[Today: The day John Lennon died...]
Some moments in life seem to stretch out forvever. The second hand on the clock probably moves at its normal speed, but the impact of those few ticks can sometimes make them seem like hours, weeks – even a lifetime.
December 8th, 1980 was a pretty unmemorable day, as I remember it. That evening, my brother and I were playing ‘paper football‘ on the dining room table. This pre-video game form of entertainment involved folding a piece of paper into a small triangle ‘ball’ and then flicking it around a table and through your opponents “goal posts” (ie your opponents’ thumbs and forefingers forming a goal post shape) to score. And yes, those were dreadfully boring days to be a kid.
From our spot in the dining room we could see the Monday night football game playing on the television in the living room. Our mom was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine, and not paying much attention to the game. As the broadcast broke for halftime, Howard Cosell (of all people) came on and said, “John Lennon… shot twice in the back… dead on arrival…” Mom screamed “WHAT?!!!!!?” and dropped her magazine. She immediately started bawling – and my mother is not one to shed idle tears.
My brother and I were in shock too. John Lennon was like a member of our family. Framed photographs of him hung on our walls, and of course we listened to the music endlessly. But his presence in our home had more to do with the dignity of his being – the way he could speak to everyone on the planet and sell millions of records, yet remain inspiringly political, fiercely ethical, and unflinchingly honest. His music was amazing, but John Lennon’s life was his real gift to us. In those few moments that spanned a lifetime on that normal Monday night in December, we lost someone – and something – that was important to us, and none of us were ever quite the same after.
Listen: Working Class Hero
Tags: 12/8/80, John Lennon
8 December 2007 at 10:16 am |
I heard the news (oh, boy) that John Lennon had been killed on December 9. I was in 7th grade home room at Andrew Carnegie Junior High, and my teacher, Ms. Stangarone, (who was rumored to have posed in Playboy) brought in a stack of records and wiped black watery tears from her eyes as she played them for us. Everyone in class knew who John Lennon was and could sing along with any number of Beatles songs, but I remember being stunned that news of his death provoked such a visceral reaction in the “grownups” around me. Nobody reacted like this when Elvis died. But then again, I remember staring at that black and white photo in Life magazine — the one of the blonde girl on the ground, weeping, clutching a handful of grass that Ringo Starr had just stepped on only moments before. One thing was clear: these guys made girls cry. And I remember thinking that it was pretty weird to think about your home room teacher as one of those screaming, fainting, crying Beatles fans (although no weirder to think of her as a Playboy bunny). His death let me in a little secret: that the “grownups” around me had only recently been kids themselves, and we all aren’t so different after all.
8 December 2007 at 10:23 am |
Thanks J.D. Salinger
[editor's note: this comment is not, as it probably appears, a snide comment about the commenter above. Furr is actually talking about J.D. Salinger's Catcher In The Rye, which inspired John Hinckley Jr. It was only after he posted this comment that he realized the comment above was by a "J.D." - just wanted to clear that up. dk]
9 December 2007 at 11:57 am |
Alas, the event predates my memories. But I will say that I’ve after reading so many retrospectives to this point, it’s interesting to consider if Lennon would’ve maintained that same reputation in today’s era. We’d probably write him off as some over-inflated doped-out artist spewing his politics on an unwanting public.
In reality, McCartney probably had a bigger overall impact on what we collectively remember as The Beatles now. Would people have reacted the same way if it was him who were shot? Probably not.
Just goes to show that time, place, and perception are everything in life.
9 December 2007 at 5:37 pm |
I was in a car coming back from visiting my cousins near Stanford University. It was about an hour’s drive and the radio just would NOT stop playing Beatles. The DJ could barely speak, and would just say like a mumbled word or two and then put on the next song. After about half an hour of this, he finally was able to get his shit together enough to announce that John Lennon had been shot and killed. My other uncle, who was driving, immediately started crying. It was kinda freaky, cuz I was 12, and didn’t really know all that much about the Beatles.
So now, whenever I’m listening to the radio and they play more than one song by the same artist without really announcing anything in between, I immediately think, “Oh shit.” And when it’s Prince, I really think, “OH, SHIT!”
10 December 2007 at 4:51 am |
great piece Dan – thanks. I remember being at school – I was 11 – and not really understanding what it all meant. I was a huge Beatles fan and the idea that one of them could get murdered just seemed crazy to me. I also recall people asking me if I was OK as they all knew what a fan I was and, to them, this must have seemed like family…
10 December 2007 at 8:43 am |
bravo. This is one of those few moments that stand out so well from my childhood. It’s on par with the day Dad moved out. I was too young to remember when Prefontaine died, but I’m sure 12/8/80 was right up there with that day as well. I can’t believe it’s been 27 years – the music means as much to me now as it ever did.
17 December 2007 at 3:21 pm |
slow on the reply. so sue me.
I clearly remember the night. I had just landed at the Houston Airport in route to a business meeting the next day. I had been to the airport there several times and because it was in Texas, like every thing else, it was big, with towering ceilings and therefore an acoustic hell when filled with people. Stepping off the plane I expected to walk into the standard din-and it was dead quiet. Groups of people were huddled around TV’s in the Bars-which the airport has conveniently arranged every ten feet. You could tell some folks had been crying. But most of all, what struck me then and today was the behavior of people-common to a shared crisis. People who did not know you would strike up a conversation about his music and how it was a part of the fabric of (their)life. On any other day most of them would have told you to pound sand if you had tried to talk to them. His music as an individual and as part of the Beatles has been a part of my life since I, 1.) wore out the first album and 2.) felt a jolt of electricity when I saw him and the Beatles for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show.
And I would have to say that Jason may be right about the impact of McCartney’s influence in the later years but in the beginning it was John.
9 December 2008 at 5:42 pm |
[...] Imagine if John Lennon hadn’t been murdered 28 years ago today… [...]
10 December 2010 at 11:00 pm |
30 years later. I still miss him.
12 December 2010 at 1:04 pm |
Me too Cordell. No pun intended, but it’s hard to imagine how different the world would be if he’d been around for the last 30 years. Seems like it would have to be a better place…