(Just Like) Starting Over Lyrics

[Intro]
Our life together is so precious together
We have grown - we have grown
Although our love is still special
Let's take a chance and fly away somewhere alone


[Verse 1]
It's been too long since we took the time
No-one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you darlin'
It's like we both are fallin' in love again
It'll be just like startin' over (Over)

Startin' over (Over)

[Verse 2]
Everyday we used to make it love
Why can't we be making love nice and easy?
It's time to spread our wings and fly
Don't let another day go by, my love
It'll be just like startin' over (Over)
Starting over (Over)

[Bridge]
Why don't we take off alone?
Take a trip somewhere far, far away

We'll be together, all alone again
Like we used to in the early days
Well, well, darlin'
[Verse 1]
It's been too long since we took the time
No-one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you darlin'
It's like we both are fallin' in love again
It'll be just like startin' over (Over)
Startin' over (Over)
Look out!

[Outro]
Our life together is so precious together
We have grown - we have grown
Although our love is still special
Let's take a chance and fly away somewhere...
(Over and over and over)
Starting over
(Over and over and over
Over and over and over
Over and over and over)

[Produced by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Jack Douglas; engineered by Lee DeCarlo and Jon Smith]

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

Genius Annotation

The final single released by John Lennon whilst he was alive, “(Just Like) Starting Over” was also the opening track on Double Fantasy. Recorded at the last minute, it wasn’t Lennon’s favourite track on the album, but he felt it the most fitting to be released at the first single.

Inspired by the music of Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Gene Vincent, it is about John and Yoko’s developing relationship. Whilst Lennon acknowledges that they “have grown” together and their “love is still special”, they haven’t been dedicating quality time to each other. That’s what John wanted to “start over”.

And to me it was like going back to 15 and singing à la Presley. All the time I was referring to Jon [Smith], the engineer, here in the room I was referring to Elvis Orbison. It’s kinda like… “Only The Lonely”, you know… a kind of parody but not really parody.

Following Lennon’s assassination, the song went to #1, having been at #3 the previous week. It is now one of Lennon’s most popular solo works, along with “Imagine” and “Instant Karma”.

Like many Lennon songs – see “I Am The Walrus” and “She Said She Said” as examples – “Starting Over” was stitched together from multiple demos, namely “My Life”, “The Worst Is Over” and “Don’t Be Crazy”. The “(Just Like)” was added to the title at the last minute to prevent it being confused with other songs.

Q&A

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

What did John Lennon say about "(Just Like) Starting Over"?
Genius Answer

And to me it was like going back to 15 and singing à la Presley. All the time I was referring to Jon [Smith], the engineer, here in the room I was referring to Elvis Orbison. It’s kinda like… “Only The Lonely”, you know… a kind of parody but not really parody.

Comments