Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Christmas song composed by John Lennon, lyrics by Yoko Ono, interpolating "Pledging My Love" by Ferdinand Washington and Don Robey
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is a Christmas song by John Lennon, Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band. The song is a protest about the Vietnam War in 1969. It has become a Christmas standard and has appeared on several Christmas albums.
| "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" | |
|---|---|
| Song by John and Yoko, The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir | |
| B-side | "Listen, the Snow Is Falling" |
| Released | 1 December 1971 (US) 24 November 1972 (UK) |
| Recorded | October 1971 at Record Plant Studios (New York City, New York) |
| Genre | Rock, pop, Christmas |
| Length | 3:37 |
| Label | EMI, Parlophone, Apple |
| Songwriter(s) | John Lennon |
| Producer(s) | Phil Spector, John Lennon, Yoko Ono |
| "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Street Drum Corps featuring Bert McCracken | |
| from the album The Taste of Christmas | |
| Released | 2006 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Label | Warcon Enterprises |
| Producer(s) | Street Drum Corps |
Notable cover versions
change- Céline Dion covered the song on her 1998 album These Are Special Times.
- The Corrs included a live version as a bonus track on the Live in London DVD (2001).
- Sarah McLachlan led off her 2006 Christmas album Wintersong with a cover of this song.
- Maroon 5 recorded a cover version in 2007.
- Drake Bell sang it live in Times Square, NYC to welcome in the new year, 2007.
- *NSYNC recorded a cover version for one of their albums.
- Sarah Brightman recorded her own version as a bonus track for her album A Winter Symphony.
- Thrice, an experimental rock band, has recorded their own version of the song.
- The melody was used during the early 1990s as a musical commercial to promote tourism to Jamaica.
