In Honor of John Lennon

[R_of_G]

Tomorrow, December 8th, marks 27 years since the murder of John Lennon. I just wanted to start a thread where anybody who wanted to could share their thoughts on John, his life and his music.

To me, Lennon is a pure representation speaking truth to power. I am not one of those who feels that artists should just shut up and sing. Life is not a minstrel show. They are human beings, and I admire those who speak the truth, regardless of how controversial that truth may be. Lennon and Ono showed time and time again that they were giving more than just lip service to the causes in which they believed. They used their celebrity to bring attention to the things they believed were important.

He always was, and will always remain one of my heroes.

[Born2Run]

I watched the documentary "Imagine" narrated by him yesterday on VH1 classic. The guy was one of a kind.

[tot_Ou_tard]

You can't find anyone more creative, smart, interesting, & thoughtful than John.

I miss him.

[Spudman***]

Huge Beatles fan here.

The day John was shot I had just arrived at my job at the motorcycle shop and heard on the radio what had happened. I was living alone for the first time in my life too. I went to the boss and told him that I would not be able to work this day and walked out the door. I hopped into my car and drove to the edge of town and spent the next 5 hours wandering through the badlands hills of eastern Montana just thinking about what had happened.

This world just doesn't seem like a fair place sometimes. We get great people that speak up for human injustice (Gandhi, Lennon, Cesar Chavez, and many others) only to have them taken from us abruptly and unfairly. Strange planet we live on.

R.I.P. brother John.

[just strum]

He was a member of the group that made me aware of music, that in itself is an extremely huge and lasting gift.

About 17 years ago I walked out of a company after 12 years of employment. A couple days after I walked out a coworker called me and said this song reminded her of what I did - it will always remain special.



I hope I can achieve it again soon!!!

[Justaguyin_nc]

Doesn't get much better :

[wingsdad]

I'd been learning the guitar for about 2 years without much motivation or inspiration. Noodling around with surf guitar and stuff like that. It was just a hobby, on a par with making model airplanes or collecting baseball cards.

Then along came the Beatles and the focal point for me was immediately Lennon.

I certainly wouldn't be making this post without his influence on my life, in so many, many ways.

I can still hear Howard Cosell's nasally announcement cutting into the Monday Night Football game. I don't remember the game.

While I, like many here, dedicated 11/29 to George, this is so very different.

[tot_Ou_tard]

R o' G mentioned that All Thing Must Pass was his favorite post Beatles work, for me it is Shaved Fish:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaved_Fish

Killer album cover too, from back in the days when album art was a big part of the experience of listening to music.

I miss the full sized art.

Back to imagining...

[R_of_G]

R o' G mentioned that All Thing Must Pass was his favorite post Beatles work, for me it is Shaved Fish:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaved_Fish

Killer album cover too, from back in the days when album art was a big part of the experience of listening to music.

I miss the full sized art.

Back to imagining...

Tot, Shaved Fish is #2 for me for solo Beatle works. Was the first thing I listened to this morning when I began my Lennon listening day which I intend to cap off by watching my all-time favorite film "Yellow Submarine" tonight.

[sunvalleylaw]

Thanks guys for the links and thoughts. Beatles fan here too, but I know less about the solo work. I definitely remember the day, and exactly where and when I had learned about the shooting. It was a strange, gray day at my high school, and I remember that dis-similar people that might not normally hang out together were reaching across social lines to talk and cry about it, and John.