Beatles: The Word Meaning

Song Released: 1965

The Word Lyrics

The Word

Say the word and you'll be free,
Say the word and be like me,
Say the word I'm thinking of,
Have you heard the word is love.
It's so fine, it's sunshine,
It's the word love.

In the beginning I misunderstood,
But now...

1. anonymous

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   Dec 26th 2012 !⃝

   The Word is God. The Word is love. The Word was made flesh
   and lived among us shining His Light. The Word is so fine, it's sunshine. The
   Word is good, the Word is love, the Word is Jesus. The Word died for us, and
   rose again so we could be free. When we repent and are washed by baptism in
   Jesus name saying the Word “Jesus”, we are free from sin, and can be like Him! When
   He fills us with His Spirit - the Word - we know what we feel must be right.
   Now we can show everybody the Light. The Word is just the way, the Word is
   love, the Word is Jesus. Spread the Word and you'll be free. Spread the
   Word and be like me.
   
   In the beginning I misunderstood
   But now I've got it, the Word is good.
2. anonymous

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   Feb 12th 2012 !⃝

   Right, it's simply about the word love. Nothing more. Nothing less. And John put it quite clearly.
3. anonymous

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   Dec 15th 2011 !⃝

   In the beginning I misunderstood,
   But now I've got it the word is good.
   
   Saying that, he thought he was in love in the beginning, but was wrong, not that love is wrong, just his love was.
   
   
   Everywhere I go I hear it said,
   In the good and the bad books that I have read.
   
   People trying to tell him what love is, good or bad.
   
   
   
   Now that I know what I feel must be right,
   I mean to show ev'rybody the light.
   
   Has found true love and wants to share the feeling with everybody
4. beatlesholic13

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   Jan 10th 2010 !⃝

   I agree with MountaineerForLife because Of the whole "Bigger Than Jesus" thing this might have been a statement of Johns point of mind trying to send a message.
5. Winnipegger

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   Sep 15th 2009 !⃝

   The key to most religions of the world is the so-called "Golden Rule": "Love thy neighbour as yourself".
   
   Boiled right down, it all comes down to the word "Love".
   
   And this is what Lennon was saying. If everyone followed the teachings they learned in their respective religions, and put them into practice, the world would be a better place.
   
   This song was not anti-religion; if anything it was pro-religion and religious messages.
   
   The message would be understood rapidly, and the notion of universal love would be coupled with that of universal peace, culminating in 1967's "Summer of Love".
6. MountaineerForLife

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   May 11th 2009 !⃝

   I've always been tempted to think of this song as kind of a mockery of Christianity, as in "The Word of Jesus" of living by The Word. It's not uncommon to refer to the Bible or the teachings of Jesus as "The Word". And knowing that John Lennon wasn't exactly a devout Christian, I wouldn't put it past him to mock it. Consider lyrics like this:
   
   "Say the Word and you'll be free
   Spread the Word and be like me"
   
   This could easily be an allusion to Evangelism, those Christians who actively recruit people to their religion so that they may be free.
   
   Or here are some other excerpts that make this interpretation even clearer:
   
   "Now that I know what I feel must be right
   I'm here to show everybody the light"
   
   "Everywhere I go, I hear it said
   In the good and the bad books that I have read"
   
   To me, this song is clearly a shot at Christianity, but it goes over most people's heads because of the very poppy sound of the song. Quite brilliant.

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