One of the songs written by John Lennon during his 1980 holiday in Bermuda, ‘(Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess’ was released on the posthumous collection Milk And Honey in 1984.
Lennon spent seven weeks in Bermuda in the summer of 1980. While there he wrote several songs and recorded demos of more, including ‘(Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess’. His handwritten lyrics from the time are annotated “Fairylands July 1980”.
The song, like so many of the time, was written for Yoko Ono, and was an apology for hurting or offending her. Although it is unclear what inspired the sentiments, it is known that she flew to Bermuda to join Lennon for two days in June 1980, but returned to New York after finding the hot weather unbearable.
Lennon was reportedly disgusted by her unwillingness to remain by his side, and during a subsequent failure to communicate on the telephone he wrote ‘I’m Losing You’.
If he wrote ‘(Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess’ after their disagreement, the lyrics – which speak of “my utter selfishness” and plead for another chance – show that Lennon was deeply affected at the possibility of losing Ono once again. He had asked for forgiveness in song before, most notably on 1971’s ‘Jealous Guy’ and 1973’s ‘Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)’.
Lennon recorded ‘(Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess’ at the Hit Factory studio in New York, early on in the Double Fantasy sessions. The results were only ever intended to be a reference recording for future work, enabling Lennon to reevaluate the song at a later date. That chance never came, however, and the work-in-progress was released in 1984 after his death.
Well, Jealous Guy, according to Paul himself, was written about him, not about Yoko. At least John told him so. I am not sure most of his songs were for yoko. Possibly this song my little flower princess was not for her either. Of course I can not be sure. but nobody can be sure it was for Yoko either. People presume poets only write about their wives. people are so wong!
Well, now I have to go listen to Jealous Guy again to hear those lyrics through this perspective. Thank you!
Paul is just claiming its his song bc he thought john made more songs about him which is goddamn annoying. Jealous guy was OBVIOUSLY made for Cyn. He even said so in the 1980 playboy interview
if john had wanted to be with May he could have and would have.
Did anybody notice the similarities of the funky riff to the one in McCartney’s “Coming Up”, released just before recording this song?
I just did! Thank you for pointing it out!
Coming up “like a flower” indeed…
I think this song is about May Pang
Fred Seaman, who was living with John in Bermuda, says that this was written for May Pang. The lyrics make more sense in that light than presuming they were for Yoko. Lennon was still contacting May intermittently up to 1980, and this song seems to reflect a combination of nostalgia for their relationship and guilt for the way he left it.
If John wanted to be with May he could have and would have.
It’s disgusting, where is the evidence that this song is for yoko, if you can’t find whom he wrote the song for ,just leave it alone, rather than mislead people