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Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Encyclopedia
"Happy Xmas" is a song written by John Lennon
and Yoko Ono
and released in 1971 as a single
by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir.
The song did not chart in the United States, but reached #4 on the British singles chart
(where release was delayed until 1972). Ostensibly a protest song
about the Vietnam War
, it has become a Christmas standard
and has appeared on several Christmas albums.
and posters in eleven major cities around the world that read: "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko". In 1971, the United States was deeply entrenched in the unpopular Vietnam War. The line "War is over, if you want it, war is over, now!", as sung by the background vocals, was taken directly from the billboards.
The melody and chord structure are from the folk standard "Stewball", about a race-horse. Lennon and Ono added the key changes (shifting back and forth between A and D) and the "War is over" counter-melody.
in New York City in late October 1971, with the help of producer Phil Spector
. It features heavily echoed vocals and backing vocals from children of the Harlem
Community Choir.
The recording starts with spoken Christmas greetings from Ono and Lennon to their children: Ono whispers "Happy Christmas, Kyoko", then Lennon whispers "Happy Christmas, Julian
". The lyric sheet from the 1982 album The John Lennon Collection
erroneously gives this introduction as "Happy Christmas, Yoko. Happy Christmas, John".
Which of the four guitarists played the bass part is unknown. Klaus Voormann
had been slated to play bass guitar on the song, but was unable to attend the session when his plane was delayed.
in the United States (catalogue Apple 1842) in December of 1971, being too close to Christmas to make any commercial impact. Due to a publishing dispute, the UK and worldwide release of the single (Apple R5970) was delayed until the following November. The single peaked at #4 in the UK in late December 1972. The song was re-released in the UK on 20 December 1980, shortly after John Lennon's murder on 8 December, peaking at #2.
The song's first appearance on album was the 1975 compilation Shaved Fish
; it has also been included on several subsequent Lennon compilation albums and several Christmas-themed compilations.
whose version, released on-line
in December 2006 reached #50 on the Billboard Hot 100
, the first time the song appeared on the US charts. Melissa Etheridge
, Celine Dion
and Neil Diamond
also recorded it. Street Drum Corps
, along with Bert McCracken
, recorded a cover available on the Christmas album Taste of Christmas that was also released as a single. In 1996 Jimmy Buffett
covered the song on his holiday album Chrstmas Island
. An instrumental cover version by Tomoyasu Hotei
appears on Steve Vai
's 1997 compilation Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas. In 2003, the finalists of the second series of the TV show Pop Idol
covered the song for the album Pop Idol: The Idols - Xmas Factor. In 2008, the song was covered by hard rock artists Tommy Shaw, Steve Lukather, Marco Mendoza, & Kenny Aaronoff for the album We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year
. The song was also covered by The Moody Blues
on their 2003 album December. Maroon 5
released a cover version in 2007. Sent By Ravens
released a cover of it on the Tooth and Nail album Happy Christmas Vol. 5
. Beatallica
, a band whose songs consist of mash-ups with The Beatles and Metallica, have a version on their 2009 Christmas album Winter Plunderland.
wrote "The War Is Over
", a song that declared an end to the Vietnam War; Ochs recorded the song in 1968. There is no indication that Lennon or Ono knew of Ochs' song.
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
and released in 1971 as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir.
The song did not chart in the United States, but reached #4 on the British singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
(where release was delayed until 1972). Ostensibly a protest song
Protest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
about the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, it has become a Christmas standard
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
and has appeared on several Christmas albums.
Composition
The lyric is based on a campaign in late 1969 by Lennon and Ono, who rented billboardsBillboard (advertising)
A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure , typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers...
and posters in eleven major cities around the world that read: "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko". In 1971, the United States was deeply entrenched in the unpopular Vietnam War. The line "War is over, if you want it, war is over, now!", as sung by the background vocals, was taken directly from the billboards.
The melody and chord structure are from the folk standard "Stewball", about a race-horse. Lennon and Ono added the key changes (shifting back and forth between A and D) and the "War is over" counter-melody.
Recording
It was recorded at Record Plant StudiosRecord Plant Studios
The Record Plant was a series of three famous recording studios which were founded by Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone, beginning in New York City in 1968. The next year, Kellgren and Stone opened a second studio in Los Angeles. In 1972, the company expanded again with a third location in Sausalito,...
in New York City in late October 1971, with the help of producer Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
. It features heavily echoed vocals and backing vocals from children of the Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
Community Choir.
The recording starts with spoken Christmas greetings from Ono and Lennon to their children: Ono whispers "Happy Christmas, Kyoko", then Lennon whispers "Happy Christmas, Julian
Julian Lennon
John Charles Julian Lennon is an English musician, songwriter, actor, and photographer. He is the son of John Lennon and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Powell. Beatles manager Brian Epstein was his godfather. He has a younger half-brother, Sean Lennon. Lennon was named after his paternal...
". The lyric sheet from the 1982 album The John Lennon Collection
The John Lennon Collection
The John Lennon Collection is a retrospective compilation album of music from John Lennon's 1970s solo career. The album was released on vinyl in 1982 by Parlophone through EMI, and by Geffen Records in the United States, later being remastered and released on CD in 1989. It was the first Lennon...
erroneously gives this introduction as "Happy Christmas, Yoko. Happy Christmas, John".
Personnel
- Vocals: John Lennon, Yoko Ono and the Harlem Community Choir
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
: Hugh McCrackenHugh McCrackenHugh McCracken is a rhythm guitar player and session musician, arranger and producer based in New York.Especially in demand in the 60s, 70s and 80s, he appears on many recordings by Steely Dan, as well as albums by Donald Fagen, Jimmy Rushing, Billy Joel, Roland Kirk, Roberta Flack, B. B...
, Chris Osborn, Teddy Irwin, Stuart Scharf - KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, chimes and glockenspielGlockenspielA glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
: Nicky HopkinsNicky HopkinsNicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
, Yoko OnoYoko Onois a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon... - DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and sleigh bellsSleigh BellsSleigh Bells is an American noise pop music duo. The group released their debut album, Treats, on May 11, 2010.-History:Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sleigh Bells is composed of Derek E. Miller and Alexis Krauss...
: Jim KeltnerJim KeltnerJames Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
Which of the four guitarists played the bass part is unknown. Klaus Voormann
Klaus Voormann
Klaus Voormann is a German Grammy Award-winning artist, noted musician, and record producer. He designed artwork for many bands including The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Wet Wet Wet and Turbonegro. His most notable work as a producer was his work with the band Trio, including their worldwide hit "Da Da...
had been slated to play bass guitar on the song, but was unable to attend the session when his plane was delayed.
Release
The single was released on Apple RecordsApple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
in the United States (catalogue Apple 1842) in December of 1971, being too close to Christmas to make any commercial impact. Due to a publishing dispute, the UK and worldwide release of the single (Apple R5970) was delayed until the following November. The single peaked at #4 in the UK in late December 1972. The song was re-released in the UK on 20 December 1980, shortly after John Lennon's murder on 8 December, peaking at #2.
The song's first appearance on album was the 1975 compilation Shaved Fish
Shaved Fish
The year the album was released, a Creem magazine reader's poll included it among the top five "Best Reissues" of 1975, placing fourth, behind two Rolling Stones compilations, Made in the Shade and Metamorphosis, and The Basement Tapes....
; it has also been included on several subsequent Lennon compilation albums and several Christmas-themed compilations.
Cover versions
The song has been covered many times, notably by The FrayThe Fray (band)
The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King, they achieved success with the release of their debut album, How to Save a Life in 2005, which was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand...
whose version, released on-line
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
in December 2006 reached #50 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, the first time the song appeared on the US charts. Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
, Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
and Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
also recorded it. Street Drum Corps
Street Drum Corps
Street Drum Corps is a punk rock percussion band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2004 by Bobby Alt, of S.T.U.N. and Faculty X, Adam Alt, of Circus Minor, and Frank Zummo, of TheStart. To date the group have released two albums and have been part of tours such as Van's Warped Tour, Taste of...
, along with Bert McCracken
Bert McCracken
Robert Edward "Bert" McCracken is the lead singer and songwriter of the American alternative rock band The Used.-Biography:McCracken was born in Provo but grew up in Orem, Utah, USA, and was raised in a Mormon family...
, recorded a cover available on the Christmas album Taste of Christmas that was also released as a single. In 1996 Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
covered the song on his holiday album Chrstmas Island
Christmas Island (album)
Christmas Island is a 1996 collection of Jimmy Buffett's Christmas-themed music and is his 22nd studio album. It features covers of popular Christmas songs in Buffett's musical stylings as well as two tracks which Buffett wrote for the album. "Twas the Night Before Christmas" is a hidden...
. An instrumental cover version by Tomoyasu Hotei
Tomoyasu Hotei
is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Hotei at number 70 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.- Life and career :...
appears on Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
's 1997 compilation Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas. In 2003, the finalists of the second series of the TV show Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
covered the song for the album Pop Idol: The Idols - Xmas Factor. In 2008, the song was covered by hard rock artists Tommy Shaw, Steve Lukather, Marco Mendoza, & Kenny Aaronoff for the album We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year
We Wish you a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year
We Wish You A Metal Xmas And A Headbanging New Year is a compilation album of Christmas songs played by an all-star collection of hard rock and metal artists...
. The song was also covered by The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
on their 2003 album December. Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
released a cover version in 2007. Sent By Ravens
Sent by Ravens
Sent by Ravens is a Christian post-hardcore band from Hartsville, South Carolina.-History:Sent By Ravens was formed in January 2006 by Jamie Windham , Andy O'Neal and Andy Warren . In August 2007 after searching for a drummer, the band found Dane Andersen through a video he posted of himself on...
released a cover of it on the Tooth and Nail album Happy Christmas Vol. 5
Happy Christmas Vol. 5
Happy Christmas Vol. 5 is the fifth album in the Happy Christmas series started by BEC Records in 1998.-Track listing:...
. Beatallica
Beatallica
Beatallica is a mash-up band that plays music made from combinations of songs of The Beatles and Metallica. A Beatallica song is typically a blend of a Beatles song and a Metallica song with a related title Beatallica is a mash-up band that plays music made from combinations of songs of The Beatles...
, a band whose songs consist of mash-ups with The Beatles and Metallica, have a version on their 2009 Christmas album Winter Plunderland.
Similar song
In 1967, American topical singer Phil OchsPhil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
wrote "The War Is Over
The War Is Over (song)
"The War Is Over" is an anti-war song by Phil Ochs, a U.S. protest singer from the 1960s known for being a harsh critic of the American military-industrial establishment. The song, which was originally released on Tape from California , has been described as "one of the most potent antiwar songs of...
", a song that declared an end to the Vietnam War; Ochs recorded the song in 1968. There is no indication that Lennon or Ono knew of Ochs' song.