“Stay in bed and

grow your hair out”:

The John Lennon

Peace Movement

Nathan Perschbacher Paper Junior

1,675 words

In the late 1960's, former Beatles star, John Lennon, and his newlywed, Yoko

Ono, started protests due to the Vietnam War. Lennon realized his fame, so he used his

popularity to spread peace throughout the U.S by writing music and hosting one of the

most abnormal protests to date.

Lennon before the Fame

John Winston Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England. He

had a tough childhood, as his parents left him when he was a toddler. His aunt, Mary,

raised him, with occasional visits from his mother and her new husband. Lennon was a

prankster and was known to get into trouble. Lennon got bad grades, but had artistic 1

talent. His school master suggested he go to an art school for college, because he had

talents and the work ethic.

John Lennon and the Beatles

Lennon first achieved fame from his well-known band

that included Paul Mccartney, Richard Starkey (Ringo

Starr), George Harrison, and Pete Best. The Beatles

started in 1962. John Lennon was originally in a band called “The Quarrymen”, in the

summer of 1956. The name began due to Lennon attending The Quarry Bank Grammar

school. The Quarrymen first performed at a church, and Lennon meets Paul Mccartney,

1 "The Life Of John Lennon." John-Lennon.com - The Life Of John Lennon . N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Jan. 2017. This site stated John Lennon's life before he was famous, and the struggles he went through.

(after their first performance) and asks him to join their band. Mccartney agrees to this

and George Harrison also agrees a year later.

Two years pass by and Lennon’s friend, Stuart Sutcliffe, is introduced to the band

as a manager. They then change their name to “The Silver Beetles”, and then later to

“The Silver Beatles”. In the August of 1960, Pete Best joined the band and they officially

change their name to “The Beatles”. 2

In the fall of 1961, Brian Epstein joins The Beatles. He becomes their manager,

as Stuart Sutcliffe quit the band just a couple months

beforehand.

The next year, Pete Best leaves the band due to

health reasons. Richard Starkey then joins the band.

The Beatles sign their first record label. After a couple

months, they write their first song “Love Me Do”, and it

peaks to the #17 on the British charts. Their popularity as a band spreads, and they

release their first album “Please Please Me” is written, and it included “Love Me Do”.

The album is at tops of charts everywhere and it holds its ground at the top. The

Beatles achieve fame and perform their music for royalty, like Queen Elizabeth ll. The

2 "Please Please Me." The Beatles . N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. <http://www.thebeatles.com/album/please-please-me>. This site showed The Beatles first album.

Beatles also recorded movies, like “Help!” and “A Hard Day’s Night”. These movies

achieve popularity and are loved by music fans and critics everywhere. The soundtracks

are hits too, as “Yellow Submarine” from the movie “Yellow Submarine is at the top of

charts as well.

The Beatles are at the top of charts for the majority of the 1960’s, but in

September of 1969, John Lennon leaves the Beatles because he wants to spend more

time with his newlywed, Yoko Ono. Ono, is famously known for splitting the band up, as

Lennon used to bring her during times when the Beatles were planned to record.

Lennon, starts protesting the Vietnam War. Paul Mccartney leaves the band a year

later, and that was the official end of The Beatles.

Lennon’s protests and divorce papers

John Lennon faced many problems before the protests, such as

divorce papers with his past wife, Cynthia. Cynthia and John had

married in 1962, just a couple weeks before the Beatles’ first melody

released. When the Beatles achieved more popularity, Cynthia had to 3

pretend she wasn’t married to John. Cynthia and John believed that if John was

married, it would take away success from The Beatles. Cynthia would wear oversized,

blousy clothes to avoid suspicion of their marriage. When their son (John Charles

“Julian” Lennon) was born, it was hard for both Cynthia and Julian. John was either on

3 Charlton, Corey. "Yoko Pays Tribute to Cynthia, the Secret Wife John Lennon Treated so Very Cruelly: How the Beatles Star's Late Wife Watched in Silence as He Hid Her from the World and Had Affairs on the Road." Daily Mail Online . Associated Newspapers, 02 Apr. 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.

tour or in the recording studio. When John was home, he was depleted from recording

all day. Cynthia was sceptical about their relationship, as he was not a very good

husband, nor a good father.

During the mid 1960’s, John admitted to Cynthia that he had affairs with other

women on tour. He swore to her that he loved her. After the confession, their

relationship had obstacles. In 1968, they divorced and Cynthia had obtained full custody

of Julian. Paul Mccartney (John’s friend from The Beatles), wrote the famous song “Hey

Jude” for Julian to cope with this change.

Lennon falls in love with Yoko Ono

After the divorce, John Lennon went to live with

Avant-garde artist and female songwriter, Yoko Ono.

Lennon had met Ono a few years prior to this at an

art gallery. They were soon to be friends as they

shared the same beliefs. Once Lennon’s divorce was

finalized, they made plans to get married. 4

Lennon and Ono, were supposed to marry in Paris on a cross-channel ferry, but

Ono couldn’t board the boat since she wasn’t English. They got on an airplane a few

days later and married in Gibraltar, where Peter Brown (a friend), had suggested.

4 "The Day John Lennon Married Yoko Ono." Ultimate Classic Rock . N.p.,n.d.Web. 08 Jan. 2017. This site showed dates and a picture on John Lennon and Yoko Ono's marriage.

Lennon changed his middle name from Winston to Ono for Yoko. The marriage was

low-key, as they had planned. The main publicity stunt was their honeymoon - a very

abnormal one.

The Vietnam War and its Importance

The Vietnam War started on November 1, 1955, due to the Vietnamese choice to

spread communism. As tension spread and more people were dying, protestors grew.

There were anti-war marches, gatherings, and other forms of protests. The movement

divided Americans harshly.

On November 15, 1969, the biggest anti-war

protest in American history took place. Two

hundred and fifty thousand people were gathered

in Washington D.C, asking for a withdrawal of

fellow troops from Vietnam . These citizens were 5

protesting the shocking statistics of the Vietnam

War. A grand total of 58,200 Americans died in the Vietnam War and an estimated 3

million Vietnamese citizens passed away as well. One out of ten Americans drafted

were either killed or injured.

5Apictureofpolitics . N.p., 19 Apr. 2012. Web. 14 Dec. 2016. This website showed a picture of Vietnamese war protests.

Protests were scattered beforehand, not consistent until 1968, when United

States soldiers massacred 400 unarmed Vietnamese citizens. Muhammad Ali is another

famous protester, who stated that he would not be drafted until the Vietnam War ended.

John Lennon also was a famous protester who wrote songs and held anti-war peace

rallies. Lennon's famous quote, “Stay in bed and grow your hair out”, was his statement

because he believed everyone can sit in bed and grow their hair out for peace.

The 1969 Amsterdam Bed-in

In the late 1960’s, John Lennon and his new bride, Yoko Ono, decided to start

protesting the Vietnam war. They hosted a bed-in for peace where essentially they

stayed in bed for for a long period of time to make a

statement. This was their honeymoon, as they 6

were wedded just a few days beforehand. They

reserved a presidential suite in the Hilton

Amsterdam. Reporters, cameras, lights,

interviewers, and other fellow protesters filled up the room. They believed Amsterdam

was a good place to protest, as it had a “fresh and alive interest”. The absurdity of these

protests was one of the multiple reasons why the couple wanted to protest in this

manner. They knew it would make headlines, front pages, and maybe even be a

laughing stock. Either way, the word would reach the public. The suite that they stayed

6 “John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-In - Photo Essays.” Time , Time Inc., http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1887244_1860957,00.html. This site showed a picture of Yoko and John's Bed-in.

at is now called the “John and Yoko suite” and is now rentable. The current rate is

$2,400 per night.

Two months following the first protest, Lennon and Ono held another bed-in, in

the Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal. They shared the suite with a handful of invited

guests. Lennon wrote famous songs “Imagine” and “Give Peace a Chance” in the hotel

room. Lennon recorded this music during the bed-in, as when the chorus plays in Give

Peace A Chance, you can hear other voices in harmony singing “All we are saying, is

give peace a chance”. Lennon also held his very famous “Bed-in for Peace”, where he

and Yoko Ono sat in bed in an Amsterdam hotel and protested the Vietnam War.

Lennon gets deported

In 1972, Richard Nixon was running for reelection. John

Lennon, Yoko Ono and many other Americans had been

protesting the war, as Lennon and Ono sang “Give Peace

a Chance” at many anti-war rallies. He had also told the 7

United States to refrain from voting for Nixon, as it would “give the U.S peace”. These

songs and protests got the word out and made people realize why this was important

and worth acknowledging.

7 Wildes, Leon. “Meet the Lawyer Who Saved John Lennon and Yoko Ono.” Newsweek , 17 Sept. 2016,www.newsweek.com/2016/09/23/john-lennon-yoko-ono-lawyer-leon-wildes-497152.html.This site showed a picture of John Lennon's deportation case.

Nixon responded to these protests and beliefs by ordering Lennon deported. Nixon also

helped rest his case by stating that Lennon had been found with cannabis possession in

London of 1968 and the immigration laws at that time had banned anyone from

admission convicted of a drug offense. Lennon and Ono had purchased a apartment

just a year prior to this case and Lennon had fallen in love with New York, so he had

reason to stay. Lennon had obtained many friends from his rock career, including Bob

Dylan and Joan Baez, which also helped his case. Lennon and Ono won this debate

and they were free to reside in their apartment in New York.

John Lennon will be forever known for his infamous music career, but he may be

forgotten for his actions in his attempt to end the Vietnamese War. He had very smart,

yet abnormal ways to protest. He knew that if he wrote music for this fight his words

would be heard. Lennon was assassinated in 1980 by a crazed fan, because Lennon

had stated twenty years prior, “The Beatles were more popular than Jesus”. Fans

around the world were grief stricken over the loss of their beloved Beatle. Lennon’s

actions and war protests were also an inspiration for many Americans and he will never

be forgotten for the usage of his fame as one of our great anti-war activists.

“Stay in bed and

grow your hair out”:

The John Lennon

Peace Movement

Nathan Perschbacher Bibliography

Primary sources

“Album Covers for John Lennon.” John Lennon Album Covers , www.onemusicapi.com/artists/album-covers/John-Lennon.html. This site showed John Lennon album covers.

Apictureofpolitics . N.p., 19 Apr. 2012. Web. 14 Dec. 2016. This website showed

a picture of Vietnamese war protests.

By. "John-Lennon.com - John Lennon Quotes." John-Lennon.com - John Lennon

Quotes . N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016. This website showed a quote said

by John Lennon about peace.

Charlton, Corey. "Yoko Pays Tribute to Cynthia, the Secret Wife John Lennon

Treated so Very Cruelly: How the Beatles Star's Late Wife Watched in

Silence as He Hid Her from the World and Had Affairs on the Road." Daily

Mail Online . Associated Newspapers, 02 Apr. 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.

<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3022203/Cynthia-secret-wife-Joh

n-Lennon-treated-cruelly-Beatles-star-s-wife-watched-sidelines-silence-hu

sband-adored-millions.html>. This site showed John and Cynthia Lennon

pictures.

""Give Peace A Chance"." N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnlennon/givepeaceachance.html>. This site

showed the lyrics to "Give Peace A Chance"

History.com Staff. "Vietnam War History." History.com . A&E Television Networks,

2009. Web. 08 Jan. 2017. This site showed information on the Vietnam

war, and its relevance.

In Music| January 25th, 2008 1 Comment. "Stay in Bed & Grow Your Hair: John Lennon and Yoko Ono Protesting the Vietnam War." Open Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2017. This was a primary source from the Amsterdam bed-in, saying how Protesters grew their hair out for peace.

"John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-In - Photo Essays." Time . Time Inc., n.d. Web.

18 Oct. 2016. This site showed a picture of Yoko and John's Bed-in.

Lennon, John, and Jann Wenner. Lennon Remembers: The Rolling Stone Interviews by

Jan Wenner . Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972. Print. This book showed

interviews about John Lennon, from the Rolling Stone magazine

@openculture. "Stay in Bed & Grow Your Hair: John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Protesting the Vietnam War." Open Culture . N.p., 25 Jan. 2008. Web. 18 Oct.

2016. This website supplied a video about John Lennon talking about Peace and

why you should give it a chance.

"Please Please Me." The Beatles . N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. <http://www.thebeatles.com/album/please-please-me>. This site showed The Beatles

first album.

Spangler, Jay. “John Lennon &Amp; Yoko Ono Interview: Apple Offices, London

5/8/1969 - Beatles Interviews Database.” John Lennon &Amp; Yoko Ono Interview: Apple Offices, London 5/8/1969 - Beatles Interviews Database, www.beatlesinterviews.org/db1969.0508.beatles.html. This site showed an interview and picture with John Lennon over peace.

"The Day John Lennon Married Yoko Ono." Ultimate Classic Rock . N.p., n.d.

Web. 08 Jan. 2017. This site showed dates and a picture on John Lennon

and Yoko Ono's marriage.

"The Life Of John Lennon." John-Lennon.com - The Life Of John Lennon . N.p.,

n.d. Web. 04 Jan. 2017. This site stated John Lennon's life before he was

famous, and the struggles he went through.

Wildes, Leon. “Meet the Lawyer Who Saved John Lennon and Yoko Ono.” Newsweek ,17 Sept. 2016,www.newsweek.com/2016/09/23/john-lennon-yoko-ono-lawyer-leon-wildes-497152.html.This site showed a picture of John Lennon's deportation case.

Secondary sources

History.com Staff. "Vietnam War Protests." History.com . A&E Television

Networks, 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2016. This site showed further information

on the Vietnamese War.

"In Her Life After John, Cynthia Lennon Didn't Stop Loving Him." NPR . NPR, n.d.

Web. 07 Jan. 2017. This site showed the breakup and past of John and

Cynthia Lennon's marriage.

Lifton, Dave. "The Story of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 'Bed-In for Peace'."

Ultimate Classic Rock . N.p., Feb.-Mar. 2016. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

<http://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-lennon-yoko-ono-bed-in/>. This site

showed a video, and also gave more information about the bed-in and

where it took place.

"The John Lennon Peace Movement." Website . N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

<http://johnlennonpeace.weebly.com/the-john-lennon-peace-movement.html>

.This site showed the basic outline of what first occured on the John Lennon

Peace movement.

"The Life Of John Lennon." John-Lennon.com - The Life Of John Lennon . N.p., n.d.

Web. 04 Jan. 2017. This site stated John Lennon's life before he was famous,

and the struggles he went through.

“The Wedding and Ballad of John and Yoko - Music History.” The Wedding and

Ballad of John and Yoko - Music History ,

ww.iamthebeatles.com/article1316.html. This site elaborated on John and

Yoko's wedding.

Whitehead, John W. “Commentary.” The Rutherford Institute :: John Lennon: The Last Great Anti-War Activist , 8 Oct. 2012, www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/john_lennon_the_last_great_anti_war_activist.This site showed John Lennon’s legacy as a protestor.

Wildes, Leon. “Meet the Lawyer Who Saved John Lennon and Yoko Ono.” Newsweek , 17 Sept. 2016,www.newsweek.com/2016/09/23/john-lennon-yoko-ono-lawyer-leon-wildes-497152.html.This site showed a picture of John Lennon's deportation case.