"Happy Christmas Kyoko. Happy Christmas Julian."

There is one song that can never be covered. You can't crank up many Christmas songs. This is an exception.

#16 of 31 Things I Love About Christmas: Happy Christmas(War Is Over) by John Lennon.

Yea. This song gets its' own entry.

You can add me to the millions of people around the globe whose lives were affected by 4 young men from Liverpool, England. This is no time for a history lesson. John Lennon was one of those 4 Liverpool men.

I probably first heard this song in 7th grade, when I dove full into the body of work of not only The Beatles but of their solo careers as well. I fell deep in the music of John Lennon. This song, I never tire of. It is a an absolute masterpiece that if I was ruler of Earth, could never be covered. It simply shouldn't be. Leave it alone.

John Winston Ono Lennon was a man of peace and love. A man of vision. He and his wife Yoko Ono put up 11 "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko" billboards in late 1969 (this is where the chant in the end of the song comes from). Lennon, I feel as if I can see him writing this song.

So this is Christmas.....yea here we are again, Tis the season.

And What Have you/we done?....Have we been good people, have we made this world a little better, a little brighter than it was before?

Another year over and a new one just begun...let's hope this one is better than the last one.

And on it goes. He hopes this is a time of fun for all, but also is waiting for the day of peace. The day when war comes to an end and we no longer live in fear of pain and destruction...then comes in the end "War is over, if you want it" as sort of a, hey, this could all be stopped right now, if you wanted it to end."

Interesting to note, this song never charted in the US when it was released in '71 (issued two days and 9 years to the date of his death on December 6), was released the following year in the UK and peaked at #4. Upon a re-release after this death, it peaked at #2. Can't believe this never charted. Go figure.

Without getting into a political tirade, this is a song of hope and peace at what should be the most joyful time of the year. A hope that maybe, just maybe, things will get better. That is a hope and emotion that never gets old.


So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over over
If you want it
War is over
Now...

It is simple, but it is timeless and beautiful. Lennon encourages us to "Take a sad song, and make it better"...now where have I heard that before??

We lost this man way, way to early.