THE REAL JOHN LENNON

From Democracy Now:

While the highlights of Lennon's career with the Beatles is well known, Lennon is less remembered for his political activism and dedication to peace. Lennon wrote some of the most famous songs of the anti-war movement: "Give Peace A Chance", "Imagine" and "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)". He sang at political protests against the Vietnam War, in support of the radical John Sinclair and even for the prisoners of Attica. He and Yoko made international headlines simply by lying in bed as part of their Bed-In For Peace.

The U.S. government saw Lennon as such a serious threat that President Nixon attempted to have him deported in 1972. In addition the FBI closely monitored his actions and amassed a file on Lennon of over 400 pages.

Today -- on the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death -- we speak with historian Jon Wiener about Lennon's politics and his FBI files.

Click here to listen to, watch, or read the interview.

This interview is fantastic. I've known tons about John for years, but I picked up quite a few new pieces of info about his political life listening to this spot. For instance, this recording of 60s activist Abbie Hoffman talking about his New York meetings with Lennon:

John and Yoko did come and look up myself and Jerry Rubin, and they wanted it known around the New York scene that they had political side to them. They -- before they even got here, they had a lot more political consciousness than just say the bed-ins or other things that they were kind of involved in that might appear a little flaky.

We must have met at least a dozen times, and we started to organize demonstrations at the Republican Convention, which at that time was still in San Diego. And it was -- of course, all of these conversations were monitored by the F.B.I. and God knows who else, you know. And it was these conversations that, number one, forced the convention to move to Miami, and number two, got the immigration service on John Lennon's back. And you know, it's -- I think it's wise to remember that for six years, he was hounded, not just because of some pot possession charge. I mean, there's probably 100-200 people a week that want to come into this country with much more, you know, many more charges, but because that he was both political and was forming alliances with radicals.

He had -- he talked sheer poetry. I mean, you totally hung on every word, and he was extremely dramatic and ran the gambit from, you know, manic excitation to sad depressive, moody states. And he just pulled off one night and just went over to the corner and in three minutes wrote a song, came back and sang it. It was quite a thing to witness.

Wow.

It's amazing the influence John has had on me. I think back to when I first heard "Imagine" over twenty five years ago. No countries, no religion, no posessions, no war, a brotherhood of man. "Nice," I thought, "but utterly impossible, and I love my religion, love my posessions." I've come so far: I believe it all now. What were once to me insane ramblings forgiven because of his great music are now the values by which I live. These ideals are not impossible; they are simply despised by the wealthy and powerful elites who rule the world. Peace and justice do not defy human nature. They are, indeed, possible, but only if our species decides to make it happen.

And, I think, that's what I've devoted my life to. Despite all the years since John was alive, since the civil rights and anti-war movements, despite so many positive changes, we really haven't come very far. The Bush administration only differs from the corrupt and brutal Nixon administration in its level of incompetence. We are once again at war, killing non-white people in a foreign land, for reasons that make no sense. The civil liberties won in the 60s are being slowly taken back. Narrow minded religious fundamentalists have more power than I've seen in my lifetime. Hundreds of African-Americans were needlessly killed, and thousands more driven out of their homes in New Orleans due to governmental indifference. The rich are getting richer. The poor are getting poorer. How can I stand by and do nothing?

When I leave grad school in a year and a half, I'm going to try to go after it with as much energy as John did when he left the Beatles. In the short term, that means open mike nights, and more politically conscious songwriting. In the long term, that means writing and producing, wherever I can, small scale shows aimed at enlightening average ordinary people about our desperate circumstances. I'm an artist, yes, but art cannot be an end to itself. Art must be a means to an end. For me, that end is peace and love.

Yeah, all this John Lennon stuff these past few days is going to my head, but so what? It's good to reconnect with your roots.

Go check out that interview; it's great stuff.

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