Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) by John Lennon – ****

First released: 1980

Even though I didn’t identify with much of what Lennon was singing about on John and Yoko’s "Double Fantasy", I actually liked this tune when it first came out. The ocean waves at the beginning were a nice touch in this ode to his son, Sean. It’s also on "The John Lennon Collection" from 1982 and was actually released as a single on one of those back-to-back hits as a track was needed to couple with "Watching the Wheels". It was also the b-side of the "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" single reissue from 1982. It’s also on the "Imagine: John Lennon" soundtrack from 1988, 1990’s "Lennon", "Lennon Legend" from 1997, and "Working Class Hero" from 2005. It’s alternately known as just "Beautiful Boy". Two demo versions appear on 1998’s "The John Lennon Anthology", one with the title "Mr. Hyde’s Gone (Don’t Be Afraid)".