Today 19 years ago Famous ex-Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed outside in New York apartment. My question is, he left us a lot, but which was the most important thing he left us?
His music?
His ideology? “Imagine there’s no heaven?”
His son, Sean?
His wife, Yoko? What?
Phaedrus
His ideology was a great gift, but his ability to express that through music is right up there too. I think I would have liked his music even if I didn’t like his politics, but you never know how much one influences the other.
He actually had the evidence for creation of the earth by God,but…guess he took it with him
Some really wonderful songs. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Personally, I think he would have despised the way he’s been worshipped as some sort of martyr or 1960s prophet.
He’ll be remembered as a popular musician and songwriter long after people have forgotten about the social issues he is now identified with.
Elmer J. Fudd,
Millionaire.
I own a mansion and a yacht.
Thanks Rose, a side question also might be, if you are old enough to remember, where were you when you heard?
Elmer, as some history has been written about him already, it always includes his ideology, which was crucial to the music he wrote when he was writing by himself after the Beatles.
Sorry you feel his ideology wasn’t important. It changed the world.
Changed the World?
Elmer J. Fudd,
Millionaire.
I own a mansion and a yacht.
Elmer, you may your opinion and I may have mine. For you to flame as you have done shows either you are quite young or not well read.
John Lennon’s most lasting legacy will be his songs, many of which are quite beautiful. IMO, McCartney was the best musician of the Beatles, but I think John will be remembered as the band’s maestro – due in large part to those who idolize him an an apostle of peace. Although the Beatles were obviousily one of the biggest influences on popular culture in the past 30 years, I tend to agree with Elmer Fudd on Lennon “changing the world.”
Julian Lennon may be a fine man, but, again IMO, he is a mediocre musician. And Yoko Ono is one of the biggest poseurs on the planet.
As to where I was when Lennon was shot: I was sitting in a New Albany (Ind.) apartment drinking a shot of tequila and smoking a joint, preparatory to hitting the bars in Louisville, Ky., to celebrate my 21st birthday.
I was so upset by the news that I went home instead (probably just as well).
The Coyote gnaws …
but he does not swallow.
Lennon’s ideology was undoubtedly extremely important to him, but it changed somewhat over the course of his post-Beatles life, and he expressed it in more-or-less successful ways. When it was good (the Imaginealbum, a masterpiece of introspection, or Double Fantasy taking stock of his life as a husband and father at 40), it was better than anything else around; when it was bad (the ham-handed leftism of Sometime In New York City), it was still OK, but it wasn’t as good.
We all have the popular images of Lennon from the last years of his life–the homebound father baking bread, spending time with his son, and writing songs that meant something to him. But none of us really knew the man.
I think it’s possible to listen to his post-Beatles (and late-era Beatles) music without knowing about his causes and his ideas, but I don’t think it would be as enjoyable. All I know is “Dig A Pony” is a pretty awesome song.
Pray, tell me how John Lennon changed the world! Long hair? Concept Albums? Bed ins? These aren’t historically significant trends. Do you think he was the leader of the '60s counter culture? He wasn’t. He was the co-leader of a pop-quartet…and a damn good one, too.
By the way, I was working on my Masters in History in 1980.
Don’t take offence. Just back up your extraordinary claims.
Elmer J. Fudd,
Millionaire.
I own a mansion and a yacht.
Two great posts!
Orangecakes said:
ROFL!! Ok, Orangecakes gets two bonus points for today. 
I strongly disagree with many points of his ideology, but his ability to put those ideas into his music was fantastic.
David B: I thought you would enjoy what OC said. I created this post for everyone, but Lennon was an atheist or perhaps an agnostic. He was killed by a “born-again” Christian who thought he should be stopped because many years ago he said that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.
Elmer: No offence taken. I had one masters in 1980 and was working on a second.
It is my opinion that John, who started the group changed the world from the perspective of culture. I don’t believe the summer of love would have happened without drugs or the Beatles.
I gotta back up Phaedrus on the change-the-world thing. Didn’t at first, but
made me see his point. Of course, he didn’t single handedly change the world, but he had a heck of an influence on the thinking / attitude of a generation.
Sure sure sure, I’m only 30 and can’t speak from first hand knowledge, but I don’t think I’m far off in saying that pop music (pop isn’t quite the right word. Seems to put the Beatles in the same category as Ricky Martin. Well, for some people…) had some influence over the generation. Even if one thinks the music was just a reflection of current attitudes, there is some feedback that would carry on that attitude.
Once in a while you can get shown the light
in the strangest of places
if you look at it right…
rhythmdvl, influencing a generation is hell of a lot different from changing the world
The Coyote gnaws …
but he does not swallow.
The “Lennon” that changed the world isn’t spelled that way.
Elmer J. Fudd,
Millionaire.
I own a mansion and a yacht.
touche’ Elmer, and VERY funny!
I think the Summer of Love (or, ironically, the SOL) would definitely have happened without the Beatles. Don’t take this statement wrong, because I absolutely love the Beatles. They’re my favorite band, bar none, but in many instances they were not the leaders or originators people think.
They were, however, popularizers. The peace, love and drugs movement was already in full swing in the U.S. before the Beatles joined in; they, however, all jumped in headfirst, and because of their primacy in the music world they were able to carry the message farther and faster. (And only had the luxury to do so after they stopped touring.)
The Beatles really were somewhat peripheral figures in everything going on in 1967. The SF scene was as much about jam bands and acid rock as it was “Sgt. Pepper.” And they themselves didn’t participate in any of the big festivals. (Notable is George Harrison’s comment during the “Beatles Anthology,” being the only Beatle who travelled to SF in 1967, that he thought he was going to encounter smart young people working for peace and love, and instead found it to be like the Bowery.)