What Would Lennon Do?

December 8, 1980, Minneapolis, Minnesota

On this day so many years ago, my girlfriend at the time, Seattle Kathy, and I, were enjoying dinner with a friend of hers, Paul, who was and is a stained glass artist. We ate well, and laughed often. At one point in the meal, Paul turned to me and told me to ask how business was. I dutifully asked, “How’s business?” To which he replied, “Business is fine.” When I asked him why he’d made the request he told me that, now, he could deduct the cost of our fine repast.

So we had another fine laugh at the irony of these three former would-be hippies enjoying a meal on the taxpayers’ dime. Kathy and I went home to our basement apartment stuffed and satisfied.

As was our custom as soon as we got home we turned on the radio, which was playing a song by John Lennon... and another... and another... and another. After our curiosity was aroused, the deejay finally came on with the news that John Lennon, our hero, had been gunned down by a “deranged fan” earlier that evening as he and Yoko Ono returned to their apartment in the Dakota Lofts.

And our lives were changed forever.

After I got over the initial shock I went to a nearby late night record store and along with a few other quietly sad people, I purchased a copy of “Double Fantasy,” the last record Lennon would ever make.

In one of the many inevitable tributes to Lennon, the local rock radio station began playing a Lennon song at the top of every hour. I was working as a pinball machine mechanic at the time and the station played over the speaker system in the warehouse we worked in. So, once an hour, for weeks, it seemed, I would find myself almost at the point of tears, or at the very least, profoundly saddened at the death of one of the few human beings I regard as a hero, albeit flawed.

Many times over the intervening years since I’ve listened to Lennon’s work and drawn inspiration from his music and lyrics. I’ve been to exhibits of his art and been amazed at the diversity of his life and interests. And always, there’s been an element of sadness.

And in these turbulent and often scary times, I’ve asked the inevitable question that titles this post: What would Lennon do?

I can’t say for sure, of course, but I feel in my heart of hearts that Lennon would have hated this war, this administration, this Britney-oriented pop culture we live in. I believe he would have written music decrying the mess America has become thanks to the Bush administration. I believe he would have joined his contemporaries Neil Young and John Fogerty, among others, in denouncing the oil companies’ excessive profits and disregard for humanity. I believe he would have joined should-be-President Al Gore in calling for care for the fragile planet we live on.

But most of all, I believe John Lennon would have told us that there is always hope. I believe he would have continued to tell us simply to:

Imagine.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one