Today in History

In Toronto, on this day in 1969, John Lennon recorded "Give Peace a Chance."  It was his first solo single.  Lennon wrote the song during his "Bed-In" honeymoon. On April 7, in room 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, the song was recorded on rented equipment.  Lennon played acoustic guitar and was joined by Tommy Smothers of the Smothers Brothers, also on acoustic guitar.  (Does anyone else find this fact more than a little strange?)

Vietnam peace talks had been going on since January; by April of 1969, however, over 540,000 U.S. troops were in place.

Lennon and Yoko Ono, known for their anti-war beliefs, staged several "bed-ins" to draw attention to these beliefs.  Lennon told one photographer, "We're going to sell peace the way other people sell soap."  The verses of the song are little known, but everyone knows the tune and words of the chorus.

This I know:  the way things are going in the world in 2011, maybe a bed-in isn't such a bad idea.

For old times' sake:

Two, one, two, three, four

Ev'rybody's talking about
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism,
Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, That-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m

All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Yeah!
C'mon
Ev'rybody's talking about Ministers,
Sinisters, Banisters
And canisters, Bishops, and Fishops,
And Rabbis, and Pop eyes, Bye, bye, bye byes

All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Let me tell you now
Ev'rybody's talking about
Revolution, evolution, masturbation,
Flagellation, regulation, integration,
Meditation, United Nations,
Congratulations.

All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Ev'rybody's talking about
John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary,
Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan,
Tommy Cooper,
Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer,
Allen Ginsberg, Hare Krishna,
Hare, Hare
Krishna

All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance