U2 - Happy XMas (War Is Over) /live/ - RTE Studios 'Late Late Show', Dublin, Ireland 16.12.1988 video free download

Acoustic version !

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is a Christmas song by John Lennon, Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band. It was recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York City in late October 1971, with the help of producer Phil Spector. It features soaring, heavily echoed vocals, and a sing-along chorus. The children singing in the background were from the Harlem Community Choir and are credited on the song's single.

Although the song is a protest song about the Vietnam War, it has become a Christmas standard and has appeared on several Christmas albums.

The lyric is based on a campaign in late 1969 by John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, who rented billboards and posters in eleven cities around the world that read: "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko". The cities included New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Rome, Athens, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. At the time the US was deeply entrenched in the unpopular Vietnam War. The line "War is over, if you want it, war is over, now!", as sung by the background vocals, was taken directly from the billboards.

The song's melody and chord structure has been compared to that of the folk standard known as "Stewball". It is possible that "Happy Christmas" was merely a re-write of the traditional standard.

Happy XMas (War Is Over) /1971/

(John Lennon / John Lennon)

So this is Christmas

And what have you done

Another year over

And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas

I hope you have fun

The near and the dear ones

The old and the young

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Christmas (War is over)

For weak and for strong (If you want it)

For rich and the poor ones (War is over)

The world is so wrong (Now)

And so Happy Christmas (War is over)

For black and for white (If you want it)

For yellow and red ones (War is over)

Let's stop all the fight (Now)

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

War is over if you want it

War is over now

And so Happy Christmas (War is over)

I hope you have fun (If you want it)

The near and the dear one (War is over)

The old and the young (Now)

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

War is over if you want it

War is over now