When John Lennon was shot, in 1980, we instinctively turned to radio, mourning and celebrating his life in musical tributes throughout the night. There were no streaming webcasts or iPods, just vinyl, cassettes, a few early Walkmen and, thankfully, reliable radio stations. The FM jocks played the songs, from Beatlemania to “Imagine,” memorializing the man who was not only the musical genius of the group but its political conscience.
Lennon’s life as an artist and poet — rock music to line drawings to political theater — set him apart.
Not just another cute moptop, he could be dangerous. Not as dangerous as Mick Jagger (Lennon’s heart was bigger), but firmly anti- authoritarian.
We used to debate which of the Beatles was the most handsome. But the real question is, which Beatle is the most important? After all these years, it’s clear: It was John. He was more than the music.
J. Edgar Hoover considered him an extremist threat during the Nixon years. The State Department wanted him deported on a drug charge although his anti-war activism was at the heart of the matter. He hung out with Abbie Hoffman as much as with the Maharaji, you just don’t hear about it as often.
Of all the Beatles, Lennon best understood the Marshall McLuhan dictum of medium as message. He and Yoko Ono were masters at taking their ideas global, going viral ahead of their time. In an indelible image, we recall John explaining to members of the media why he and Yoko chose to put the word “peace” in front of their staged “Bed-in.” Was it a stunt? a reporter demanded. What was the meaning?
“Peace,” the sign said.
“We just want to give it a chance,” John said.
Remember Lennon toying with the press, the messy “bigger than Jesus” misquote, his refusal to play along when reporters wanted something serious or culturally significant from the group. He goofed on them, upending the press conference decorum of the time. He knew his life was part performance art.
One imagines that, if he were alive today, John would still be playing those (digital) mind games.
Joanne Ostrow
