It was 25 years ago today when Mark David Chapman murdered John Lennon.
I remember where I was when I heard the news. It was the next morning, and I was making my bed in my dorm room. I was a sophomore in high school (I went to a boarding school) and I turned on my clock radio and Imagine was on the radio. After that, I listened in disbelief as the DJ talked of Lennon's death.
I was almost 16 years old at the time, so I knew who Lennon was. I knew of the Beatles, although I was too young to remember them together.
Lennon had just re-emerged onto the music scene with his Double Fantasy album, and it's first single was called Starting Over. I remember thinking that the lyrics of that song were very personal... he was writing a song to Yoko Ono and he expressed his love for her and how he felt like he was falling in love again -- starting over. Given his infidelities, perhaps it was a wish more than anything, or perhaps it was gratitude that they were back together. But, it seemed to me that Lennon was writing heartfelt words. It also seemed that he may have been talking about his career as well. "Starting Over" after a long time away.
Then there was the song Watching the Wheels. Lennon had basically given up his career to be a stay at home dad. Whether he was actually succumbing to drug addiction is open to speculation (see Albert Goldman), but Lennon was certainly no longer in the music scene, unlike his former partner, Paul McCartney, who was arguably tarnishing his legacy with Silly Love Songs. Lennon writes:
People say I'm crazy doing what I'm doing
Well they give me all kinds of warnings to save me from ruin
When I say that I'm o.k. well they look at me kind of strange
Surely you're not happy now you no longer play the game
People say I'm lazy dreaming my life away
Well they give me all kinds of advice designed to enlighten me
When I tell them that I'm doing fine watching shadows on the wall
Don't you miss the big time boy you're no longer on the ball
I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go
I just found this song to be fantastic. He didn't need to be a Beatle. He didn't need to be famous. He was happy just living life quietly.
Back in those days, the idea of a song on the radio that was personal was foreign, at least to me. I'm not saying that there weren't these types of songs, I just wasn't hearing them. But in 1980, as I listened to Lennon, I got an appreciation for what songwriting can be... expression of personal thoughts and feelings. Of course, further reflection on the latter years of the Beatles catalog shows that Lennon and even McCartney were writing very personal stuff. My point is that Lennon's stuff here really was a revelation to me.
As I heard a snippet of Imagine on the radio again this morning, I am reminded of how that song made me uncomfortable as a kid, and I think about how my attitude about that song has changed.
It was hard to embrace the basic premise back then -- Imagine there's no heaven -- I was enrolled in a Catholic seminary after all. But, the song resonates with me today. I don't think that Lennon was necessarily calling for an end to religion, countries, and possessions, (although he may have been) but he was definitely pointing out how these things can cause unhappiness and strife. Perhaps he was saying that if we had different priorities, we'd all be happier.
I think about Bill O'Reilly's ridiculous "War on Christmas" mantra. What tripe. Does the phrase "Happy Holidays" ruin Christmas for you? Then, I guess maybe you should think about the strength of your own convictions. Do you think that Christians in the time of Nero would have been insulted by that phrase? I don't think so -- they were too busy being eaten by lions and being burned alive. Look -- Christianity survived that. It certainly can survive an inclusive statement such as "Happy Holidays." But, people like O'Reilly want to use religion to incite hatred and fervor, to what end? To save Christmas (as if it needs to be saved)? Or to push a political agenda? You decide.
Tell me, what has done more to destroy the idea of Christmas than the incessant beating of the commercialism that pounds the senses for about two months. Is Christmas about buying, buying, buying? Imagine a Christmas with no added possessions, a time when you got together and just celebrated with your families. Frankly, if someone said, no more Christmas presents, I'd be ecstatic. Instead, let's all of us honor Jesus or God or Buddha or Mohammed or whomever you choose, and take the money that we had set aside to buy the latest gadgets and whizbangs and whatever else we don't need and give it to the poor. Imagine all the people living life in peace. Imagine all the people, sharing all the world. I'll bet Lennon would have endorsed that expression of Christmas, or Hanukkah or whatever.
I hear some "religious leaders" actually state that if you aren't Christian, you aren't qualified to hold office in this country. I realize this is only a small minority of fanatics, but it troubles me to no end. Of course, imagine if there weren't jihads, holy wars. Imagine if religions didn't control countries like Iran. Freedom of religion and freedom from religion are both tenets of the First Amendment, just like freedom of speech.
I don't want you to think that I believe Lennon was a saint or someone above reproach. He most certainly had his demons. No question. But, he had the courage to break out of the money making machine that is pop music. He spoke out about issues that he believed in (even if he didn't necessarily practice what he preached). He was brave to do so. And some of his thoughts make sense and resonate strongly today.
I realized today that I am older now than he was when he died. I'd have liked to have seen him grow old. I would have liked to have heard him speak out now. But, he's gone, and he's been gone for 25 years now. That's a shame.
(cross posted at http://stickandballguy.blogspot.com)