Table of Contents
Words
Original: Sing a song of joy and love
Paraphrased: Chant a melody of delight and affection
Music Elements
People’s Reaction
In conclusion
Citations
Vietnam War was one in America’s most controversial wars. The nation was divided by the United States’ involvement in the War, as well as the media who showed graphic images and told horror stories on the frontlines. The Vietnam War saw music change dramatically and led to a surge in protest songs that brought people together for peaceful demonstrations all over the country. John Lennon’s “Give Peace A Chance” is one such song.
This essay will analyze the John Lennon song Give Peace a Chance. Give peace an opportunity is a powerful protest song. This was at a time where everyone was talking about injustice and racism while almost nobody was advocating peace. This song was recorded May 31, 1969. At that time, the world had just ended its 20-year-old war and people were fighting for their rights. A few people believed that peace was possible at this time. They saw over 170 wars in the period 1960-1969. John Lennon said that while war may not solve all problems, if you “give peace a shot” it could be a better solution than taking steps to end all wars. He sees the world as it is. There’s no need to gossip or all the controversies. John Lennon went to Queen Elizabeth’s Hotel, Montreal to protest the situation. He stayed there for eight days. Their cause was promoted by the media and the public. They were able to attract a lot more attention. The song was recorded and sung on May 31, 1969. Petula Clark, Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg were among the guests who sang along. Smothers and his brother Dick played the guitars. Guests of John and Yoko’s Bed-In, including staff members, celebrities, reporters, and staff, banged on everything to create rhythm. John was disappointed with the first attempt and added Hare Krishna drummers to his next attempt. John Lennon added a third verse to the drumming.
The antiwar movement quickly adopted this song as its anthem, since many Americans believed the United States should end the war with Vietnam. The protest called The Moratorium to End Vietnam War in 1969 was organized by a large crowd.
YokoOno stated that they made a point when she spoke to her in an interview. We believed we were presenting our thought through an alternative theater setting. It was the stage and the theater was the audience.
This song was recorded for the album Live Peace In Toronto 1969. It was recorded live at a concert Lennon gave with Eric Clapton playing guitar and Klaus Voorman playing bass. Alan White played drums.
LyricsVerse I: John Lennon says that everyone is focusing on racism, and no one cares about peace in the world. Chorus The chorus is clear in saying that they want people to try to make peace possible.
Verse 2 – John Lennon says that the world cares more about politics and state matters than it does about the bigger issue of wars.
Verse 3. John Lennon explains that the world cares more about science and law. He also argues that the United Nations is a symbol of peace.
Verse 4 – This verse explains how celebrities are more important to the world than peace and world security.
Music ElementsTempo/BPM = 100 bpm
Type = Protest song (anti-war).
Melody = anthemic
The Impact on People – Neuseum
“When Lennon & Ono wrote the song, war was at an all-time high. There had been widespread death and destruction. Nixon’s ascension was a catalyst for the war to intensify in the hopes that it would be ended. – Ashley Kannan
“It was stomping beat, repetitive song, and simple message saw Give peace a chance picked up by antiwar activists, who repeated it at rallies and protests.” – alphahistory.com
“Most famously John Lennons Give Peace A Chance became, when Pete Seeger used it at a large peace rally in Nov. 15th 1969 with half a million participants, the anthem for anti-Vietnam War demonstrators.
Despite being almost entirely devoid of significant content, the verses do not follow any logical discourse. It became one the most popular peace songs during anti-war protests. The verses are characterized by their randomness and the use of sarcasm to refer to seemingly casual words (i.e. Bagism and Shagism as well as references to seemingly casual words (i.e. This becomes a nursery rhyme, which can be repeated until it is instilled in the minds of governments, stakeholders, media and other media.
The song represents a protest against an issue that is both huge and yet not well known to many. Because it uses casual words, the meaning of the song is very clear and effective. It has a large following and is John Lennon’s most popular song.
Sources
Taha, Haneen. “All We Are Saying Is Give Peace a Chance (Lyrics) – John Lennon.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn9upYqYsrw.
Songfacts. “Give Peace A Chance by John Lennon.” Songfacts, www.songfacts.com/facts/john-lennon/give-peace-a-chance.
Wikipedia, Wikimedia foundation, 19 Aug. 2019, En.wikipedia.org.
Criterion A Protest Song Analysis https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uT0jdAnjt7sKgx-MI3MxoAmGH4mgsvrwrEcEaiMg_Y/edit
Lyrics: “Give peace a chance Lyrics” LyricFind.com. 6.Google, Google, google.com
