John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 Decem… Read Full Bio ↴John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. His work included music, writing, drawings and film. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history.

Born in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed The Quarrymen, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Sometimes called "the smart Beatle", Lennon initially was the group's de facto leader, a role he gradually ceded to McCartney. Through his songwriting in the Beatles, he embraced myriad musical influences, initially writing and co-writing rock and pop-oriented hit songs in the band's early years, then later incorporating experimental elements into his compositions in the latter half of the Beatles' career as his songs became known for their increasing innovation. Lennon soon expanded his work into other media by participating in numerous films, including How I Won the War, and authoring In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works, both collections of nonsense writings and line drawings. Starting with "All You Need Is Love", his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement and the larger counterculture of the 1960s. In 1969, he started the Plastic Ono Band with his second wife, multimedia artist Yoko Ono, held the two-week-long anti-war demonstration Bed-ins for Peace and left the Beatles to embark on a solo career.

Between 1968 and 1972, Lennon and Ono collaborated on many works, including a trilogy of avant-garde albums, several more films, his solo debut John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and the international top-10 singles "Give Peace a Chance", "Instant Karma!", "Imagine", and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". Moving to New York City in 1971, his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a three-year deportation attempt by the Nixon administration. Lennon and Ono separated from 1973 to 1975, during which time he produced Harry Nilsson's album Pussy Cats. He also had chart-topping collaborations with Elton John ("Whatever Gets You thru the Night") and David Bowie ("Fame"). Following a five-year hiatus, Lennon returned to music in 1980 with the Ono collaboration Double Fantasy. He was murdered by a Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman, three weeks after the album's release.

As a performer, writer or co-writer, Lennon had 25 number-one singles in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Double Fantasy, his best-selling album, won the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. That year, he won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2002, Lennon was voted eighth in a BBC history poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer and 38th greatest artist of all time. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (in 1997) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice, as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994).

Studio albums
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Imagine (1971)
Some Time in New York City (with Yoko Ono, 1972)
Mind Games (1973)
Walls and Bridges (1974)
Rock 'n' Roll (1975)
Double Fantasy (with Yoko Ono, 1980)
Milk and Honey (Posthumous with Yoko Ono, 1984)

Experimental studio albums with Yoko Ono
Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (1968)
Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions (1969)
Wedding Album (1969)

Happy Xmas / Give Peace A Chance: Reprise
John Lennon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So this is Christmas and what have you done
Another year over, a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one without any fears

And so this is Christmas for weak and for strong
The rich and the poor ones, the road is so long

And so happy Christmas for black and for white
For the yellow and red ones let's stop all the fights

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 ones, 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

Overall Meaning

In this song, John Lennon reflects on the occasion of Christmas and the end of a year, noting that there have been achievements but also highlighting that much more still needs to be done. He wishes everyone a merry Christmas and hopes they will have fun, regardless of age or background. Lennon provides a message of hope for a good new year without any fears.

Moreover, Lennon stresses that Christmas is for everyone regardless of their strength, race, or status. He acknowledges that life's road is long, with both rich and poor facing challenges, and hence urges everyone to enjoy a Happy Christmas without hate and fights. Lennon points towards the need for everyone to strive towards love and unity, with no discrimination.

The last line 'War is over if you want it, war is over now' is powerful, and it emphasizes the importance of coming together to bring peace, put an end to the terrors of war, and to start a new era where peace becomes paramount. This line shows that peace can only be achieved if wanted by everyone.

Line by Line Meaning

So this is Christmas and what have you done
Reflecting on the past year, what have you accomplished?

Another year over, a new one just begun
The year has come to a close, but a new chapter has begun.

And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun
Wishing you all a joyful and festive holiday season.

The near and the dear ones, the old and the young
The ones we hold closest to our hearts, both young and old.

Let's hope it's a good one without any fears
Looking forward to a bright and hopeful future, free of uncertainty or anxiety.

And so this is Christmas for weak and for strong
Christmas is for everyone, regardless of strength or vulnerability.

The rich and the poor ones, the road is so long
Both the wealthy and the less fortunate face difficult journeys throughout their lives.

And so happy Christmas for black and for white
Christmas is a time for all races and ethnicities to come together in peace and harmony.

For the yellow and red ones let's stop all the fights
Calling for an end to any and all conflict between different cultures or nations.

And so this is Christmas and what have we done
As a collective society, what have we accomplished over the past year?

Another year over, a new one just begun
As one year ends, another begins - a chance for progress and growth.

War is over if you want it, war is over now
Peace is attainable if we all work towards it - calling for the end of all warfare.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@TheOldHippiebilly

This is by far my favorite Christmas song ever, of any genre. I actually despise most Christmas music but I adore this song. It brings tears to my eyes almost every time.