This Saturday will mark John Lennon's 70th birthday. Imagine that! I haven't thought about the man or his music, much, for years it seems. But this is true: I play guitar and sing and write (for what it's worth) as a direct result of Lennon's influence on me when I was twelve years old. It wasn't the other Beatles I wanted to emulate. It was Lennon...When John Lennon left the Beatles it was because he wanted another kind of experience. He was, at his essence, restless. He was, among many other things, a premier shit-disturber. He had things on his mind, things he wanted to address, things going on in the world and the tight collar of fab-ness turned out to be choking. So he moved to New York City, and he hung out with Jerry Rubin and Abby Hoffman.
He had been busted on a simple possession of cannabis charge in England and he was, on the one hand, tremendously paranoid that any further run-ins with the law would result in his deportation from his adopted nation. In fact the government moved to deport him, only dropping that pursuit after Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974. Lennon spoke out against the war, but when he made his strongest statements he balked, in some fashion; for example changing the title of this song from Free The People to Freda Peeple. I'm not sure the authorities were fooled...
Listen to the song and check out the lyrics. The guy had a way with words. He was a poet. Crude, maybe, but a poet nonetheless. He is missed in this world. Happy birthday, John!
(Alright Boys, this is it, over the hill)
We don't care what flag you're waving
We don't even want to know your name
We don't care where you're from or where you're going
All we know is that you came
You're making all our decisions
We have just one request of you
That while you're thinking things over
Here's something you just better do
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Well we were caught with our hands in the air
Don't despair paranoia is everywhere
We can shake it with love when we're scared
So let's shout it aloud like a prayer
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
We understand your paranoia
But we don't want to play your game
You think you're cool and know what you are doing
666 is your name
So while you're jerking off each other
You better bear this thought in mind
Your time is up you better know it
But maybe you don't read the signs
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Well you were caught with your hands in the kill
And you still got to swallow your pill
As you slip and you slide down the hill
On the blood of the people you killed
Stop the killing (Free the people now)
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Stop the killing (Free the people now)
We don't care what flag you're waving
We don't even want to know your name
We don't care where you're from or where you're going
All we know is that you came
You're making all our decisions
We have just one request of you
That while you're thinking things over
Here's something you just better do
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Well we were caught with our hands in the air
Don't despair paranoia is everywhere
We can shake it with love when we're scared
So let's shout it aloud like a prayer
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
We understand your paranoia
But we don't want to play your game
You think you're cool and know what you are doing
666 is your name
So while you're jerking off each other
You better bear this thought in mind
Your time is up you better know it
But maybe you don't read the signs
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Free the people now
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Well you were caught with your hands in the kill
And you still got to swallow your pill
As you slip and you slide down the hill
On the blood of the people you killed
Stop the killing (Free the people now)
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now
Stop the killing (Free the people now)
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