Happy Xmas (War is Over) by John Lennon: The Story Behind the Song

Though "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" was originally written to protest the Vietnam War, it is known less as an anti-war song than what it has evolved into, which is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. Here is the story of how a protest song became a Christmas classic.

The song was recorded just before Christmas in 1971, but its genesis can be traced to late 1969, when John and Yoko spearheaded an international campaign to protest the hugely unpopular Vietnam War. John and Yoko rented billboards and distributed posters in major cities across the globe, including Amsterdam, Athens, London, New York, and Tokyo. The billboards read, "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It), Happy Christmas from John and Yoko." It is reasonable to conjecture that the idea for the song was germinating in John's fertile imagination during this time, for the lyrics sung in the background of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" are taken directly from the aforementioned slogan.

"Happy Xmas (If You Want It)" was recorded at the Record Plant recording studio in New York City in late October of 1971. Phil Spector, legendary record producer and originator of the "wall of sound" production technique, contributed his formidable production skills to the song. The children singing in the background were members of the Harlem Community Choir, and their performance endows the song with an undeniable charm and poignancy. As noted above, the words sung by the children were taken from the anti-war slogan put forward by John and Yoko in 1969 - "War is over if you want it, war is over now."

The tune was released in the United States on December 6, 1971. Due to publishing-related complications, however, the single was not released in England until November of 1972. The song was re-released in England on December 20, 1980 (two weeks after Lennon's assassination), where it rocketed up the charts.