I think the rather mocking-sounding descending chromatic horn lick in the chorus reinforces this attitude, the implied idea being: “yeah, sure - love, HARD WORK, AND / OR A LOT OF LUCK, is all you need!” Also, I’ve always felt John’s meaning in every verse line is INCORRECTLY perceived by most listeners to be encouraging, when it is actually a rather cynical, fatalistic message i.e., taken literally, (and John seems usually very careful about every word he writes) “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done” does NOT mean ‘There’s nothing you can’t do’, but rather ‘If it can’t be done, you, or anyone, is not going to be able to do it.” This carries all the way to the last line, “…nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be”, meaning, ‘Wherever you are is where you’re supposed to be, so don’t try to change it’ (sort of a predestination statement). I, too, remember either reading or hearing John say words to the effect that AYNIL was meant as sarcasm. I found your comment as I’m researching the same subject. However, has anyone else seen that interview?! I really don’t think I’m making this up or imagining it. They had some inspiration, quickly put something down and then sooner or later realized the lyric worked in other ways.
I think the story that John wrote AYNIL ironically, and then changed his mind, is absolutely one of the ways that the lyrics of John & the Beatles came together. As time went on, as I understand it, John came to view AYNIL as, in many respects, his SIGNATURE song, at least in terms of a message describing his deepest values and ideals (probably along with Give Peace A Chance). In that unknown/forgotten interview, he said that either after he wrote AYNIL, or perhaps during the process, he then looked at the lyric and realized that a more literal interpretation of the lofty concepts in AYNIL’s lyrics made amazing poetic sense, and, consequently, John had an about-face regarding the song’s meaning. AND HE/I/YOU COULD SEE THAT! John was often sarcastic and he was quick to notice and talk (or sing) about various ironies in life. So here’s my question to you all: I KNOW I read somewhere (it could’ve been a sound interview but I feel like I read it…) that John said he began writing this lyric from a SARCASTIC point-of-view! Like “Oh yeah, ALL your problems will be solved with ‘love’…HA!”….
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