Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

I love this song. It is my favorite Christmas song ever. Though now a Christmas standard, this is original a protest song about the Vietnam War, with the idea "that we're just as responsible as the man who pushes the button. As long as people imagine that somebody's doing it to them and that they have no control, then they have no control."

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. It was the seventh single release by Lennon outside of his work with The Beatles. The song reached No. 4 in the UK, where its release was delayed until 1972, and has periodically reemerged on the UK Singles Chart, most notably after Lennon's death in 1980, at which point it peaked at No. 2.

Background

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" was the culmination of more than two years of peace activism undertaken by John Lennon and Yoko Ono that began with the bed-ins they convened in March and May 1969, the first of which took place during their honeymoon. The song's direct antecedent was an international multimedia campaign launched by the couple in December 1969—at the height of the counterculture movement and its protests against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War—that primarily consisted of renting billboard space in 12 major cities around the world for the display of black-and-white posters that declared "WAR IS OVER! If You Want It – Happy Christmas from John & Yoko". Although this particular slogan had previously appeared in the 1968 anti-war songs "The War Is Over" by Phil Ochs and "The Unknown Soldier" by The Doors (which features the refrain, "The war is over."), its subsequent use by Lennon and Ono may just be coincidental; there is no evidence to confirm whether or not they were acquainted with these prior works.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono with children Julian Lennon and Kyoko Cox

Recognizing the accessibility and popular appeal that made his 1971 single "Imagine" a commercial success compared to the other songs he had released up to that point, Lennon concluded, "Now I understand what you have to do: Put your political message across with a little honey." He conceived "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" as a means of elaborating upon the themes of social unity and peaceful change enacted through personal accountability and empowerment that served as the basis of the earlier billboard campaign, trying to convey optimism while avoiding the sentimentality that he felt often characterized music of the holiday season.

Composition

The song begins with spoken Christmas greetings from Ono and Lennon to their children from previous relationships: Ono whispers,

“Happy Christmas, Kyoko” (Kyoko Chan Cox is Yoko’s daughter with Anthony Cox) and John whispers: “Happy Christmas, Julian” (John’s son with Cynthia). Lyric sheets accompanying the albums Shaved Fish (1975) and The John Lennon Collection (1982) erroneously transcribe this introduction as, "Happy Christmas, Yoko. Happy Christmas, John."

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

So this is Christmas

 And what have you done

 Another year over

 And 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 fear

And so this is Christmas (War is over)

 For weak and for strong (If you want it)

 For rich and the poor ones (War is over)

 The world is so wrong (Now)

 And so Happy Christmas (War is over)

 For black and for white (If you want it)

 For yellow and red ones (War is over)

 Let's stop all the fight (Now)

A very merry Christmas

 And a happy New Year

 Let's hope it's a good one

 Without any fear

So this is Christmas (War is over)

 And what have we done (If you want it)

 Another year over (War is over)

 And a new one just begun (Now)

 And so Happy Christmas (War is over)

 We hope you have fun (If you want it)

 The near and the dear one (War is over)

 The old and the young (Now)

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

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Lennon was first among the former Beatles to release an original Christmas song after the group disbanded in 1970. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" would be followed by George Harrison's "Ding Dong, Ding Dong" (1974), Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" (1979), and Ringo Starr's album I Wanna Be Santa Claus (1999). From 1963 to 1969, The Beatles issued special recordings at Christmas directly to members of their fan club.