John Lennon: Music, Philosophy and Mission
Posted on October 16th, 2010
Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge
My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.”
John Lennon
John Lennon who was an inspirational character changed music in to a new direction. He was one of the key figures in the Post War generation whose music and the ideology changed the world. Lennon was a humanitarian. He condemned violence and truthfully worked for peace. John LennonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s music, philosophy and mission is still adored by millions of people. He is an immortal in peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s hearts.
Lennon was born to a working-class family in Liverpool in 1940. His childhood was disrupted and when he was a teenager his mother got killed in an accident. All the suffering he felt in his heart was expressed in the form of lyrics in later years. In 1956 he met Paul McCartney which was a turning point in his life. They began writing songs together and formed the most popular group of all time the Beatles.
The Beatles were young revolutionists in the field of music. Where ever they went they captured the hearts of millions creating a BeatleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s mania. John Lennon was considered as the most energetic and the driving force behind the Beatles. John was enthusiastic and transforming in to a new wave. When he met his future wife and the soul companion Yoko Ono they began to work collaboratively. The Beatles pronounced their official breakup in 1970. With the breakup Lennon began his solo career in a more advanced way. LennonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s songs began exploring profoundly political, psychological and existential themes.
John Lennon’s song Imagine is one of the greatest songs of all time an anthem of universal hope. In this song Lennon tells us about an imaginary world where people live in peace and harmony.
He further says ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world…
One critic described LennonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s masterpiece Imagine as thus
“Imagine,” the song, was unquestionably Lennon’s finest moment. Its lyrical and conceptual clarity shone sunlight of vision upon our dark and violent world. It urged us to imagine a world without property, without religion, without nations, living in peace. It postulated an economic order in which both greed and hunger would be impossibleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
John Lennon provided the intellectual, political and aesthetic influence to nations. They openly protested against the Vietnam war. John Lennon began to make history with his painfully honest and political songs. He wanted to change the world but not through violence. Lennon clearly gives this message in his song Revolution.
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don’t you know that you can count me out?
October 1968 Lennon recorded ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Give Peace a ChanceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ now which is a motto of the peace loving community. His”Nowhere Man” on “Rubber Soul” (1965) carried a philosophical as well as psychological theme which described about alienation. He was sort of the vicar of Art Rock. Lennon’s songwriting genius was uncanny. Author John Stevens explains Lennon’s intuitive talent from a technical point of view, through the lens of songwriting three basic elements: melody, harmony, and lyric.
John LennonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s mission was unexpectedly stopped on December 8, 1980. When Lennon was returning with Ono to their Dakota apartment on New York City he was shot by Mark David Chapman a Beatles fan and a person who suffered paranoid delusions. Although Lennon is dead his music legacy continues still inspiring people around the world.
Killing of a Butterfly (by Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge)
On that doom s day
Near the Dakota Building NY
Mark David Chapman gun downed a legend
The ex beetle with circular lenses
Paid the prize for the Generation of 60 s
He is a phony
Yelled the killer
Hi is the one who said
Imagine there is no possession
But he had everything
Expensive cars, boats and houses
All the way Chapman came from Hawaii
Waited many hours near the Dakota Building
Until his prey returned with Yoko
He was a nowhere man from nowhere land
But he made his plans to kill somebody
As Chapman said
I was nobody until I killed somebody
October 16th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dr Jayatunga
As Internet Ghosts we are very similar men.
It might interest you that I have also produced some interesting poetry over the years and it will be good if people pay attention to our own work rather than drug addicts of the west.
The ghost Susantha Wijesinghe says that you worked at Angoda.
Is that true?
Malinda
January 19th, 2012 at 1:40 am
Yes,Beatles,Lennon were drug addicted(since 1965) as almost all popular artists in the 60’s.But,The beatles shook entire foundation of western civilization.First they became stars by giving fans what they want.Then on wards they manipulated them,By questioning Christianity,Coldwar etc.They became the forefathers of introducing Eastern classical music in to western popular music,stimulating Eastern meditation methods,Religions to west(George Harrison became a Hindhunism follower).(Listen to “Withing or without you”)Ultimately showed flaws of western culture which predominantly built on enjoying the life with no incarnation.Beatles were unsolved problem for west.Do you know they hold very large amount of share of demolishing communism in USSR?They stunned USA by manifesting youth.4 men was able to shook the west.John Lennon was very sincere artist.He express what he believed(Listen to “GOD”) with no hiding.Faced deportation issue from US president Nixon for being peace advertiser against Vietnam war.Malinda,you are right SL have substance (Buddhism).But we’nt done much work from that to world art.But some’ve done something with what they knew by their own experiences of life.John lennon was that kind.I think If he were alive he may’ve been a Buddhist.Definitely not a Christian who succumbed his life searching like Bob Dylan.The truth is western christian civilization hates John lennon and The Beatles.They cracked it for good to mankind unlike Hitler,Playboy magazine which led to pornography,May be communism and Women liberation.