BS: John Lennon's Birthday

Subject: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: Bobert
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 11:22 PM

Happy 62nd, John. I miss you...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: Jim Krause
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 11:30 PM

Don't we all.

Jim

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: Genie
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 12:26 AM

Haddy Grimble, John.

Yeah, we miss ya.

Genie

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: alanabit
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 03:39 AM

I drove buses then. Arriving at work in Chesterfield on that December morning in 1980 , one of the other drivers said, "Have you heard about John Lennon?" "No I haven't," I said smilingly, wondering what nonsense he had just got up to. "He was shot". "Really? But he's all right, isn't he?" (He couldn't possibly die). "No he isn't. He's dead". I do not know if I would have liked the man had I known him personally - he had good and bad character traits like the rest of us. But it was unbearable to think that voice was silenced forever by a mentally ill man with access to guns. It still is.

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: GUEST,Taliesn
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 08:04 AM

Bless your heart , Rev.Bobert , but as far a missing him I've very confirmed mixed feelings on this one.
For one I've always felt that with all of John & Yoko's artsy-fartsy pretenses of peace activism , through all of the heroin & alcohol-abuse, and after sitting in bed for a week in Toronto , it was *George Harrison* who actually *did* something concrete to set an example by putting together the "Concert for Bangela Desh* and then making sure the money got to where it belonged.

For another we *lost* what was the genuine talent of Lennon to that Yuppette Yoko long ago. The lionshare of his creative juices were mostly drained away by dividing time between being self-absorbed ( heroin & alcohol never helps ) and attending to Yoko's self-absorbtion all fueled by mega-millions that Yoko managed like a Medicci ( having already come from wealth hence her pretense at being an artist and the creation of "strawberry fields" being the *only* piece she will ever be remembered for as lomng as she lives to remind us of whom she was- Mrs.Lennon ).

Looking at the proof of the pudding in what that relationship and how it shaped what Lennon produced speaks for itself.

If I sound cynical then I'm merely paying homage by reflecting one of Mr Lennon's most famous traits and it was that unique brand of cynicism that was the source of his biting rapier wit and , when alloyed with the melody and harmony that MacCartney brought into the mix ( without which MacCartney's material can be downright smarmy and superficially commercial ), created what we all know them all for still.

Do I miss him then. Not really.
I do wish he wasn't shot down the way he as , but it's unavoidable that based on the path he was already on he ( and thus by calculated association Yoko ) became more famous dead than alive for the talent he was.

I'm reminded of the passage about " To those whom much is given, much is expected" alloyed with "and to those who have
and do nothing with it , even what they have will be taken ".
Vast wealth and success can be it's own curse in wasting a talented life away.

If there is a moral in the post-MacCartney Lennon legacy it's that I am now reminded of the line from "Shawshank Redemption"; "Get busy living or get busy dying" meaning get busy using one's creative gifts to their fullest before they're gone.

Although too many people seem to agree that "Imagine" is what he , sans MacCartney ,will be remembered most for I must give credit for what I've found to be his single most poigniant masterpeice that draws deep from his true roots; the folk song " A Working Class Hero is Something to Be". Nothing comes close to being a closest-to-the-bone self-portrait of the true Lennon .

To end on a more postiive note I'd wish Lennon peace with a gift of a body of work by his Beatle brother George Harrison:
"All Things Must Pass".
I'd take "My Sweet Lord" over "Imagine" any day of the week.

Thanks for the reminder , there , Rev. Bobert.

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: 53
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 01:38 PM

I miss him and George.

Subject: John Lennon's Birthday
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 09:56 AM

A unique man and a sad loss.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: alanabit
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 02:19 AM

I'll go with that John. For all his imperfections, he left plenty of good stuff in the world, which was not there when he came into it. They won't say that about all of us.

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: Genie
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 02:25 AM

Gotta go see that new movie about The US v, John Lennon.

We miss ya, John.

But why is Jackson Browne's Oct. 9 birthday thread in the Music section but yours is in the BS section?

Genie

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 02:46 AM

Whatever mistakes you have made with your life, you don't deserve to be gunned down. I can't see anything inevitable about the way he died.

At the time, I felt initially.......relief. The first thing you thought of when you heard part of that crowd had died was - drugs. At least it wasn't one more stick the Thatcher generation could beat us up with - for the supposed self-indulgence and self-absorption of our generation. (Though there was precious little of that allowed in my own youth.)

Afterwards, I felt nothing but sadness and admiration for him. For here surely was a man who had achieved all the things that James Joyce had set out as the stereotype for an artist. Someone who had flown by the nets of nationality, family expectation, the snares of religon and society - and had used his freedom most creatively.

all the best to all my fellow artists this morning

al

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: jeffp
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 07:01 AM

I'd say it's in the BS section because the original poster labeled it BS. It therefore automatically went to the lower section.

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: closet-folkie
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 08:33 AM

I miss the voice.

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: Genie
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 08:36 PM

I miss the wit. And the vision.

Subject: RE: BS: John Lennon's Birthday
From: gnu
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 06:23 PM

But... he lives on... just... imagine...

You know he would, so, in his honour at least, so should we.