Cover art for How? by John Lennon

How?

Produced by

Sep. 9, 19711 viewer30K views

How? Lyrics

[Verse 1]
How can I go forward when I don't know which way I'm facing?
How can I go forward when I don't know which way to turn?
How can I go forward into something I'm not sure of?
Oh no, oh no

[Verse 2]
How can I have feeling when I don't know if it's a feeling?
How can I feel something if I just don't know how to feel?
How can I have feelings when my feelings have always been denied?
Oh no, oh no

[Bridge]
You know life can be long
And you got to be so strong
And the world is so tough
Sometimes I feel I've had enough

[Verse 3]
How can I give love when I don't know what it is I'm giving?
How can I give love when I just don't know how to give?
How can I give love when love is something I ain't never had?
Oh no, oh no

[Bridge]
You know life can be long
And you got to be so strong
And the world, she is tough
Sometimes I feel I've had enough
[Verse 4]
How can we go forward when we don't know which way we're facing?
How can we go forward when we don't know which way to turn?
How can we go forward into something we're not sure of?
Oh no, oh no

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

This song bio is unreviewed
Genius Annotation

“How?” is a song from John Lennon’s second solo album Imagine, released in 1971.

Lennon recorded “How?” on 25 May 1971 at Ascot Sound Studios, during the sessions for his Imagine album. String overdubs took place on 4 July 1971 at the Record Plant, in New York City.

Robert Christgau deemed the song “psychotherapeutically lugubrious” and confusing.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Credits
Written By
Vibraphone
Lead Vocals By
Drums By
Recorded At
Ascot Sound Studios, Berkshire, UK (May 25, 1971) and Record Plant East, New York City, NY (July 4, 1971)
Release Date
September 9, 1971
Tags
Comments