John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s hit Christmas song “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” isn’t all holiday spirit when you really dive into the lyrics. Written in 1971, “Happy Xmas” is a Christmas song with an anti-war message, specifically protesting the Vietnam War. Lennon and Ono were both strong advocates for world peace, coming up with the popular late 1900’s slogan “War is over! (If you want it.)”- the political message the two writers portrayed is one that is still relevant today. The two writers tried to convey that if enough people wanted something to happen, it would. So after some research, an extensive interest in lyrical analysis, and a little holiday spirit, I broke down the true meaning behind one of the most famous Christmas songs.
Before the song truly starts, you can vaguely hear whispers between Lennon and Ono wishing their kids a “Happy Christmas.” This shows that they truly did want to embrace the Christmas spirit for not only their kids, but others around them.
At the beginning of the song, Lennon asks a personal question: “what have you done?” This is an open ended question; he is asking for a personal reflection about “what you have done” over the past year, while also asking it in an accusatory tone as if he is disappointed.
“So this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Another year over, a new one just begun.”
This song was written during a stressful time for America, as the Vietnam War was still in effect, and the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. Lennon acknowledges this, wishing everyone a “fun” year to come, a year that isn’t like the last.
“And so this is Christmas,
We hope you have fun
(War is over if you want it)
The near and the dear one,
The old and the young
(War is over now)”
Throughout the rest of the song the lyrics, “War is over, if you want” is repeated like a mantra, which adds a much deeper effect within the a song rather than if it was written on a billboard or on a magazine. It’s sung by a children’s choir, adding to the innocence of Christmas and the “Peace, Hope, and Joy” that the holiday embodies. Lennon is attempting to reveal a very complex message- one regarding the disappointment and irony of Christmas. He is trying to show how hypocritical it is to celebrate a time of “Peace, Hope, and Joy” when that was the opposite of what was happening in society.
While wishing everyone a “Happy Christmas” and a better year for all, Lennon and Ono transformed a holiday song into one with a strong, political statement. Take a listen to “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” and find out what the lyrics mean to you.