 1980 when Lennon returned to songwriting for what would become the Double Fantasy album. He conceived it as a mature declaration of love and gratitude to Yoko Ono and, by extension, to all women.

"Woman" is a beautifully crafted soft rock ballad from John Lennon's final album Double Fantasy (1981). Built on warm, flowing chord progressions in Eb major and Lennon's heartfelt vocal delivery, the song stands as one of his most emotionally direct solo works—a mature love letter that became a posthumous worldwide hit after his assassination in December 1980.

Deep Analysis Available

Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song.

Song DNA

Genre

Pop

Era

80s

Mood

Peaceful

Tempo

Mid-tempo

Key

Major

Texture

Full Band

Sound

Piano-led

Feel

Straight

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Listen & Learn

Statistics

1.8M

Plays

445K

Listeners

213K

Genius Views

8

Annotations

100%

Popularity

3:31

Duration

4/4

Time

Credits

Written by

John Lennon

Produced by

Jack DouglasYoko OnoJohn Lennon