Sunday 20 July 1980 | Bermuda
On 20 July 1980, John Lennon wrote Cleanup Time while staying in Bermuda. The song was written for what would become his final album, Double Fantasy, recorded with Yoko Ono later that year.
How the Song Came to Be
Lennon later described the song's origin in an interview with David Sheff, published in All We Are Saying (1980):
The song came from a talk with Jack Douglas on the phone before I’d met him, before the session. I was in Bermuda and we were talking about the Seventies and that. We were talkin’ about cleanin’ up and gettin’ out of drugs and alcohol and those kinds of things – not me personally, but people in general. He said, ‘Well, it’s cleanup time right?’ I said, ‘It sure is,’ and that was the end of the conversation. I went straight to the piano and started boogyin’, and ‘Cleanup Time’ came out.
John Lennon, 1980 — All We Are Saying, David Sheff
Lennon also placed the song in the context of his broader creative burst in Bermuda:
‘Starting Over’ and ‘Cleanup Time’ were sorta written on the run after I’d finished all the other work of writing the other ones. They just sort of came. They were like the fun after the work is finished. I was still in Bermuda.
John Lennon, 1980 — All We Are Saying, David Sheff
The Song and Its Themes
The lyrics of Cleanup Time referenced the domestic life that Lennon had embraced after the excesses of his Lost Weekend — the period from 1973 to 1975 during which he had separated from Yoko Ono and lived in Los Angeles. He had since devoted five years to bringing up his son Sean, and several of the songs on Double Fantasy spoke of this domestic contentment and personal renewal.
| Date written | Sunday 20 July 1980 |
| Location | Bermuda |
| Inspiration | Phone call with producer Jack Douglas |
| Album | Double Fantasy (released 17 November 1980) |
| Source | All We Are Saying, David Sheff (1980) |
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Frequently Asked Questions
When did John Lennon write Cleanup Time?
John Lennon wrote Cleanup Time on 20 July 1980 while staying in Bermuda. The song was inspired by a phone conversation with producer Jack Douglas.
What album is Cleanup Time on?
Cleanup Time appears on Double Fantasy, the album John Lennon and Yoko Ono recorded in 1980 and released on 17 November 1980. It was Lennon's final studio album, released just weeks before his death in December 1980.
Who inspired the title Cleanup Time?
The title came from a phone call between John Lennon and producer Jack Douglas. During a conversation about the 1970s and people getting out of drugs and alcohol, Douglas said "Well, it's cleanup time right?" Lennon agreed, ended the call, went straight to the piano and wrote the song.
What is Cleanup Time about?
Cleanup Time reflects the domestic contentment Lennon had found after his Lost Weekend period. Its lyrics reference the home life he had embraced since 1975, during which he devoted himself to raising his son Sean with Yoko Ono in New York City.
Who was Jack Douglas?
Jack Douglas was the producer of Double Fantasy. He had previously worked with Aerosmith and other major acts. His phone conversation with Lennon in Bermuda directly inspired the writing of Cleanup Time.
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