Today marks the anniversary of John Winston Ono Lennon‘s death. John would have just been recovering from reveling in the celebration of his sixty - sixth birthday; October the 9th.
Presently, we’ve no John Lennon. I often wonder today what the world would be like without him. Would it be any different? I would think so, when the echoes of him still ring so strongly still today.
I broke out my old LP’s and dusted them off. I am to hear Mind Games, Give Peace a Chance, Jealous Guy, Imagine, How Do You Sleep, and my favorite - Gimme’ Some Truth.
No chance.
There’s no working record table priced under one-hundred dollars within a one-hundred mile radius from me. My Lennon, Wings, Ringo, Harrison, and Beatles vinyl all slipped from my grasp years ago. Storage problems, garage sales, vengeful acquaintances and fate stole all of them from me.
So I, long ago, resorted to downloading the songs from my p2p clients and various websites. What would John think? My taking his music without paying him? I think he’d encourage it. Though his label would probably aggressively pursue anyone attempting to allocate the copyrighted material without pay or permission.
On November 26th, 2006, John’s widow, Avant-Garde artist Yoko Ono took out a full page ad in the New York Times.
Here it is:
Transcript of Yoko’s full page ad in the New York Times
http://www.gothamist.com/attachments/jen/2006_11_yokoonoad.jpg
It almost reminds me of Episcopalian Prayers for the People liturgy rites II and VI under the second Eucharist found within the common liturgy performed regardless of most Episcopol seasons . This oratory; split between the respondents (the congregation or Mass) and the Celibant (the Pastor / Reverend / Father / Vicar ) follows the Communion.
This similarity should not be surprising as John was born into an Anglican home; just a spit afar from Episcopol practices. The influence seems to have found it’s way to ‘devil woman’ Yoko Lennon who is credited for drawing John away from the Beatles, though difficulties and resentment between Lennon and McCartney had been brewing since the conception of the White Album.
From the 1979 Book of Common Prayer:
Form II (abb.)
I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations;
and for the well-being of all people.
Pray for justice and peace.
Silence
I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the
oppressed, and those in prison.
Pray for those in any need or trouble.
Silence
I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper
knowledge of him.
Pray that they may find and be found by him.
Form VI
The Leader and People pray responsively
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who
are alone.
For this community, the nation, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the
needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
For [N. our Presiding Bishop, and N. (N.) our Bishop(s); and for] all
bishops and other ministers;
For all who serve God in his Church.
For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence
The People may add their own thanksgivings
We will exalt you, O God our King;
And praise your Name for ever and ever.
We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in
your eternal kingdom.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
Silence may be kept.
Leader and People
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;
in your compassion forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone;
and so uphold us by your Spirit
that we may live and serve you in newness of life,
to the honor and glory of your Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/formatted_1979.htm
See any familiar themes between common Lennon prose, the format of Yoko’s plea’s in the NYT and Anglican liturgy?
It’s not about the pie in the sky, it’s about going home and making it. - Anonymous
I’ve wished to view the Lennon documentary; The U.S Vs. John Lennon, but in absence of being able to do so, I questioned some of the older generation and asked them;
“Do you see John Lennon as an icon of the peace movement?”
Most people interviewed stated, “yes,” but there was one gentleman I spoke with who didn’t feel that way.
I met him at a bar. He came gimping in with two crutches and his younger brother. His hair was white and to his shoulders. He wore a jean jacket with a peace sign stitched into the left breast. His eyes twinkled when he spoke, but always in the mildest manner.
“Did you serve in Vietnam?” I wondered aloud to him.
“No. I was like this before, cerebral palsey, I got lucky,” he smiled, cautiously.
After a pitcher of beer I asked him, “ So whaddya’ think of John Lennon, y’know, his birthday’s comin’ up did you ever see him as an icon of the peace movement?”
He shook his head.
“ Naw. He was just a rocker. “
“What about that peace symbol you’ve got sewn into your jacket? You don’t think Lennon was for peace, but you wear that?”
I was incredibly curious, maybe Lennon was only seen as a ‘rock artist’ with commitments barely beyond selling his latest single.
“ My brother’s buddy, my buddy, wore this on his Kevlar [helmet] while he was Vietnam, Lennon never did nothing to keep this from dropping from his head and on to my jacket,” the gentleman replied while he fingered his glass of Budweiser.
“Well,” I sighed, “Can I touch it?” I asked, wanted to feel history.
“Yeah.”
Reporter: Mr. Lennon, do you feel any antagonism toward the people who have attempted to have you deported?
John Lennon: Absolutely not. I believe time wounds all heels.
I’ve read about and salivated over the new Lennon documentary detailing the Nixon Administration and FBI’s attempts to deport him.
Though I’ve still not had access to the film,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478049/
I’ve read quite a bit concerning Lennon being tailed by the FBI, his phone being tapped, and the retaliatory measures pushed against him by political enemies because they perceived him a threat. During this Nixonian period, he endured much governmental intrusion upon his private life strictly because of his peace activist involvement.
This is dangerous. Our current administration continues to vigilantly monitor peace groups to this day as vigilantly (supposedly) as Al - Qaida. For what reason? Shouldn’t our government be more concerned about those with weapons who have stridently opposed ‘peace‘?
Authorities keep tabs on non-violent Seattle activists in hunt for al-Qaida
By MIKE BARBER AND PAUL SHUKOVSKY, P-I REPORTERS
In the post-9/11 world, some unlikely figures have attracted the attention of local police and federal agents: the Raging Grannies, known for musical satire, and Quaker peace activists, known for non-violence.
Recently disclosed FBI files show that in Seattle in recent years, federal agents and local police looked for signs of civil disobedience among activists preparing to protest Navy ships arriving for Seafair.
http://www.gzcenter.org/articles/peace_groups_under_watch.htm
Good job, U.S. Government I pay taxes to; look out for those peace loving Quakers and hippies that throw flowers at U.S. soldiers. Truly a menace.
Please join me while I wretch.
The sad part is that because we’ve not been vigilant and not provided oversight for our ‘representatives’ in government, we may be some of those groups targeted for overt surveillance.
But though dissent from the common masses has reached critical, um, mass, just two and a half hours after the 26th anniversary of John Lennon’s death, President Bush has formally begun his kowtow to the public opinion of his handling of Iraq due to…Washington insiders.
That’s how bad the conflict in Iraq has become.
Coincidentally, nearly two and a half hours after December eighth began for most Occidentals, President Bush conceded to the panel conceived by Bush family lawyer and confident James Baker the III to change current United State involvement in Iraq.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061208/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush
President Bush was reticent in acknowledging the recommendations made by the Iraq Study Group.
"I do know that we have not succeeded as fast as wanted to succeed," the president said Thursday. "I do understand that progress is not as rapid as I had hoped."
"The vision is absolutely correct," [Prime Minister Tony] Blair said.
Emphatically embracing the recommendations in a transparent attempt to save his party from certain Parliamentary defeat in the upcoming Brit elections, Mr. Blair acts as Chief Sycophant to higher political powers. Cheers to all the mates that will kick your party to the bloody curb for not representing the public at large, Mr. Blair!
James Baker the III was an instrumental figure in the Reagan and Bush 41 administrations. His signature graces many of your dollar bills. Not that the IRS will not take them as payment, but that’s a different subject (yes, it’s true, the IRS does not accept currency, only Money Orders, Cashiers Checks, or Credit / Debit Card).
But what of John?
I go back to his echoes, when he says,” Give Peace a Chance”, I think about the United States being involved in more military conflicts then any other country in the world (combined) within the last century, our 130 military bases around the world (when there are 160 countries in the world), and our being the largest debtor nation status in the world to fuel those conflicts and when Lennon asks to ’Gimme Some Truth’; telling me he’s
sick and tired of hearing things
From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
Ive had enough of reading things
By neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
I realize that today should be a day of personal healing and forgiveness, and also a day we’ll miss and commemorate Mr. John ‘W’ Lennon as well as abide by his widow’s pleas and his haunting absence in today‘s policies.
John and George W. Bush sing Imagine; a bit of today’s creative mixing and editing it’s possible
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1847778207986315796&q=imagine+this&hl=en