How? (song)

"How?"
Song

"How?" is a song from John Lennon's second solo album Imagine, released in 1971. It is a contemplative song inspired by the Primal Therapy he was undergoing with his wife Yoko Ono, where he faced many personal questions such as "How can I go forward when I don't know which way I'm facing?" This song also shows his thoughts about the world in general (such as "And the World is so tough; Sometimes I feel I've had enough").

The sound of "How?" is typical of several of the songs on Imagine, including the title track and "Jealous Guy", with Lennon on piano and string overdubs, something which hadn't featured on his previous album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.

Personnel

• John Lennon - vocals, piano
• Nicky Hopkins - piano
• Klaus Voormann - bass
• John Barham - vibraphone
• Andy Davis - acoustic guitar
• Alan White - drums
• The Flux Fiddlers - strings

Covers

• The song was covered by the band Stereophonics as a B-side to the song "Handbags and Gladrags".
• The song was covered by English singer Julie Covington on her 1978 eponymous album.
• Ozzy Osbourne has also released a cover of this song in support of Amnesty International in the same week John Lennon would have become 70. He recorded a music video on the streets of New York to promote the single. Osbourne has previously stated that Lennon's song "Imagine" (from the same album as "How?") was an inspiration for Osbourne's own song "Dreamer".
• The song was covered by American singer/songwriter Amy LaVere on her 2014 record Runaway's Diary.