John Lennon & Yoko Ono, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” | Music Lifts

In the 47^th edition of Lit Music That Lifts, we’re uplifted by John Lennon & Yoko Ono performing, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).”

Welcome to Music Lifts , a column that seeks to highlight songs that encourage, inspire, and uplift the spirit; songs that exude fortitude, positivity, and resolve, even in the face of adversity.  Featured songs aren’t genre-specific; songs may or may not be faith-based. The goal is for these songs to make you feel better – be LIFTED to new heights!  So, for the 47^th edition of Music Lifts (2022), we highlight “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” as performed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

“A very merry Christmas / And a happy new year / Let’s hope it’s a good one / Without any fear.” Truthfully, during the holidays, there is a time of great reflection and seeking to be better and much improved in the forthcoming year.  That is something that the memorable chorus of the 1970s Christmas classic, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”, highlights extremely well.   John Lennon and Yoko Ono are responsible for penning and performing “Happy Xmas,” a song that has been covered by the likes of Alicia Keys, Céline Dion, and John Legend.

Peace and unity are firmly planted in Lennon’s mind. He sings the verses while Yoko Ono and Harlem Community Choir perform the chorus in all its glory. In the second verse, Lennon truly strikes a powerful chord as he sings, “And so happy Christmas / For black and for white / For yellow and red ones / Let’s stop all the fight.” Essentially, Lennon paints a picture of a world where all races, ethnicities, and folks of varying socioeconomic statuses can co-exist without fighting.  He envisions a society that eschews war and embraces peace.  Furthermore, Christmas, New Years, and the holidays seem to unite everyone, and Lennon and Ono seek to keep the same energy with everyday life.  Honestly, this is such a marvelous, uplifting song that far transcends Christmas as one day or one season of the year.

John Lennon & Yoko Ono • GIMME SOME TRUTH. • Calderstone Productions Limited • 2020

John Lennon & Yoko Ono, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”: Music Lifts No. 47 (2022) [: Arek Socha, Benjamin Balazs, Brent Faulkner, Calderstone Productions Limited, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Curb, Ketut Subiyanto, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, Word Entertainment]