Video: 'John Lennon In His Own Words by John Lennon · Audiobook preview' (June 16, 1965 at 3:27)

(Wednesday, June 16, 1965, 8:00-8:30 p.m. BST) — With his second book, A Spaniard in the Works, hitting British shelves today, Beatle John Lennon took a rare turn away from music tonight to promote his growing literary voice.

Lennon, 24, taped two interviews for BBC Radio at the NEMS offices in London, following a day of film work with his bandmates on their upcoming movie Help!. The most prominent interview, set to air July 3 on The World of Books, features Lennon in a wide-ranging literary discussion with host Wilfred De’Ath.

The program avoided pop music entirely, instead diving into Lennon’s writing style, influences, and artistic intent. Caught off guard by questions on subjects like onomatopoeia, Lennon responded with typical candor: “I just haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about really.”

Despite a rocky start, the Beatle opened up about his admiration for writers like Lewis Carroll and James Joyce, and defended his often dark humor as longstanding. Though De’Ath noted hints of social conscience in the book, Lennon downplayed any political motivation: “I’m not a do-gooder about things, I won’t go around marching…”

The interview included a reading of Lennon’s poem “The Fat Budgie” and a discussion of his illustration techniques. Praised for its unusual depth, the segment was excerpted in multiple BBC broadcasts and later issued internationally on a Transcription Services disc titled John Lennon—Bookbeatle.

Also on this evening, Lennon gave an interview to the BBC’s Tim Matthews for the Home Service show Today. It included two verses of “The National Health Cow,” and was first broadcast on June 21, 1965.