‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ by John Lennon and Yoko Ono Lyrics Meaning (According to Fans)
John Lennon and Yoko Ono are the songwriters behind āHappy Xmas (War Is Over,)ā not so secretly alluding to the meaning behind this protest song. Hereās what fans said about the meaning behind the Christmas hit.Ā
John Lennon and Yoko Ono released āHappy Xmas (War Is Over)ā
āHappy Xmas (War is Over)ā came after more than two years of peace activism for the couple. In 1969, Lennon and Ono hosted their infamous honeymoon ābed-in,ā with Lennon releasing the solo song, āImagine.ā
āSo this is Christmas / And what have you done,ā the lyrics state. āAnother 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.ā
The message of this song was broadcasted publicly, with Smooth Radio reporting, the couple ārented billboard spaces in 12 major cities around the world, for the display of black-and-white posters that declared āWAR IS OVER! If You Want It ā Happy Christmas from John & Yoko.āā
The meaning behind āHappy Xmas (War Is Over) according to fans
As a holiday protest song, āHappy Xmas (War Is Over)ā was released in 1971 ā the same time as the Vietnam War. Fans also commented on the overall meaning of the song, which extends beyond the Vietnam War.
āI think this is one of most beautiful songs ever written,ā one YouTube comment read. āIt echoes all our thoughts not only for one day but for every day of our years. Thank you John and Yoko.ā
āNot only is it the best Christmas song; it is a hymn to brotherhood because love has no race, sex, religion or gender, one more proof of Lennonās genius in other words,ā another YouTuber wrote. āWe are in time to unite and change the world. Thanks, John, for the beautiful songs you gave us.ā
Listeners still debate whether Lennon whispered his sonās name in the āHappy Xmasā introduction.Ā Some interpreted the introduction as John Lennon and Yoko Ono wishing each other a Happy Christmas, with Julian as another way of saying āJohn.ā
āI know I might be late to this, but the fact that John in the beginning of this song says, āHappy Christmas Julianā just made me cry,ā one Reddit user said, noting Lennonās son from his first marriage. āI never have realized this until nowā¦ it still made me so happy that he decided to put Julian in a song.ā
Other musicians covered āHappy Xmas (War Is Over)ā by John Lennon and Yoko Ono
āHappy Xmas (War Is Over)ā was later covered and re-recorded by Celine Dion, Miley Cyrus, and other well-known artists. Still, the Lennon and Ono version remains the most popular with over 370 million Spotify plays.Ā
Other Beatles members recorded solo holiday songs. That includes Paul McCartney, who released āWonderful Christmastime.ā Now, music by the Beatles and Lennon is available on most major streaming platforms.Ā