British song writers in the 1960s rarely ventured into the realm of politics and protest, unlike their American counterparts. The Who’s My Generation had little to say about politics and was simply a statement about the aspirations and interests of the baby boomers. John Lennon had gravitated towards politics from 1968’s Revolution onwards and in 1969, following his marriage to Yoko Ono, staged a ‘Bed-In’ in Amsterdam and then Montreal. It was during the latter that he recorded Give Peace A Chance, with LSD proponent Timothy Leary, a local group of Hare Krishnas and at least one Rabbi. John Lennon’s commitment to radical causes was fleeting, but he seemed to need the approval of the British counter culture and was friends with Tariq Ali, though he later abandoned the British left for the American Yippies Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. You can hear more on the podcast below:

https://embed.acast.com/explaininghistory/johnlennonandgivepeaceachance1969