New York City (John Lennon and Yoko Ono song) Lennon incorporating a bit of New York City vernacular with the statement "what a bad ass city." Music critic Johnny Rogan claims that "the melody sounds like a direct lift from 'The Ballad of John and Yoko.'" Music critic Paul Du Noyer describes "New York City" as a "solid, rousing rocker." Music critic Paul Blaney describes it as "a rough and tumble rocker" and a "dense exciting street rocker." Lennon is backed by Elephant's Memory, whose provide a brassy sound. Beatles expert Bruce Spizer describes Lennon's guitar playing as being in "Chuck Berry style." According to Du Noyer, Lennon performs
John Lennon second version, told by McCartney, is that in late 1965, Ono was in London compiling original musical scores for a book John Cage was working on, "Notations", but McCartney declined to give her any of his own manuscripts for the book, suggesting that Lennon might oblige. When asked, Lennon gave Ono the original handwritten lyrics to "The Word". Ono began visiting and telephoning Lennon's home and, when his wife asked him for an explanation, Lennon explained that Ono was only trying to obtain money for her "avant-garde bullshit". While his wife was on holiday in Greece in May 1968, Lennon