As one quarter of the bestselling musical act of all time, John Lennon was always going to go down in history as one of the most famous singers and songwriters the world has ever known. But Lennon was more than just a Beatle. Beyond the music, he was known for his peace activism, his colorful lifestyle, and, sadly, his tragic assassination in 1980 at the age of 40. Before his death, Lennon was the most outspoken of the Beatles, and particularly when it came to advocating for peace during the turbulent 1960s and '70s.
Lennon's “Bed-ins for Peace” alongside Yoko Ono attracted global media attention, and his criticism of the Vietnam War made him a persona non grata with the Nixon administration, which wanted to deport him from the United States. Lennon’s protest songs, such as “Give Peace a Chance,” “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” and “Imagine,” became anthems for the anti-war movement of the time. Though his legacy is not without controversy, Lennon is remembered by millions for spreading the principles of peace on Earth — a message reflected in some of the most famous quotes from his life and career.
You're all geniuses and you're all beautiful. You don't need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are. Get out there and get peace. Think peace, live peace, and breathe peace and you'll get it as soon as you like.
If you want peace, you won’t get it with violence.
If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.
We're trying to sell peace, like a product, you know, and sell it like people sell soap or soft drinks. And it's the only way to get people aware that peace is possible, and it isn't just inevitable to have violence. Not just war — all forms of violence.
There’s an alternative to violence. It’s to stay in bed and grow your hair.
If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliché that must have been left behind in the '60s, that's his problem. Love and peace are eternal.
Peace is not something you wish for; It’s something you make, something you do, something you are, and something you give away.
Declare it. Just the same way we declare war. That is how we will have peace… we just need to declare it.
All we are saying is give peace a chance.
Photo credit: ScreenProd / Photononstop/ Alamy Stock Photo
