John Lennon Wrote One of the Beatles' Most Haunting Songs for an Iconic Actress's Sister

When The Beatles went to India, it was with the purpose of learning Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in his ashram. George Harrison, in particular, was very interested in learning about the discipline, but the other Beatles, while curious, used their time away to write. John Lennon and Paul McCartney went back to writing together and comparing notes as they used to at the beginning of their songwriting partnership, and according to Lennon, “Regardless of what I was supposed to be doing, I did write some of my best songs there.”

One of those songs, many fans would say, was "Dear Prudence," a sweet, innocent, but still groundbreaking ballad dedicated to one of The Beatles' companions in the retreat, actress Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence Farrow. Among all the Maharishi's disciples, she was one of the most keen on learning about meditation. Because of that, she spent a lot of time locked in her room, sometimes worrying her "course-buddies", as she called them. In his song, Lennon calls for her and urges her to go outside and join the rest of their friends.

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?

Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day

The sun is up, the sky is blue

It's beautiful and so are you

"As I was acoustic all my life, I was playing guitar constantly, and John looked at me and said, ‘How do you do that guitar pickin’?’ So I taught John," Donovan explained. The song "Dear Prudence" meant a lot to him because of that, and he named it among one of his favorites of all time.

“With the guitar style and John’s caring attitude to Prudence, it was very touching.”
Prudence Farrow Finally Spoke About the Beatles' "Dear Prudence"

Prudence Farrow was a Beatles fan when she went on the retreat, so she was thrilled to find out they would be in the same group. But admittedly, because she grew up in Hollywood, she was a little apprehensive, since she'd met a lot of celebrities and been disappointed by them. But they pleasantly surprised her.

"The Beatles were all very nice, humble, modest, kind, and down-to-earth people. This actually shocked me since other celebrities I had met before disappointed me and did not live up to my expectations," she explained.

"Dear Prudence" is an absolute fan favorite, with simple but moving lyrics, and a complex but peaceful arpeggio that hypnotizes the listener and draws them into the world Lennon was writing about. Truly, a timeless masterpiece.

Source: collider.com/Val Barone