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John Lennon Research Paper

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Many justified wars as the means to a peaceful world, but it is hard to believe how peace can be achieved through violent means. The anti-war movement in the 1960s inspired many activists to stand up against violence. John Lennon was among the anti-war activists and he was the “last great iconic anti-war activist of our age” (Whitehead). As a member of the Beatles, Lennon was famous within his own rights before he embraced the anti-war movement. Using Bed-Ins and music as means, Lennon furthered the anti-war efforts. Although the Bed-Ins for Peace tactic was unconventional, it was influential beyond comparison. After John Lennon married Yoko Ono, they flew to Amsterdam for their honeymoon. Instead of having a customary honeymoon to themselves, …show more content…

After Lennon finished composing the song, he invited multiple anti-war activists to record the song with him. Although the recording process of the song was chaotic in nature, the final cut of the song delivered the message of “we’re having fun” and the harmony spoke to many protestors (Mastropolo). Since Lennon was already famous as the lead singer of the Beatles and as an anti-war activist, “Give Peace a Chance” was quickly accepted by the protestors and the crowd adopted the song as the anti-war anthem. The simple song was relatable to all audience because “everyone sings in harmony [and it] show[ed] how many people can find a common ground in their protest of the Vietnam War” (Hopkins). At first glance, the lyrics to the song seemed to be random words that were put there only to fit the rhyming scheme. However, under scrutiny, the lyrics have profound meaning as they urge people to put aside their differences and other distractions in order to embrace peace. The lyrics of the song urge the United Nations to take a stand and end the Vietnam War as it is counterproductive. Lennon explained his decision to compose the song, “We’re trying to interest young people in doing something about peace” (Mastropolo). Lennon successfully used pop culture to introduce the younger generation to the serious problem of Vietnam War. His song allowed the younger generation to recognize that war is not the way to obtain

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