John Lennon

Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
A Time of Social Change Biography
John Lennon
1940–1980
WHY HE MADE HISTORY John Lennon

was a member of the Beatles, one of the
most popular rock groups of the 1960s, and
became a vocal antiwar activist.
As you read the biography below, consider
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how John Lennon’s life reflected the times in
which he lived. How was his life influenced by
the changes in the world around him?
John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England, in 1940.

While he was in high school, Lennon met another teen named Paul
McCartney who shared his love of American rhythm and blues music.
Lennon and McCartney played together in a band and later, with the
addition of guitarist George Harrison and drummer Ringo Starr, became
known as the Beatles.
In 1963, the Beatles released their first single, “Love Me Do,” in
England. Theirs was a new sound that mixed rock and roll with rhythm and
blues. In an era when trios and quartets crooned soft melodies, Lennon
screamed and shouted in “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
The January 1964 release of the album Meet the Beatles in the United
States brought instant fame. Approximately 73 million people watched the
band’s performance on the Ed Sullivan Show the next month. By March
1964, the Beatles held the top five spots on the Billboard singles chart.
The Beatles’ music brought not only a new sound but a new sensibility.
They sang about love and loss, but also questioned materialism in “Can’t
Buy Me Love,” and wrote of empty lives in “Eleanor Rigby” and
“Nowhere Man.” With each successive album, the songs written by
Lennon and McCartney music incorporated more influences and sounds.
Even mind-altering drugs were reflected in songs such as “Yellow
Submarine” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
The Beatles became leaders in the 1960s counterculture. Albums like
Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966) opened up for teenagers a world
of possibilities beyond the cultural confines of the society in which they
had been raised. The single “All You Need Is Love” was embraced an
anthem for the summer of love.
Lennon, the band’s lead singer and its most vocal member, spoke freely
on social and political issues. He infuriated many when he claimed the
Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” He openly opposed the war in
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

8 A Time of Social Change
Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
A Time of Social Change Biography
Vietnam, both in concerts and in interviews, which led to more criticism of

him and the band.
In 1968 Lennon met Yoko Ono, an artist and performer from Japan. The
two quickly became inseparable. Lennon divorced his first wife (with
whom he had a son) and married Ono in 1969. With Ono, Lennon became
more politically active. The pair staged events to protest the Vietnam War.
They called their honeymoon a “bed-in for peace” and spent it in bed in
front of TV cameras talking to reporters about the horrors of war. During
the honeymoon, Lennon wrote the antiwar anthem “Give Peace a Chance.”
After the Beatles broke up as a band in 1970, Lennon and Ono moved to
New York, where he joined other antiwar leaders to mobilize young people
against the Vietnam War. In September 1971 Lennon released a solo
album, Imagine, whose melodic title track urged listeners to “Imagine
there’s no countries/ . . . Nothing to kill or die for.” Lennon’s increasingly
vocal criticism of the Vietnam War and his plans to protest at the 1972
Republican National Convention attracted the attention of the Nixon
administration, which tried to deport him.
Lennon fought the government in the courts for years, a battle that was
financially and emotionally draining. For a time Lennon turned away from
music, dedicating himself to raising his second son, Sean.
Lennon returned to the recording studio in 1980. One night as he was
returning home, a deranged fan approached him outside his New York
apartment building. The man shot Lennon in the back, killing him.
Millions of fans still gather to observe a day of remembrance and sing
the song “Imagine” every year on the anniversary of Lennon’s death. In
New York City, a section of Central Park that had been one of Lennon’s
favorites was renovated and named Strawberry Fields in his honor. More
than 100 countries have recognized Strawberry Fields as a garden of peace.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

1. Recall What song by John Lennon became an antiwar anthem?
____________________________________________________________________
2. Evaluate Do you think musicians should or should not use their music to promote
their political views? Why?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITY
Use music by John Lennon and/or the Beatles to create a musical
presentation that reflects events of the 1960s and/or 1970s. Add narration
to explain the importance of the songs or lyrics you select. Share your
presentation with the class.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
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John Lennon

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Name _____________________ Class _ Date __________

A Time of Social Change Biography

WHY HE MADE HISTORY John Lennon

As you read the biography below, consider

John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England, in 1940.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

A Time of Social Change Biography

Vietnam, both in concerts and in interviews, which led to more criticism of

WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

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