A brilliant video of "Give Peace a Chance" combining footage of the recording of the song with other performances, protests, and events.
1969, single
John was a brilliant entertainer, and he knew how to attract the press and the public to his message without diluting it or dumbing it down. Hence, the masterful stroke that was the bed-in. John and Yoko stated that they would be in bed together and would allow the press in for twelve hours a day. The press, of course, expected (and hoped for) sex or any other kinds of public nudity, but what they got was a message for peace: Instead of running about and blowing things up, why not just sit down, chill out, and talk about love? After a successful bed-in in Amsterdam, John and Yoko held another in Montreal, and that's where "Give Peace a Chance," one of the most important songs of the 1970's, was recorded. "Give Peace a Chance" spoke to the young, the oppressed, the war-weary; it provided an unforgettable chant for protestors worldwide. Sure, musically, it's not one of John's most interesting compositions (it was recorded in a crowded hotel room, after all), but its simplicity is almost primal, and the melody is warm and lived-in. Almost forty years later, it still stands as a universal plea for peace, love, and understandin'.
