John Lennon

Musician

1940-10-09 – 1980-12-08

Quotes by John Lennon

• The basic thing nobody asks is why do people take drugs of any sort? Why do we have these accessories to normal living to live? I mean, is there something wrong with society that's making us so pressurized, that we cannot live without guarding ourselves against it?

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• The more real you get the more unreal the world gets.

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• When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system's game. The establishment will irritate you – pull your beard, flick your face – to make you fight. Because once they've got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don't know how to handle is non-violence and humor.

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• Music is everybody's business. It's only the publishers who think people own it

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• One thing you can't hide - is when you're crippled inside.

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• All we are saying is give peace a chance.

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• Declare it. Just the same way we declare war. That is how we will have peace... we just need to declare it.

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• If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.

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• I used to think that the world was doing something to me, that the world owed me something. And that either the conservatives or the socialists or the fascists or the communists or the Christians or the Jews or the fascists were doing something to me. And when you're a teeny-booper, that's what you think. I'm 40 now, I don't think that anymore— because I found out it doesn't fucking work. I am part of them. There's no separation. Were all one. Give peace a chance, not Shoot people for peace. All you need is love. I believe it. It's damn hard, but I absolutely believe it.

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• If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that... I believe in what I do, and I'll say it.

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• War is over ... If you want it.

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• I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious thing. I apologize if that will make you happy. I still don't know quite what I've done. I've tried to tell you what I did do but if you want me to apologize, if that will make you happy, then OK, I'm sorry.

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• Imagine there's no countriesIt isn't hard to doNothing to kill or die forAnd no religion tooImagine all the peopleLiving life in peaceYou may say that I'm a dreamerBut I'm not the only oneI hope someday you'll join usAnd the world will be as one

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• I'm not afraid of death because I don't believe in it.It's just getting out of one car, and into another.

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• The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility.

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• Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.

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• Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives

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• I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?

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• Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friends

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• There are only a few notes. Just variations on a theme.

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