I made an effort to be active on social media while I was still a young adult. This was the beginning stage of establishing myself in the world of social media on a large scale. Creating multiple social media accounts while attempting to be social during the “verified” era. Having that blue check beside your name was a quality that people highly valued.

Yoko Ono, one of the first verified artists, followed me on Twitter. I felt thrilled, enamored, and inquisitive. I had to look more closely and learn more about her because I had no idea who she was at the time. (This was probably back in about 2012.) I discovered at that point, she was an artist who had been married to John Lennon. He was a well-known Beatles singer before his passing in 1980.

Who Is Yoko Ono?

Yoko Ono is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. She was born and raised in Tokyo before relocating to New York City in 1952 to be with her family. In the early 1960s, she got involved in the downtown artist’s scene there. She became well known in 1969 when she married John Lennon of the Beatles. In 1981, she released her fifth album, titled Season of Glass.

The cover of the album was very controversial, to say the least. It featured a cover photo of John Lennon’s bloody glasses next to a half-filled glass of water. A view of the items overlooking Central Park in the background. This was her first solo recording after her husband passed.

I first came upon the reference to the album through a google trends search. The search yielded this particular post, Yoko Ono Season of Glass that I had to visit. Before reading the entire article the first thing I had to do was listen to the album. That was so I could make my own assumptions. I actually enjoyed Season of Glass and felt like it was a great album to listen to even in the year 2023.

There are many aspects of Seasons of glass that I love. I want to start with the album cover. It is a very sentimental, compassionate, and sorrowful cover. With so many emotions filled in one image, you can feel whatever emotion was already there without even listening to a single track. 

Many people were outraged that she chose this particular image as her album cover. Some people were sympathetic. Some people may have felt like it was a token deserving of being a part of history. similar to that of a collector’s item or an obituary. Perhaps it was her way of saying sorry, or maybe I miss you. All hail the King, ’til death do us part, or may he rest in peace. According to research, the photograph of the blood-stained glasses sold at an auction in London in April 2002 for about $13,000.

The second thing I enjoyed most about the album was the title, “Season of Glass. Thinking about all the reasons she chose this title filled my head. Could she have been expressing the pain she felt by not being able to see him in the physical form? Were his or her tears blurring their vision to the point where it was hard to see? Maybe she was trying to say that she was no longer hiding her pain.

Was she feeling anger and holding back tears? Maybe the album cover depicted the duo as we knew them. John has a birthdate falling under the Libra zodiac and is a native of Liverpool. The kanji translation of Yōko (洋子) means “ocean child.” As a result, the eyeglasses and glass of water were combined.

I like the simplicity of the album cover. Including the font and photography visuals. It seems like the album was intended to be short and sweet. Straightforward and simple. Now let’s get straight into the album itself. The first song, “Goodbye Sadness,” was a great choice to open Season of Glass. She appears to be praying for him to find peace in the afterlife.

“Mindweaver” sounds like she is here depicting the moments when she felt in love with John Lennon. The times they spent together and her wondering if they’d ever be more than acquaintances. “Even When You’re Far Away” seems like a sincere apology from her. Sympathy about the situation surrounding their relationship, his sudden passing, and the emotion her letter would bring. It’s actually one of my favorite songs on “Season of Glass.”

Season Of Glass Written by Yoko Ono

Goodbye Sadness	I Dont Know Why
Mindweaver	Extension 33
Even When You’re Far Away	No, No, No
Nobody Sees Me Like You Do	Will You Touch Me
Turn Of The Wheel	She Gets Down On Her Knees
Dogtown	Toyboat
Silver Horse	Mother Of The Universe