Happy Christmas
- John Lennon Lyrics
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(Happy Christmas Julian)
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red one
Let's stop all the fight
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so happy Christmas
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now
la, la, ah, ah
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas (happy Christmas)
Happy Christmas (happy Christmas)
John Lennon’s song Happy Christmas is a rallying cry for peace and love during the holiday season. The song opens with the blessing “Happy Christmas Kyoko, Happy Christmas Julian” for his son and Yoko Ono’s daughter, Kyoko. The lyrics paint a picture of the world at Christmas time, reflective and hopeful, as Lennon sings, “And so this is Christmas, and what have you done?” As Lennon reflects on the year gone by and the new one just begun, he hopes that people will have fun and that the world will be free of fear.
The most significant and emotional part of the song is when Lennon notes, “War is over, if you want it, war is over now.” The line is, of course, a reference to the Vietnam War, which was still ongoing during the time Lennon wrote this song, and encourages people to set aside their differences and work towards peace. The song advocates for peace on earth and for people to be kind to each other, no matter their race or socioeconomic status. The ultimate aim is for everyone to come together in love during the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
So this is Christmas
John is acknowledging the time of the year as Christmas
And what have you done
He's asking the listener to reflect and share their accomplishments of the year
Another year over
John recognizes that the year is ending
And a new one just begun
He notes that a new year has just started
And so this is Christmas
John reiterates that it is indeed Christmas time
I hope you have fun
He wishes for the listener to enjoy the holiday season
The near and the dear one
John refers to the people who are close to us and the ones we care about
The old and the young
He mentions people of all ages
A very Merry Christmas
John extends wishes for a happy Christmas
And a happy new year
He also extends wishes for a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
John expresses hope that the coming year will be good
Without any fear
He wishes for a peaceful year without any fear
For weak and for strong
John includes everyone, regardless of their strength or weakness
For rich and the poor ones
He acknowledges people from all walks of life, rich or poor
The world is so wrong
John understands that the world has its problems
For black and for white
John emphasizes on the fact that skin colour shouldn't matter
For yellow and red one
He notes that people of all races and ethnicities should be included
Let's stop all the fight
He urges people to stop fighting and live in peace
And what have we done
John includes himself and questions the actions of everyone
We hope you have fun
He and Yoko Ino wish that the listener has a good time
War is over, if you want it
John implies that peace is possible if people want it bad enough
War is over now
He confirms that the war is over
la, la, ah, ah
This is a musical interlude
Happy Christmas
John extends holiday greetings
Happy Christmas (happy Christmas)
He repeats the greeting
Happy Christmas (happy Christmas)
And again repeats the same holiday greeting
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