John Lennon and Yoko Ono's vision for a peaceful Christmas extended far beyond the holiday season, as they embarked on a mission to spread their message of peace globally. In 1969, amidst the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the Nixon administration's promises of 'Peace with Honour', Lennon and Ono were already planning their manifesto for peace. They officially tied the knot on March 20th, 1969, and shortly after, they released a series of lithographs called Bag One, some of which were banned for indecency. But their vision was much bigger than just art. Lennon and Ono wanted to use their spotlight for something much grander: world peace.
Their honeymoon at the Amsterdam Hilton hotel became a symbol of their message, as they invited the world's press into their room every day between 9 am and 9 pm to witness their 'bed-in' for peace. However, their arrival in a white Rolls-Royce and their week-long stay in the heart of American capitalism didn't quite gel with the message of helping the world's less fortunate. Despite this, Lennon and Ono's commitment to peace remained unwavering.
On December 15th, Lennon and Ono turned to guerrilla marketing to spread their hope for peace. Their message, 'War Is Over. If You Want It. Love, John & Yoko', appeared on billboards in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Toronto, Athens, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Tokyo. Lennon was clear about their intention, stating that they wanted to promote an awareness in people of how much power they have and not to rely on the government or leaders.
Then, on New Year's Eve 1970, Lennon and Ono took their vision one step further, declaring traditional timelines obsolete and announcing the coming year as 'Year 1 AP - After Peace'. They issued a new statement, which read, 'We believe that the last decade was the end of the old machine crumbling to pieces. And we think we can get it together, with your help. We have great hopes for the new year'.
Their hopes for the new year quickly transformed into a sonic manifesto, and 'Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)' was written and recorded in a single day. The song was inspired by a late-night conversation between Lennon, Ono, her former husband Tony Cox, and his wife Melinde Kendall. The quartet discussed fate and responsibility, landing on the idea that consequences must be faced in this lifetime, not the next. This led Lennon to spring to the piano and turn the conversation into a song that told listeners, in no uncertain but rather playful terms, that they were responsible for their actions, and, by extension, the state of the world.
'Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)' was 'Year 1 AP' in sound, a reminder that those in power would face the consequences of their actions, and a blueprint for a world that could embrace peace, if people were willing to choose it. The track also marked Lennon's emergence as a solo artist months before The Beatles' official split, so while it served as a manifesto for peace, it was also the start of an unbridgeable rift in the group that would lead to one of the most (in)famous breakups of one of the most famous bands in the world.
