Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) John Lennon liked the number 9. It shows up in three of his songs (in addition to this song, he performed "Revolution #9" and "The One after 909" with the Beatles). He was born on the 9th of October, as was his son Sean. Coincidentally, "No. 9 Dream" hit #9 on the Billboard chart. Do you have a favorite number? 7
2) The phrase repeated in the chorus, "Ah bowakawa pousse pousse" means nothing. It's gibberish that John sang until he could come up with "real" lyrics for this melody. Then he decided he liked the sound of it, so he kept it. Can you think of a word that's fun to say just because you like how it sounds? "Deuteronomy." Since I'm no Old Testament scholar, it doesn't come up in conversation often, but it is fun to say.
3) John referred to "No. 9 Dream" as an example of "craftsmanship writing." A snatch of the melody just came to him and he got it down on a tape recorder, wrote lyrics, arranged it and recorded it in short order because he needed another song to finish the LP, Walls and Bridges. What's the last thing that you did because you were supposed to or you had to, and not because you wanted to? Every day, I do something toward reducing the clutter in my home. Friday it was winnowing out a few more books.
4) Yet once "No. 9 Dream" was recorded, it became one of John's favorite of his solo songs. He loved its ethereal feel. Tell us about something that turned out better than you thought it would. Open seating at work. Instead of offices, we all just sit out at picnic tables. I dreaded it. And I do feel piteously exposed all day long. But on the plus side, it exposed me to Trisha.
She's an executive vice president in another department. In the conventional office set up, we may not have met. But now we sit side-by-side all day. She's been an unexpectedly delightful, friendly and influential neighbor, and I appreciate her so much.
5) When he was working, John drank a lot of tea, as many as 30 cups in a day. Do you take your tea with cream, sugar, honey, or lemon? Two sugars, please.
6) During his reclusive years (1975 to 1980), John didn't have household help, preferring to take care of his young son and housework himself. He did, however, have a chauffeur on call around the clock. If you could afford to a staff of one, what single thing would you have him/her do? A chef would be nice. I'd love to create a menu, have someone do the shopping and the food prep and the clean up.
7) When John was a boy, he requested water colors and colored pencils for his birthday and at Christmastime. Do you recall a special birthday or Christmas gift you received as a child? The Christmas I turned 5, I got Blaze. He was a pinto rocking horse that went back and forth AND up and down. Even better, he whinnied! Like all Mattel toys of his vintage, he made noise when you pulled the string. He was awesomely special.
8) Beatles producer George Martin said John was "a completely impractical man." Would you describe yourself as impulsive, with flashes of practicality? Or are you practical, with flashes of impulsivity? Practical, with flashes of impulsivity.
9) Random question -- Congratulations! You just won the Saturday 9 Sweepstakes, and the prize is your choice of a boat or a motorcycle. Which one do you take? A motorcycle, because I think it would be easier to sell.
