Imagine there’s no freedom

It isn’t hard to do

It’s been 44 years, but I can remember the day in 1980 when we got the news that a crazed fan named Mark David Chapman shot and killed one of the greatest songwriter/musician at the time John Lennon. He was just 40 years old. Chapman had earlier received an autograph from Lennon. As History.com relates the incident:

The 40-year-old artist was entering his luxury Manhattan apartment building when Mark David Chapman shot him four times at close range with a .38-caliber revolver. Lennon, bleeding profusely, was rushed to the hospital but died en route. Chapman had received an autograph from Lennon earlier in the day and voluntarily remained at the scene of the shooting until he was arrested by police. For a week, hundreds of bereaved fans kept a vigil outside the Dakota—Lennon’s apartment building—and demonstrations of mourning were held around the world.

We had followed John Lennon’s career since he arrived in the 1960s during what came to be known as the British Invasion. John Lennon was part of what became a powerhouse band called “The Beatles.” We watched their songs evolve into some serious topics after they made the American scene with a jaunty little number called “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” The songs grew in complexity and message. Topics reflected the tenor of the times. These songs were the product of two talented members of the Beatles, the songwriting team of Lennon and McCartney.

As happened with so many groups artistic differences caused the Beatles to disband in 1980. Both John Lennon and Paul McCartney, now on separate paths, excelled.

John Lennon was an outspoken intellectual who had angered some people (particularly in the Bible Belt) when he declared the Beatles to be more popular than Jesus Christ. Large public burnings of Beatle records took place in the Bible Belt.

Lennon’s philosophies evolved. The song “Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie” references this. “Lennon read a book by Marx.” That’s John Lennon and Karl Marx. The book? “The Communist Manifesto.” This “flirtation” with Communism is reflected in a song Lennon wrote right after he left the Beatles— Imagine. I believe that people did not see it as primarily an embrace of Communism but a song of peace.

The TV series WKRP in Cincinnati ended their third season with an episode titled “Clean Up Radio Everywhere.” It aired on April 12, 1981, just 4 months after John Lennon’s murder. It’s about censorship of music played on the radio. A minister (brilliantly played by an actor impersonating a Jerry Falwell type) has complained to Arthur Carlson, manager of WKRP, about the music played on his station. He stated he was speaking for a large group of people who wanted radio cleaned up. The Reverend gave Carlson a list of songs his group found offensive. Carlson agreed not to play them.

This caused the rest of the employees to strenuously object. The program director assured Carlson that to give into these demands would be a grave mistake. It wouldn’t be long before another list would come, and it did. Carlson then went to see the preacher. The following clip picks up the plot:

Censorship is important in a fascist government. There is no freedom of expression unless you’re expressing State sanctioned ideas. Does anyone doubt that the so-called Christian nationalists, spreading like noxious weeds in the United States currently, would ban this same music? I have no doubt.

Finally, if you would like to join me in a little rebellion, sing along with John.