The melody to John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Christmas (War is Over)” was based on “Skewball,” an old English folk song about a race horse. In America, the song was known as “Stewball.” Peter, Paul and Mary had a minor hit with it in 1963, the same year they scaled the pop charts with renditions of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “Don’t Think Twice (It’s All Right).” Harmonizing as only they could, Peter, Paul and Mary made the ode to the racehorse a beautiful thing. The song is over two centuries old, covered by many artists, well known and obscure, but upon hearing the melody today, we associate it with John Lennon, as he extended a wish for us all that equaled the melody’s loveliness. So, let’s call it John Lennon’s song, for it is certainly his message.
Hating War: From FDR to John Lennon
Hating War: From FDR to John Lennon
Hating War: From FDR to John Lennon
The melody to John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Christmas (War is Over)” was based on “Skewball,” an old English folk song about a race horse. In America, the song was known as “Stewball.” Peter, Paul and Mary had a minor hit with it in 1963, the same year they scaled the pop charts with renditions of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “Don’t Think Twice (It’s All Right).” Harmonizing as only they could, Peter, Paul and Mary made the ode to the racehorse a beautiful thing. The song is over two centuries old, covered by many artists, well known and obscure, but upon hearing the melody today, we associate it with John Lennon, as he extended a wish for us all that equaled the melody’s loveliness. So, let’s call it John Lennon’s song, for it is certainly his message.