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)

Medley: Happy Xmas /Give Peace A Chance
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

John Lennon's song Medley: Happy Xmas /Give Peace A Chance was written in 1971 and is a song that embodies the spirit of Christmas and peace for all. The song opens with a thought-provoking question, "So this is Christmas and what have you done?". This is a question that challenges the listener to reflect on their actions throughout the year and whether they have made any progress towards creating positive change in the world. The chorus of the song, "War is over if you want it, war is over now" reiterates the focus of the song which is to spread a message of peace and unity.

The song emphasizes that Christmas is a time where all people, regardless of their race, religion or economic background, can come together and celebrate. This is illustrated by the lines, "And so happy Christmas for black and for white, for the yellow and red ones, let's stop all the fights". The song highlights key issues affecting society, e.g. poverty and wealth inequality when it mention, "And so this is Christmas for weak and for strong, the rich and the poor ones, the road is so long".

At the end of the song, the message is clear - the possibility of peace can happen if we want it to. The repetition of the phrase "war is over if you want it" emphasizes that we have a choice as individuals and collectively to create a world without conflict. It is a powerful message of unity and hope - "Let's hope it's a good one without any fear."

Line by Line Meaning

So this is Christmas and what have you done
Reflecting on the past year, questioning personal accomplishments

Another year over, a new one just begun
Marking the end of one year and the beginning of the next

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

The near and the dear ones, the old and the young
Referring to those close to us in every age group

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Offering greetings for the holiday season and upcoming year

Let's hope it's a good one without any fears
Expressing optimism for the future without concerns

And so this is Christmas for weak and for strong
Acknowledging that the holiday season is for everyone

The rich and the poor ones, the road is so long
The journey ahead will be different for individuals of diverse social and economic backgrounds

And so happy Christmas for black and for white
Extending holiday wishes to all races and ethnicities

For the yellow and red ones let's stop all the fights
A call for harmony and peace, specifically in regards to racial or cultural tensions

And so this is Christmas and what have we done
Reflecting on collective accomplishments in the past year

And so happy Christmas we hope you have fun
Wishing joy to all throughout the holiday season

War is over if you want it, war is over now
A message of peace, with the assertion that peace is possible if we desire and work towards it

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Winston Lennon, Yoko Ono

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.