An absolutely iconic Christmas song - one of the best. I clearly remember this being on repeat on the radio in Dec 1980 the weeks after John’s murder, and me breaking down into a sobbing mess every time. While I’m personally a bit ambivalent about Christmas, I do think there are some brilliant original Christmas songs, and probably prefer them to most traditional ones (apart from songs like Gaudete by Steeleye Span). The songs by Slade (Merry Xmas) and The Pogues (Fairytale in New York) for instance. As an Australian my favorites are Tim Minchin’s White Wine in the Sun, and Paul Kelly’s How to Make Gravy, both of which have the theme of families at Christmas. The Kelly song is so loved that Dec 21 is officially Gravy Day, and people form mass choirs to sing it (there was one last night in Melbourne’s Federation Square). I have put my bid in for that to be included in your live stream tomorrow, even though I can’t attend (we’ve got a family Christmas dinner tomorrow), so I hope you check it out - either then or at a later date. All the best. Happy Christmas (and Happy Gravy Day)!
Only Lennon could merge Christmas and war and make it a classic. And Yoko’s voice actually works well here. Too bad you didn’t watch the actual video of the Harlem Boys Choir.
Imagine, coming home from the Vietnam war, years in hell, difficult finding back to normalcy. This is the viewpoint here. PEACE and a pleasant new year to all of you.
Thank you ladies for sharing! Haven't heard this in years!!! Listening to this gives me pause for the people of Ukraine and Russia. Wonder what Johns' message would have been if he was still with us! Love your reaction as always! Pray you have a Merry and safe Christmas! Love from Texas!
Good grief, Mamma and Baby Gap; you are not going to believe this. I just checked my 45 rpm records and Happy Xmas is right in there tucked in beside Imagine. The vinyl is green translucent (not black). Great reaction, ladies. I just thought I would add; the Imagine 45 is a gold apple on both sides rather than green for side 'A' and white for side 'B' like usual.
Even though this song came out after I left Vietnam, it always brings back memories of that time. Spent Christmas eve out on a ambush with a lizard talking to me. I miss all my brothers by another mother's.
Great song and reaction! Very iconic and beautiful. Love the children singing and the ending is so fun with them shouting Happy Christmas over and over.
Can't help but think of the irony that his message in this song and how it contradicts the way in which his life was ended. He was one-in-a billion...RIP
Sure, I' ll drop my weapon while no one else does. Real smart. NO one ever is going to get Russia and China and the Arab countries to ever drop their weapons.
Great reaction to a big number the music kick start for my Xmas is when they play the pogue's " fairytale of New York not really about Xmas but always gets more than it's fair share of airing at Xmas time lol
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" was the culmination of more than two years of peace activism undertaken by John Lennon and Yoko Ono that began with the bed-ins they convened in March and May 1969, the first of which took place during their honeymoon.The song a continuation of an international multimedia campaign launched by the couple in December 1969 - at the height of the counterculture movement and its protests against America's involvement in the Vietnam War - that primarily consisted of renting billboard space in 12 major cities around the world for the display of black-and-white posters that declared "WAR IS OVER! If You Want It. Recognizing the popular appeal that made his 1971 single "Imagine" a commercial success Lennon concluded, "Now I understand what you have to do: Put your political message across with a little honey." Mama Gap will recall how this ties together with THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO where the lyrics say..."The newspapers said "Say what you doing in bed?" I said, "We're only trying to get us some peace." I remember watching Monday Night Football in December 1980 and Howard Cosell came on the air to announce the death of Lennon. I can't describe the feeling of loss I felt as one of the guiding icons of the counter culture movement was gone.
Listen to a song "Stewball", it's about a race horse who never drank water, only wine. Sounds very familiar, practically identical to Lennon's Happy Xmas (The war is over). I don't know if John Lennon knew about the song, I would imagine, at least he must have heard it. A great song anyway, great lyrics/message. Merry Yuletide!
If you like traditional Christmas songs you should check out Oh Holy Night by Celine Dion….it’s one’s of the most incredible vocals I have ever heard…her range is astonishing a…a truly phenomenal performance 😊🎄. ⛄️ ❄️ ⛪️ 🎅
Lovely Reaction Ladies :) For around 40-50 years one of The UK's "Big 2" Xmas Songs that get played over and over. The other is the one voted The UK's Favourite which is SLADE-" Merry Xmas Everybody" which must be seen "Live" on "Top Of The Pops". To just hear the studio version of that Xmas fun song would not have the full effect😀
In England they traditionally say Happy Xmas. This is believed to be because "happy" took on a higher class connotation than "merry," which was associated with the rowdiness of the lower classes.
My mother disliked Merry instead of Happy Christmas because of my dad's drinking and merry to her meant drunk. Even though she's been dead 30 years, I still say it in her memory. Lovely song.
Hi ladies is John from England really enjoying your reaction video this is a great song and your nana was as far as I'm concerned the best beatle ever can I ask you will you be doing any reaction to any Beatles songs I've only really just come across you to you beautiful women if you haven't I would suggest I feel fine with John taking a lead vocal Paperback Writer with Paul taking a lead vocal because there is actual video that goes with Paperback Writer and I will think of some more later
When. Mo,. Turned 21. John Lennon gave mo a black guitar. Mo played it a lot💞💞. Love this song 🎶🎶🎶🎶👍. Maybe not as much as Elvis,s. Blue Christmas 🎄🎄❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Yes, it's one of the best xmas songs I know.... For years i'm looking for a christmas song that I never heart before... (I'm 70, so....), But finally I found one that I never hear before. And man, it's so good.......... I bet you also had never heart it! It's 'Sia with 'Snowman". So beautiful........ Search for it, please.....
Very good song. The Carpenters had an excellent Christmas Album. If you want to experience pure heaven please concidered Ave Maria by the Carpenter's. Some people say it's not a Christmas Song. I beg to differ. Karen vocal range is incredible. It always brings a tear to my eyes. Karen performs it in Latin. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year PS concidered "What are you doing New Year's Eve" by the Carpenter's
Another great song (nothing to do with Xmas though) that you must react to is "Year Of The Cat" by Al Stewart and as you love to analyze the lyrics, you will have a fun time. Al wrote this in 1976 and Al is a superb lyricist and songwriter. A brilliant versatile musician and a real Historian, which becomes obvious if you listen to other tracks like "Roads To Moscow" "Time Passages" and "On The Border". You WILL love it. ENJOY, My Friends...😀
Yep, this is a PERFECT Chrissie song for sure .. Love it ! .. And by the way, Baby Gap, I recognise that top .. Are you perchance wearing your sweat pants and being "camera ready" from the waist up ? 😉
Just a bit information in case you don't know about the children there are actually American I think they're from work from the New York district because by that point John and Yoko had moved to America
Sorry about the spelling it's predictive what I meant to have said was that if John Lennon had not stayed in America and had stayed in England he would have been alive possibly
Good song, but certainly not what one would expect from Lennon, who stated: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right." Neither does his song "God" endorse Christianity. However, Lennon was a seeker, and seekers often change. Regardless, this is a good Christmas song.
Saying Christianity (or any religion) will go, is likely and happening in many countries which ironically are often the most advanced and caring countries on earth. Someone can be spiritual without belonging to a specific religion and that "no name" spirituality can change the world for the better as well. The ethics are what matter, not naming a specific deity. If he had endorsed a specific religion it would have excluded half the world. What he did was better.
@@susieq9801 Christmas is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. For someone like Lennon to write and sing a song about a Saviour in whom Lennon did not believe is most ironic, if not paradoxical. You kind of danced around the obvious.
@@willieboy3011 - Not really. I'm an Atheist but the sentiment of peace on earth and loving each other is not exclusive to Christians. Had he named a specific religion that would exclude so many people who aspire to the same ideals and that way he reached more people. Don't forget Jesus was born of a Jewish mother in a Jewish land. Christmas is not likely the accurate date of Jesus' birth anyway and many Christmas traditions were adapted from Pagan celebrations of the winter solstice to make Christianity more acceptable to new Christians. Early Christians did not celebrate his presumed date of birth. There is no place in the Bible where his birth date is mentioned. I just look at Christmas as a time when people remember to aspire to the right things in life and war is not one of them. A shame we don't keep those ethics year round. Have a safe and bountiful Christmas.
@@susieq9801 So you think that Christmas does not celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? And you do not find it ironic that a non-Christian wrote and sung about Christmas? Oh well, you have a good Christmas too.
@@willieboy3011 - Of course it celebrates his birth but nobody knows the exact date. Queen Elizabeth's birthday was always celebrated in the UK on May 24 but she was born April 21. I imagine you must realize that Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond, both Jewish, made Christmas LP's. There is no law saying non Christians can't sing Christmas songs. Oh well...
Is it just me or is Yoko's voice edited to come to the foreground in this version? I am sure it was the children who had foreground vocal in the chorus in the original version? Just noting the tendency towards digital Alterations these days that changes the intent of the original sound It's similar to the current virus of using autotune because of poor live vocals from some performers these days. Today's producers are applying autotune to artists of the past who don't need it. The problem im doing this is that when you recognise autotune, it ruins the natural sound of the track rather than enhancing it.
You really don't know what you're talking about. Yoko's voice has always been mixed up front like that... And there is NO auto tune used in this song. It's ridiculous to make that implication!
Well you know I feel sad as well you know John could went on and done a lot more great music you know the thing is look I don't want to be horrible to you Americans or anything because I do actually love America but the side we are over 2 years if you have stayed in England and never went to America he would probably still be alive today because that's all be honest the America's quite messed up
There is not much music I listen to from the 60s or 70s, but I always like to listen to singer-songwriters like John Lennon or Joan Baez, for example. They had something to say and wanted to make the world a better place.Their messages are still valid today.Thank you for this reaction to a great person.
For about 50 years now, it's just not Christmas until I hear this song! Happy Christmas, ladies!
John Lennon had a way to put a message in his songs to give them a special meaning. Miss him. RIP, John.
I love this one. I remember hearing this a lot back in the 70s.
An absolutely iconic Christmas song - one of the best. I clearly remember this being on repeat on the radio in Dec 1980 the weeks after John’s murder, and me breaking down into a sobbing mess every time.
While I’m personally a bit ambivalent about Christmas, I do think there are some brilliant original Christmas songs, and probably prefer them to most traditional ones (apart from songs like Gaudete by Steeleye Span). The songs by Slade (Merry Xmas) and The Pogues (Fairytale in New York) for instance. As an Australian my favorites are Tim Minchin’s White Wine in the Sun, and Paul Kelly’s How to Make Gravy, both of which have the theme of families at Christmas. The Kelly song is so loved that Dec 21 is officially Gravy Day, and people form mass choirs to sing it (there was one last night in Melbourne’s Federation Square). I have put my bid in for that to be included in your live stream tomorrow, even though I can’t attend (we’ve got a family Christmas dinner tomorrow), so I hope you check it out - either then or at a later date.
All the best. Happy Christmas (and Happy Gravy Day)!
Only Lennon could merge Christmas and war and make it a classic. And Yoko’s voice actually works well here. Too bad you didn’t watch the actual video of the Harlem Boys Choir.
Imagine, coming home from the Vietnam war, years in hell, difficult finding back to normalcy. This is the viewpoint here. PEACE and a pleasant new year to all of you.
Thank you ladies for sharing! Haven't heard this in years!!! Listening to this gives me pause for the people of Ukraine and Russia. Wonder what Johns' message would have been if he was still with us! Love your reaction as always! Pray you have a Merry and safe Christmas! Love from Texas!
Good grief, Mamma and Baby Gap; you are not going to believe this. I just checked my 45 rpm records and Happy Xmas is right in there tucked in beside Imagine. The vinyl is green translucent (not black). Great reaction, ladies. I just thought I would add; the Imagine 45 is a gold apple on both sides rather than green for side 'A' and white for side 'B' like usual.
I always enjoy this magnificent song by John Lennon.
John Lennon was a special person. This is my personal favorite xmas song
Even though this song came out after I left Vietnam, it always brings back memories of that time. Spent Christmas eve out on a ambush with a lizard talking to me. I miss all my brothers by another mother's.
Look forward to you reviewing the lyrics of Imagine also.This Xmas song , like John, means a lot to a lot of people .Thanks every so much.
Absolutely beautiful, I have always loved this. It has such a wonderful message. Thanks ladies
Great song and reaction! Very iconic and beautiful. Love the children singing and the ending is so fun with them shouting Happy Christmas over and over.
Guess its been 52 years man since this came out
My favorite non-religious Christmas song. The two melodies working together, and the hopeful message, just work so well.
Aren't most Christmas songs non religious?
John took the melodies from another songs
Ladies you’re exactly right, definitely is a beautiful song
This is a great all-time Christmas classic which everyone knows. It's lyrics have a powerful message that's timeless.
Can't help but think of the irony that his message in this song and how it contradicts the way in which his life was ended. He was one-in-a billion...RIP
Hey ladies...hoping you have a very Merry Christmas...and a Happy New Year.. .would hopefully include you two and your reactions.🎄💯❤️!
"War is over, if you want it..."
Sure, I' ll drop my weapon while no one else does. Real smart. NO one ever is going to get Russia and China and the Arab countries to ever drop their weapons.
Sadly not so. ☹☹
The children in this song are the Harlem Community Choir, there are photos of John and Yoko with all the Harlem kids as they recorded the song.
My favorite Xmas song ❤
This about the end of the the Vietnam War. The Beatles did a Christmas song every year.
The great single is really really beatiful añd divine
It's very optimistic but sadly some people never learn.
Anyway great reaction to a wonderful song.
He was a great loss and yes very poignant.
This is a Christmas staple along with Slade, Wizzard and Wham
Great reaction to a big number the music kick start for my Xmas is when they play the pogue's " fairytale of New York not really about Xmas but always gets more than it's fair share of airing at Xmas time lol
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" was the culmination of more than two years of peace activism undertaken by John Lennon and Yoko Ono that began with the bed-ins they convened in March and May 1969, the first of which took place during their honeymoon.The song a continuation of an international multimedia campaign launched by the couple in December 1969 - at the height of the counterculture movement and its protests against America's involvement in the Vietnam War - that primarily consisted of renting billboard space in 12 major cities around the world for the display of black-and-white posters that declared "WAR IS OVER! If You Want It. Recognizing the popular appeal that made his 1971 single "Imagine" a commercial success Lennon concluded, "Now I understand what you have to do: Put your political message across with a little honey." Mama Gap will recall how this ties together with THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO where the lyrics say..."The newspapers said "Say what you doing in bed?" I said, "We're only trying to get us some peace." I remember watching Monday Night Football in December 1980 and Howard Cosell came on the air to announce the death of Lennon. I can't describe the feeling of loss I felt as one of the guiding icons of the counter culture movement was gone.
That is where I hear it. So many people know where they were that horrible time.
Iconic song , great to hear this , this season 🤠🚛
Yeah the children singing is special! That’s why the best O Holy Night version is Michael Crawford’s version cos of the children’s choir
Listen to a song "Stewball", it's about a race horse who never drank water, only wine. Sounds very familiar, practically identical to Lennon's Happy Xmas (The war is over). I don't know if John Lennon knew about the song, I would imagine, at least he must have heard it.
A great song anyway, great lyrics/message.
Merry Yuletide!
If you like traditional Christmas songs you should check out Oh Holy Night by Celine Dion….it’s one’s of the most incredible vocals I have ever heard…her range is astonishing a…a truly phenomenal performance 😊🎄. ⛄️ ❄️ ⛪️ 🎅
This is definitely one of my favorites 😍 another one I like alot is A Colorado Christmas. Reminds me of the 5 years I spent there. Happy memories.
Lovely Reaction Ladies :)
For around 40-50 years one of The UK's "Big 2" Xmas Songs that get played over and over.
The other is the one voted The UK's Favourite which is SLADE-" Merry Xmas Everybody" which must be seen "Live" on "Top Of The Pops". To just hear the studio version of that Xmas fun song would not have the full effect😀
In England they traditionally say Happy Xmas. This is believed to be because "happy" took on a higher class connotation than "merry," which was associated with the rowdiness of the lower classes.
My mother disliked Merry instead of Happy Christmas because of my dad's drinking and merry to her meant drunk. Even though she's been dead 30 years, I still say it in her memory. Lovely song.
Hi ladies is John from England really enjoying your reaction video this is a great song and your nana was as far as I'm concerned the best beatle ever can I ask you will you be doing any reaction to any Beatles songs I've only really just come across you to you beautiful women if you haven't I would suggest I feel fine with John taking a lead vocal Paperback Writer with Paul taking a lead vocal because there is actual video that goes with Paperback Writer and I will think of some more later
Amazing tune ! From my home city of Liverpool obviously beatles prior up there with imagine
Eric Idle , F*** Christmas,another great xmas song
beautiful song !🥰🥰😭😭
When. Mo,. Turned 21. John Lennon gave mo a black guitar. Mo played it a lot💞💞. Love this song 🎶🎶🎶🎶👍. Maybe not as much as Elvis,s. Blue Christmas 🎄🎄❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Yes, it's one of the best xmas songs I know.... For years i'm looking for a christmas song that I never heart before... (I'm 70, so....), But finally I found one that I never hear before. And man, it's so good.......... I bet you also had never heart it! It's 'Sia with 'Snowman". So beautiful........ Search for it, please.....
Very good song. The Carpenters had an excellent Christmas Album. If you want to experience pure heaven please concidered Ave Maria by the Carpenter's. Some people say it's not a Christmas Song. I beg to differ. Karen vocal range is incredible.
It always brings a tear to my eyes.
Karen performs it in Latin.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
PS concidered "What are you doing New Year's Eve" by the Carpenter's
Another great song (nothing to do with Xmas though) that you must react to is "Year Of The Cat" by Al Stewart and as you love to analyze the lyrics, you will have a fun time.
Al wrote this in 1976 and Al is a superb lyricist and songwriter. A brilliant versatile musician and a real Historian, which becomes obvious if you listen to other tracks like "Roads To Moscow" "Time Passages" and "On The Border". You WILL love it. ENJOY, My Friends...😀
☮️🌎🙏
Yep, this is a PERFECT Chrissie song for sure .. Love it ! .. And by the way, Baby Gap, I recognise that top .. Are you perchance wearing your sweat pants and being "camera ready" from the waist up ? 😉
Mind Games is my fave of Johns
Just a bit information in case you don't know about the children there are actually American I think they're from work from the New York district because by that point John and Yoko had moved to America
"Happy Christmas' is a British thing.
John Lennons take on Christmas, they say “peace on earth, and yet at the time was a war going on in Vietnam, and today one in the Ukraine
it was about the Vietnam war....most American radio stations refused to play it...go figure lol..
No Sabaton yet? Come on... try Sabaton - Christmas Truce! 👊
ICHKERIA! !!!
Sorry about the spelling it's predictive what I meant to have said was that if John Lennon had not stayed in America and had stayed in England he would have been alive possibly
Cud u react to Kate Bush's Xmas song 'December will be magic again' . Either the audio or a 1979 Xmas special live performance. Regareds
This is by far the best X-mas song of all-time even with Yoko's "singing".
❤❤❤
Happy ☺️ Christmas 🎄 (WAR IS OVER)!
War Messages in UKRAINE, 'No More War, War Never Again!'
Yoko actually 'singing.'
May I recommend Jesse Colter - I'm Not Lisa
Btw I like this song a lot but McCartney has better songs
Good song, but certainly not what one would expect from Lennon, who stated: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right." Neither does his song "God" endorse Christianity. However, Lennon was a seeker, and seekers often change. Regardless, this is a good Christmas song.
Saying Christianity (or any religion) will go, is likely and happening in many countries which ironically are often the most advanced and caring countries on earth. Someone can be spiritual without belonging to a specific religion and that "no name" spirituality can change the world for the better as well. The ethics are what matter, not naming a specific deity. If he had endorsed a specific religion it would have excluded half the world. What he did was better.
@@susieq9801 Christmas is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. For someone like Lennon to write and sing a song about a Saviour in whom Lennon did not believe is most ironic, if not paradoxical. You kind of danced around the obvious.
@@willieboy3011 - Not really. I'm an Atheist but the sentiment of peace on earth and loving each other is not exclusive to Christians. Had he named a specific religion that would exclude so many people who aspire to the same ideals and that way he reached more people. Don't forget Jesus was born of a Jewish mother in a Jewish land. Christmas is not likely the accurate date of Jesus' birth anyway and many Christmas traditions were adapted from Pagan celebrations of the winter solstice to make Christianity more acceptable to new Christians. Early Christians did not celebrate his presumed date of birth. There is no place in the Bible where his birth date is mentioned.
I just look at Christmas as a time when people remember to aspire to the right things in life and war is not one of them. A shame we don't keep those ethics year round.
Have a safe and bountiful Christmas.
@@susieq9801 So you think that Christmas does not celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? And you do not find it ironic that a non-Christian wrote and sung about Christmas? Oh well, you have a good Christmas too.
@@willieboy3011 - Of course it celebrates his birth but nobody knows the exact date. Queen Elizabeth's birthday was always celebrated in the UK on May 24 but she was born April 21. I imagine you must realize that Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond, both Jewish, made Christmas LP's. There is no law saying non Christians can't sing Christmas songs. Oh well...
Is it just me or is Yoko's voice edited to come to the foreground in this version? I am sure it was the children who had foreground vocal in the chorus in the original version?
Just noting the tendency towards digital Alterations these days that changes the intent of the original sound
It's similar to the current virus of using autotune because of poor live vocals from some performers these days. Today's producers are applying autotune to artists of the past who don't need it.
The problem im doing this is that when you recognise autotune, it ruins the natural sound of the track rather than enhancing it.
You really don't know what you're talking about. Yoko's voice has always been mixed up front like that... And there is NO auto tune used in this song. It's ridiculous to make that implication!
Well you know I feel sad as well you know John could went on and done a lot more great music you know the thing is look I don't want to be horrible to you Americans or anything because I do actually love America but the side we are over 2 years if you have stayed in England and never went to America he would probably still be alive today because that's all be honest the America's quite messed up
There is not much music I listen to from the 60s or 70s, but I always like to listen to singer-songwriters like John Lennon or Joan Baez, for example. They had something to say and wanted to make the world a better place.Their messages are still valid today.Thank you for this reaction to a great person.