Spinner

12 Best Christmas Songs: No. 2

'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)'
--John Lennon/Yoko Ono (1971)

What you get when you combine the weight-of-the-world Beatle with Phil Spector and the Harlem Community Choir: A bombastic wall of Christmas sound with a heart of gold and a banner headline's timelessness. The prevailing sentiment – "war is over, if you want it" -- is an exercise in mass-scale positive thinking on par with believing in Santa Claus.

Previous Next

All the AOL Music info you want to know

50 Cent, Street King: Rapper Visits…

The Boombox

AP Photo/World Food Programme, Rose Ogola NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Rapper 50 Cent…

Grammy Acceptance Speeches: Watch 30…

AOL Music Blog

FilmMagic, Getty, WireImage It's been a busy week for God. Besides helping…

Earl Sweatshirt Returns, Releases New…

The Boombox

YouTube.com Ironically, Earl Sweatshirt was one of the most visible members…

See all AOL Music »

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

62 Comments

Filter by:
Wasteoftime5

This song is just insipid. War is a part of life, whether we want it or not. And to say that war will be over if we want it? We don't decide, do we? No, the people in positions of power move us around like pieces on a chessboard. Not to mention that the entire song is about as aurally appealing as a buzz-saw to sheet metal. Picture it, Yoko Onno in the background, screeching at the top of her voice. She's the reason that a lot of Americans believe that Japanese people have bad voices, which is patently untrue.

December 03 2009 at 9:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Wasteoftime5

This song is just insipid. War is a part of life, whether we want it or not. And to say that war will be over if we want it? We don't decide, do we? No, the people in positions of power move us around like pieces on a chessboard. Not to mention that the entire song is about as aurally appealing as a buzz-saw to sheet metal. Picture it, Yoko Onno in the background, screeching at the top of her voice. She's the reason that a lot of Americans believe that Japanese people have bad voices, which is patently untrue.

December 03 2009 at 9:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
metgiant41

This is a great song and even though yoko nearly ruined it with her "singing". If it wasn't for her it should have been #1!!

December 27 2008 at 6:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
metgiant41

This is a great song and even though yoko nearly ruined it with her "singing". If it wasn't for her it should have been #1!!

December 27 2008 at 6:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
traducciones

Religion is just a word. We are religion. all our different thoughts and views are religion. we can take religion out if we want. it depends on each individual. You dont need to go to a church or sinagoge to look for God. God is everywhere. You just have to look careful. Forget Stalin, Lenin and Mao.
I dont have religion in my life but I believe in God. One more thing. dont think my religion is so different from yours.

December 26 2008 at 6:24 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
traducciones

Religion is just a word. We are religion. all our different thoughts and views are religion. we can take religion out if we want. it depends on each individual. You dont need to go to a church or sinagoge to look for God. God is everywhere. You just have to look careful. Forget Stalin, Lenin and Mao.
I dont have religion in my life but I believe in God. One more thing. dont think my religion is so different from yours.

December 26 2008 at 6:24 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
traducciones

How can it be that the world is changing so much? LEts hope is for the better. I like this song. i think should be number 1. maybe this song help on something to change for the better in some people dont you think? maybe is still changing people. and not just about war, but differences between us. i admire differences. otherwise we would be in a boring world, like the movie "The island". i like this song

December 26 2008 at 6:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
traducciones

How can it be that the world is changing so much? LEts hope is for the better. I like this song. i think should be number 1. maybe this song help on something to change for the better in some people dont you think? maybe is still changing people. and not just about war, but differences between us. i admire differences. otherwise we would be in a boring world, like the movie "The island". i like this song

December 26 2008 at 6:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ktnzgtklws

UGH. I hate this song with a passion. Then again, anything by the beatles is usually so dripping with pretention and artsy-fartsy better than thou, beat you over the head with a two by four message that it makes me want to gag.

December 26 2008 at 1:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ktnzgtklws

UGH. I hate this song with a passion. Then again, anything by the beatles is usually so dripping with pretention and artsy-fartsy better than thou, beat you over the head with a two by four message that it makes me want to gag.

December 26 2008 at 1:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply