1968年11月，披頭合唱團的John Lennon終於辦妥了和妻子Cynthia Powell的離婚。次年3月20日，就與Yoko Ono ( 小野洋子 ) 赴英國海外屬地Gibraltar ( 直布羅陀 ) 註冊結婚，蜜月則為至荷蘭阿姆斯特丹的希爾頓飯店 ( Amsterdam Hilton Hotel ) ，以反對越戰為主題，展開為期一週的「床上和平運動 ( Bed-Ins for Peace ) ( 3/25─3/31 )」。此首《The Ballad of John And Yoko》即為紀錄Lennon和Ono結婚及這次活動的相關內容。【 註：第二階段的「床上和平運動」於加拿大蒙特婁的伊莉莎白女王酒店 ( Queen Elizabeth Hotel )，亦為期一週 ( 5/26─6/1 )。】
John Lennon 與首任妻子 Cynthia Powell
在希爾頓飯店的「床上和平運動」。
1969/04/14，John Lennon帶了這首歌去到了Paul McCartney的家，由於之前John的一首《More Popular Than Jesus》曾引起爭議，Paul好意提醒新歌中有「Christ」，而最後還是同意協助。在錄製此曲的時候，主奏吉他手George Harrison正在休假，鼓手Ringo Starr也正在拍電影《The Magic Christian》，此時Lennon忽然建議，不必等了，就由他和McCartney應該也可完成 ( 以多重錄製方式 )，結果倆人的分工為：
John Lennon─主唱、主奏吉他、原音吉他、拍打樂器。
Paul McCartney─合音、貝士、鼓、鋼琴、沙槌。
此曲為Lennon所寫，而McCartney亦掛名為共同作者，這雖是出於倆人前有的「慣例」，但看來McCartney在此曲中的確出力不少。
顯然是為了要趕「床上和平運動」的新聞風潮，此曲於兩階段的「運動」之後 ( 1969的5及6月 )，分別在英、美發行。在英國，此為披頭的第17首、同時也為最後一首的冠軍曲；在美國則是拿下了排行榜第8名。而果如McCartney事前所料，由於歌詞中有「Christ」及「crucify」等字眼，部份的美國電台，因有所顧忌而減少了播放 ( 此曲甚至從未出現在全美排名前40大、芝加哥的WLS及紐約的WABC的兩個電台中 )。同時為了歌詞中的「Peter Brown( 註：為樂團的特別助理 ) called to say"You can make it OK,You can get married in Gibraltar, near Spain"，由於西班牙對於直布羅陀的領土主權，和英國之間一直存有爭議，此曲也遭到西班牙政府的異議。
以下版本的音效有經重新灌錄( remaster )
一些模仿披頭的樂團似乎都很喜歡唱這首歌，以下為日本的「甲虫樂團」於2014在東京的演唱。
Standing in the dock at Southampton
Trying to get to Holland or France
The man in the mac said, "You've got to go back"
You know they didn't even give us a chance
Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me
Finally made the plane into Paris
Honeymooning down by the Seine
Peter Brown called to say
"You can make it OK
You can get married in Gibraltar, near Spain"
Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me
Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton
Talking in our beds for a week
The newspapers said, "Say what you doing in bed?"
I said, "We're only trying to get us some peace"
Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me
Saving up your money for a rainy day
Giving all your clothes to charity
Last night the wife said
"Oh boy, when you're dead
You don't take nothing with you
But your soul, think!"
Made a lightning trip to Vienna
Eating chocolate cake in a bag
The newspapers said, "She's gone to his head
They look just like two gurus in drag"
Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me
Caught an early plane back to London
Fifty acorns tied in a sack
The men from the press said, "We wish you success
It's good to have the both of you back"
Christ you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me
文章定位：
