War is Over cannot be forgotten
"Making a song about war and the holidays was a brilliant way to experiment and overall expand new ways and tactics of peaceful protests."
The famous holiday song Happy Xmas (War is Over), written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, is the catchiest, most important holiday song out there now. The song was released in 1971 and includes vocals of Lennon, Ono, and the Harlem Community choir. In the holiday song, the choir of children aged 4 to twelve sang the catchy chorus that says:
“War is over
If you want it
War is over now”
The anti-war meaning behind the song is referring to the Vietnam war that lasted from 1954-1975. The choir of kids puts the big offer for peace on the table by saying “If you want it”, meaning it’s up to the government if they wish to proceed with the war and acknowledging that it could be over if they really wanted it to be.
Lennon and Ono were well-known peace activists worldwide so the song didn’t come as a shock for most. Rightfully some audiences may be confused as to why the former Beatle made an anti-war song into a holiday jingle as well as having a choir of children sing about war. Though it may seem off, it was actually a brilliant thought out idea and method to get his point across.
Lennon said, “Now I understand what you have to do: Put your political message across with a little honey.” Meaning that producing a Christmas song with some adorable children was just the sweetness he needed to get his message across.
The couple has previously protested upon peace and anti-war movements. A crucially important protest they did take part in, took place in 1969, which was the Bed-ins for Peace movement. They held the protest at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam and one at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, allowing reporters to come up to their room and ask the couple questions on their movement and beliefs. The bed-in got its name from all the sit-in protests where protesters sat in front of an establishment for as long as they could before being physically removed from the establishment. Lennon and Ono used their fame for extremely good causes and in times where America felt unsafe and unheard.
Making a song about war and the holidays was a brilliant way to experiment and overall expand new ways and tactics of peaceful protests. The song continues to play on radio stations around the United States and proves just how much of an impact Lennon and Ono had on the country. The song trends all over social media now too. It’s safe to say the legacy of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, proceeds to grow onto new generations.