t h e s o n G Happy Xmas Language Level intermediate Track 16 (War is Over) by Fergal Kavanagh Yoko Ono and John Lennon in 1969.

Speaker: Rachel Roberts On March 20th, 1969 John Lennon black and for white, for yellow and red (Standard British accent) married Yoko Ono and the couple ones). It is, of course, an anti-war song celebrated by spending a week in bed and in the first verse, after hoping So this is in the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel as a everyone close to us (the near and Christmas / and 1 what have you “commercial for peace .” Two months the dear ones, the old and the young) done / another later they repeated the “bed-in” in has fun over the festive period, John year over / Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, wonders8 what has been achieved9 in a new one Canada, recording “Give Peace A the previous year (So this is Christmas, just begun... Chance” with various visitors. This and what have you done?). The message questa canzone was the year Lennon’s name became is that we can stop war, if we really di John Lennon synonymous with the campaign for want to (War is over, if you want it), and è diventata world peace, when he also returned his look forward to being unafraid (without un classico MBE2 to the British government as a any fear) in the New Year. del periodo 10 natalizio. protest against its involvement in the At the time the song was not hugely In realtà fu Biafran War and its support of the U.S. successful in the American charts scritta nel in Vietnam. The Lennons celebrated and its U.K. release was delayed 1971 come Christmas that year by erecting by one year as publishers Northern protesta contro billboards3 in 11 cities throughout the Songs (owning all the Beatles songs) la guerra in world with the message “WAR IS OVER! refused to recognise Yoko Ono as a Vietnam. (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from co-songwriter11. It was re-released in John and Yoko.” 1980 after Lennon’s death, when it Two years later John and Yoko put became Britain’s top-selling single of

Glossary together The Plastic Ono Band, and Christmas week. Interestingly, it never decided their first recording would be actually went to Number One, as the 1 commercial for “Happy Christmas (War Is Over),” a charts at that time were not published peace - spot pubblicitario per la song they had written in a New York in the final week of the year. Since then pace. 4 2 MBE - Member of hotel room because John “was sick there have been many cover versions by the Order of the of ‘White Christmas.’” With the help of artists such as Celine Dion, The Corrs British Empire, l’onorificenza che i veteran producer Phil Spector and the and U2. Beatles ricevettero Harlem Community Choir, the song was You can see the video to Happy Xmas nel 1965 dalla Regina Elisabetta. recorded at the Record Plant in one (War Is Over) on www.johnlennon.com 3 billboard - cartellone. 4 sick - stufo. all-night and one afternoon session in 5 whispering - che October 1971. (This recording features a brief excerpt sussurrano. 6 health - salute. The song begins with Yoko and John from “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by 7 wealth - ricchezza. whispering5 “Happy Christmas” to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 1971). 8 wonders - si domanda. Kyoko and Julian, their children from English Through Music... 9 what has been previous marriages, and continues as a achieved - cos’è Fergal Kavanagh, the author stato ottenuto. simple Christmas wish to all, regardless of this article, runs the website 10 hugely - 6 www.tuneintoenglish.com. terribilmente. of age (the old and the young), health 7 The Students’ Area features 11 co-songwriter - co- (for weak and for strong), wealth (for activities for learning English autrice. rich and the poor ones), or race (for through pop music.