This was John's first attempt at recording a ballad and it shows how well John, Paul, and George can harmonize. The song "This Boy" expresses John's feelings regarding the physical abuse that his mother, Julia, was receiving from her common-in-law husband, John Dykins. The song was most likely written shortly after Julia had visited her older sister Mimi one night, battered, bruised, and crying. Dykins had beaten the crap out of her again. Although young John Lennon was in the house at the time of Julia's visit and listened to her cries, he didn't come forward to acknowledge his presence or hers.
This was John's first attempt at recording a ballad and it shows how well John, Paul, and George can harmonize. The song "This Boy" expresses John's feelings regarding the physical abuse that his mother, Julia, was receiving from her common-in-law husband, John Dykins. The song was most likely written shortly after Julia had visited her older sister Mimi one night, battered, bruised, and crying. Dykins had beaten the crap out of her again. Although young John Lennon was in the house at the time of Julia's visit and listened to her cries, he didn't come forward to acknowledge his presence or hers.