John Lennon and Yoko Ono – Happy Xmas, War is Over Review

Trust John Lennon and Yoko Ono to take the fun and festive nature out of Christmas. They do so with honest intentions, a chance to pay tribute to those who do not have the chance of celebration. Band Aid did the same but their ham-fisted charity drive, as catchy as it is, does not reach the depths of heartfelt imagery, not quite like Happy Xmas, War is Over. So, this is Christmas, indeed. The heartbreaks of the festive season are not lost on artists to release festive tunes before or after this, but there is a level of quality to come from the Lennon and Ono collaboration here. It has secured its spot as a classic and everything from Mud to LCD Soundsystem has boomed in turn, even those songs which came before Happy Xmas, War is Over, are rejuvenated, re-entering the cycle of realism at Christmastime.  

Happy Xmas, War is Over having those question marks now looming over it. As it ages, like Fairytale of New York, there is a need to discuss what is simply not there. In the case of this Lennon and Ono collaboration, it is the self-proclamation, their sense of righteousness as heralding a darker side to the most wonderful time of the year. But they did this regardless of season, they maintained a steady protest to their works and how avant-garde they may have been, how badly some of it may have aged. But their interest in betterment and their musical flourish here remains constant. Nostalgia plays its part in this song but so too does the acoustic warmth, the punchiness of it and the heaviness it holds for those lyrics lamenting this time of year.  

Considering the work Lennon put out for his solo career, and the works he made with The Plastic Ono Band, it is somewhat easy to throw Happy Xmas, War is Over up there as one of his best offerings. Ono is exceptional too, and the multifaceted relationship with Lennon, so controversial for fans of The Beatles, proves itself an artistic accessory too for Happy Xmas, War is Over. B-Side Listen, The Snow is Falling is quite charming too. Not the weighty powerhouse the A-Side is but certainly worth a go, a bit more atmospheric and a larger nod to the Plastic Ono Band presence. The age-old question is whether it fares better than the Paul McCartney offering. Why compare the two? McCartney wrote a thrill ride of joyous gluttony while Lennon stomped around in a depressive outlook of a season tied to cheer.  

To each their own, but two of the Fab Four having exceptional festive music is a treat. Happy Xmas, War is Over spreads that long-running world peace aims for Lennon and Ono while also serving as a fine Christmas track. It has the punchiness of a classic but the sombre tone of a reflective sort of urgency, one that steadies those more cloying and hand-wringing lyrical choices. It is a chance to “put the political message across with a little honey,” as Lennon would say of Imagine. A bit of festive cheer and a punchy chorus with a children’s choir to back it gives him and Ono the scope to level the listener with moments of an articulate and thoroughly charming, heavy message. Remember the most wonderful time of the year, and why it is such a positive experience. It isn’t for everyone. As obvious a message as it is, Lennon and Ono work well on making it sound like more than a slap on the wrists.

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