30Th Anniversary of John Lennon's Death

[Carl62]

Today marks the 30 year anniversary that the late, great John Lennon was killed outside his Dakota apartment in NYC. R.I.P. John. We still miss you.

[FunkyTown]

Today marks the 30 year anniversary that the late, great John Lennon was killed outside his Dakota apartment in NYC. R.I.P. John. We still miss you.

We miss you and have become the type of people that you would hate. Cheers, John!

[slamjet]

We miss you and have become the type of people that you would hate. Cheers, John!

Late, yes. Great, no. Other than write and sing songs about extreme socialistic values, what had he done? Not a whole lot of anything. Right now, he would be tickled pink at the direction that the country is going.

Respect for his accomplishments? Yes and no (he dumped his first wife and child in the pursuit of fame and fortune, he spake and sang about anti-capitalist stuff while living in a highly swanky place in New York, etc). Great man? If the criteria is what he had done for humanity and did he walk as he talked, I can think of others who actually did something with more integrity.

[FunkyTown]

Says the man whose picture is 'I hate Christmas'.

Grinch.

Late, yes. Great, no. Other than write and sing songs about extreme socialistic values, what had he done? Not a whole lot of anything. Right now, he would be tickled pink at the direction that the country is going.

Respect for his accomplishments? Yes and no (he dumped his first wife and child in the pursuit of fame and fortune, he spake and sang about anti-capitalist stuff while living in a highly swanky place in New York, etc). Great man? If the criteria is what he had done for humanity and did he walk as he talked, I can think of others who actually did something with more integrity.

[HoosierGuy]

We're playing those mind games together

Pushing the barriers, planting seeds

Playing the mind guerrilla

Chanting the mantra, peace on earth

We all been playing those mind games forever

Some kinda druid dudes lifting the veil

Doing the mind guerrilla

Some call it magic, the search for the grail

[Wingnut]

Late, yes. Great, no. Other than write and sing songs about extreme socialistic values, what had he done? Not a whole lot of anything.

Really? You don't think that John Lennon had any influence on the history of music in the 20th century?

[slamjet]

Says the man whose picture is 'I hate Christmas'.

Grinch.

Bah-Freak'n-Humbug!

[slamjet]

We're playing those mind games together

Pushing the barriers, planting seeds

Playing the mind guerrilla

Chanting the mantra, peace on earth

We all been playing those mind games forever

Some kinda druid dudes lifting the veil

Doing the mind guerrilla

Some call it magic, the search for the grail

Seems like anti-religious rhetoric to me.

[Saguaro]

I love the Beatles, some of John's work after the Beatles I like, some I don't. Overall I think he was great artist but certainly not without his flaws. He messed up with his first wife and Julian, but near the end he was trying to be a good husband and father to Sean. The night he was killed he and Yoko were returning from a recording session, Yoko suggested they stop and have dinnner on the way but John wanted to get home to see Sean before he went to bed, I guess he didn't get that chance.

[slamjet]

Really? You don't think that John Lennon had any influence on the history of music in the 20th century?

Beyond the Beetles? Questionable.

[pam]

Wow has it seriously been 30 years? I remember clearly the day it happened.

[NeuroTypical]

Thanks, Mr. Lenon, for your song Imagine. It helps to have such a widely-agreed-upon summary of liberal thought to use as a playing field for a political argument.

[Dr T]

Some great songs.

[Carl62]

Late, yes. Great, no. Other than write and sing songs about extreme socialistic values, what had he done? Not a whole lot of anything. Right now, he would be tickled pink at the direction that the country is going.

Respect for his accomplishments? Yes and no (he dumped his first wife and child in the pursuit of fame and fortune, he spake and sang about anti-capitalist stuff while living in a highly swanky place in New York, etc). Great man? If the criteria is what he had done for humanity and did he walk as he talked, I can think of others who actually did something with more integrity.

Gee, I find your comments interesting, especially coming from somebody who has it written in their profile "to not judge anyone for ANYTHING they've done".

[slamjet]

Gee, I find your comments interesting, especially coming from somebody who has it written in their profile "to not judge anyone for ANYTHING they've done".

To not judge a person does not preclude having wisdom. If a person is truly trying to escape past wrongs, then who am I to shove it back in their face? If a person tries to shove their righteousness in my face while living a different life, well, is it not wisdom to see it for what it is?

Lennon was giving this huge aura of social equality and justice while at the same time living a life far from it. My friend, an ex-con, lived a life of horrid crimes but is now learning and striving to live a life of integrity and substance. Which one is giving "good fruits?" I would put my friend on a pedestal over Lennon any day of the week and twice on Sunday and, I feel, more deserving of praise because of his acts of contrition, rehabilitation, responsibility and progress.

Wisdom, to me, dictates my friend is the better man.

[Bini]

Never knew the man. So I can't contribute. But I kind of sort of have a small itty bitty piece of claim to fame in connection with John Lennon. My dad went to school with him back in the day. I always thought that was somewhat cool.

[Carl62]

Respect for his accomplishments? Yes and no (he dumped his first wife and child in the pursuit of fame and fortune,

WRONG! While it is true that John and Cynthia (his first wife) did divorce, the divorce didn't happen until 1969 which was just about at the end of the Beatles themselves!! They even tried a reconciliation in '68 because John was getting bored with Yoko (who he met in '66, long after the Beatles became rich and famous). So if you are going to make a harsh judgement against the guy, please be sure to get your facts straight!!! Thanks.

[slamjet]

WRONG! While it is true that John and Cynthia (his first wife) did divorce, the divorce didn't happen until 1969 which was just about at the end of the Beatles themselves!! They even tried a reconciliation in '68 because John was getting bored with Yoko (who he met in '66, long after the Beatles became rich and famous). So if you are going to make a harsh judgement against the guy, please be sure to get your facts straight!!! Thanks.

Ok, replace dumped with abandoned. So lets see, he met Yoko in '66, then divorced in '69 But wanted back in '68 because of boredom. Wow.

Go read Wikipedia and see what kind of upstanding person he really was. He's not a saint, he's not a giant, he's not a person anyone should strive to be like. He's some bloke who had musical talent, member of a successful, ground breaking band, and had a successful solo career. Beyond that, this worship of him is just asinine.

[Wingnut]

He's some bloke who had musical talent, member of a successful, ground breaking band, and had a successful solo career. Beyond that, this worship of him is just asinine.

I'm pretty sure no one here has hinted anything like worship toward John Lennon.

[Bini]

Ok, replace dumped with abandoned. So lets see, he met Yoko in '66, then divorced in '69 But wanted back in '68 because of boredom. Wow.

Go read Wikipedia and see what kind of upstanding person he really was. He's not a saint, he's not a giant, he's not a person anyone should strive to be like. He's some bloke who had musical talent, member of a successful, ground breaking band, and had a successful solo career. Beyond that, this worship of him is just asinine.

OK I haven't heard the word "bloke" in eons. I feel like I'm back in England.

[Tamiele]

I think John wrote some good music and I feel he definitely has a place in history. I don't think he was a perfect human being but none of us are. I didn't realize that Elton John's song Empty Garden was a tribute to John. I always liked that song....YouTube - Elton John - Empty Garden

[slamjet]

OK I haven't heard the word "bloke" in eons. I feel like I'm back in England.

bloke bloke bloke bloke bloke bloke bloke bloke bloke bloke bloke...

Next year I'll do a whole paragraph to tide you over

[tefor]

I never got the veneration of Lennon as an icon for peace; to me it meant little more than a bunch of empty slogans. What does move me, however, is the way he committed himself to his wife and son, and really moved beyond the negative and self-destructive antics of his earlier years. He had clearly found peace and joy within himself as a husband and father, and he was always trying to do better than he had in the past. His last interviews were full of hope and optimism. The real tragedy of his murder is that it happened when he finally had so much going for him personally.

[Carl62]

I never got the veneration of Lennon as an icon for peace; to me it meant little more than a bunch of empty slogans. What does move me, however, is the way he committed himself to his wife and son, and really moved beyond the negative and self-destructive antics of his earlier years. He had clearly found peace and joy within himself as a husband and father, and he was always trying to do better than he had in the past. His last interviews were full of hope and optimism. The real tragedy of his murder is that it happened when he finally had so much going for him personally.

Great post. I was thinking about this earlier in this thread. You're right in that he seemed more happier and at peace with himself during his last 5 years than what he had been in the early '70's with the Beatles break-up and the lawsuits. I remember reading one interview near the end where he even talked positively about his belief in God. Sure he wasn't a saint in his earlier years and he's even admtted that in many interviews, but I kinda look at the end as him maybe going through his own 'repentance process' and trying to turn things around, especially with Julian who he was just starting to have a good relationship with until the unthinkable happened. You even hear on "Double Fantasy' how his music was happier and more upbeat. Even his song "Just Like Starting Over" was about turning his life around for the better. It's a shame we never fully got to see the results of that.

Edited December 11, 2010 by Carl62