John Lennon never shied away from speaking his mind. Though the Beatles were politically minded in their own right, when Lennon decided to forge a solo career he got particularly pointed in his songwriting. From begging for peace to berating hypocrites, there is no shortage of Lennon songs with powerful messages. Check out three of our favorites, below.
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1. “Imagine”
Naturally, “Imagine” had to have a spot on this list. Unarguably Lennon’s signature, this song sees the former Beatle dare to dream of a better future. Though the political messaging in this song is less brassy than most protest songs of the era, it is still distinctly political. Lennon leads with peace on this rock staple, arguably the most powerful and sweeping political statement one can make.
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace
2. “Give Peace a Chance”
“Give Peace a Chance” has a similar tone as “Imagine.” It also was similarly accepted by a public that was in dire need of change. Protestors around the world adopted this track as their unifying anthem, and it’s not hard to see why. The quippy nature of this song is tailor-made to be chanted by hordes of impassioned people.
Let me tell you now
Ev’rybody’s talking about
Revolution, evolution, masturbation
Flagellation, regulation, integrations
Meditations, United Nations
Congratulations
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
3. “Gimme Some Truth”
Lennon takes aim at misinformation in ‘Gimme Some Truth.” He sings about politicians, chauvinists, and hypocrites. All I want is the truth, now / Just give me some truth now, he sings in the chorus. We’ve all been there–desperately wanting some universal truths from those in power.
No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of Tricky Dicky
Is going to Mother Hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of soap
Money for dope
Money for rope
(Photo by Frank Barrett/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
