Sean Lennon Marks John Lennon’s 80th Birthday With ‘Isolation’ Cover on ‘Colbert’

Sean Lennon marked what would’ve been his father John Lennon’s 80th birthday with a cover of “Isolation” for The Late Show’s #PlayAtHome music series.

The younger Lennon’s rendition was fittingly faithful to the the original, with Lennon playing guitar and singing in front of a red wall, with just drums and bass accompanying him. In lieu of a little light piano, Lennon tossed in some spitfire guitar lines, as he channeled his father’s vocals, singing, “We’re afraid of everyone/Afraid of the sun/Isolation/The sun will never disappear/But the world may not have many years/Isolation.”

Lennon’s take on “Isolation” also helped kick off a “Lennon 80” cover series, which will continue throughout today, October 9th. Various artists will be uploading covers of John Lennon tunes to YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, including Willie Nelson, Beck and Jeff Tweedy. Fans are also encouraged to record their own covers and post them with the hashtags #Lennon80 and #GimmeSomeTruth. All the clips will be curated on Lennon’s YouTube channel.

Earlier this month, Sean Lennon hosted a special two-part BBC radio special, John Lennon at 80, where he spoke about his father’s life and legacy with Paul McCartney, Elton John and his half-brother Julian Lennon. The episodes also featured a mix of archival performances and interviews.