John Lennon Named the Elvis Song That Inspired '(Just Like) Starting Over'
John Lennon's "(Just Like) Starting Over" was a callback to Elvis Presley and other artists who inspired John. John's song is more mature than the Elvis tune that inspired it.
It doesn’t take a genius to hear that John Lennon‘s “(Just Like) Starting Over” was inspired by Elvis Presley’s music. During an interview, John named the Elvis song and the Roy Orbison song that inspired “(Just Like) Starting Over.” He also revealed how much he was indebted to both artists.
During a 1980 Rolling Stone interview recorded in the book Lennon on Lennon: Conversations With John Lennon, John discussed the genesis of “(Just Like) Starting Over.” “All through the taping of ‘Starting Over,’ I was calling what I was doing ‘Elvis Orbison:’ ‘I want you I need only the lonely,'” he said. His words were a clear callback to Elvis’ “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” and Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely,” two songs that influenced “(Just Like) Starting Over.”
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
