So much has been said about John Lennon, it's hard to think of what else to add, but it would also be remiss not to mark the anniversary of the passing of this monumental genius.
Born in Liverpool on 9 October 1940, he was a man who more than made his mark on the universe, from The Beatles to his solo career. From his time at art school with Stuart Sutcliffe and Cynthia, and later on with Yoko Ono, he was not afraid to be himself and take on all naysayers with his dry wit. His philosophy from peace, art and essentially forging your own path remains all the more important in a topsy turvy world where we are at risk of losing sight of ourselves and being overrun by power hungry politicians.
As a songwriter, he was one of the best. He could touch on the topical, such as Imagine, to the personal, as in Watching The Wheels (above). His turn of phrase as a writer gave us lyrics that transcend into the quotable. He wrote poems and tales outside the music, but it seems like he was at his most honesty and revealing in his songs.
There's all sorts of 'what iffery' as to what he would be doing nowadays, and what he would be saying in regard to contemporary politics, movements and whatnots - even to the extent of just what would his Twitter account be like! But at the end of the day, it is just supposition. No one could get it right. Aside from the fact that for him, doing what people thought just seems a bit too predictable.
It seems like such a gulf, 41 years, and he seems too vibrant after all this time to be gone. Though is he really gone? His work and legacy lives on and will do for a long time.
So here's to the guy whose music helped me cope with the school bullies, who taught me the value of thinking about the wider world and probably the foremost influence on my own personal politics and of course anti-war beliefs.
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