AMSTERDAM —
En mars 1969, les jeunes mariés John Lennon et Yoko Ono ont sauté une lune de miel et ont plutôt organisé un "bed-in" à Amsterdam pour promouvoir la paix mondiale pendant la guerre du Vietnam.
Vêtu de blanc, le duo artistique a reçu des visiteurs et tenu des conférences de presse depuis son lit dans la suite présidentielle au sommet de l'hôtel Hilton d'Amsterdam du 23 au 29 mars.
Une exposition de photos et d'autres événements commémorant Ono et Lennon, l'auteur-compositeur des Beatles qui a été tué par balle à New York en 1980, se tiennent cette semaine dans la capitale néerlandaise pour commémorer les événements d'il y a 50 ans.
Au milieu de fleurs et de pancartes faites par eux-mêmes indiquant "Hair Peace" et "Bed Peace", le couple a mis en avant une stratégie simple pour parvenir à l'harmonie du monde : rejeter la violence sous toutes ses formes.
"Si vous pensez que la violence résoudra le problème, c'est à vous de décider. Je ne le pense pas", a déclaré John à un journaliste. "Personne n'a jamais essayé le truc de la paix."
L'incident a été relaté dans "The Ballad of John and Yoko", publié peu de temps avant la séparation des Beatles : Conduit de Paris au Hilton d'Amsterdam / Parler dans nos lits pendant une semaine / Les journalistes ont dit : "Dis ce que tu fais au lit ?" / J'ai dit: "Nous essayons seulement de nous procurer un peu de paix."
En 2012, Ono a publié gratuitementPaix au lit, un documentaire sur le bed-in d'Amsterdam et un deuxième bed-in que le couple a organisé plusieurs mois plus tard à Montréal, au Canada.
À un moment donné, Ono rejette un livre de poèmes et de manifestes que lui a remis un soi-disant «révolutionnaire».
"Je suis désolée, peu importe la beauté de votre poème, si vous ne pouvez pas le partager avec les gens, c'est de la merde", a-t-elle déclaré. Pour honorer leur mémoire, une "tulipe de la paix" blanche sera plantée devant l'hôtel jeudi.
Événements de commémoration
D'autres événements commémoratifs à Amsterdam incluent une soirée cinéma, un concert et une visite de la célèbre salle #902.
Cinquante ans plus tard, la paix mondiale n'est pas encore arrivée.
Les sceptiques de l'époque ont souligné que tout le monde ne peut pas se permettre de rester au lit toute la journée ou d'être aussi célèbre que John et Yoko.
"Arrêtez de demander si ça va marcher, faites quelque chose vous-même", a déclaré Lennon agacé à un journaliste dans le documentaire. "Faites pousser vos cheveux, portez un signe."
FAQs
What was John Lennon's last words to Yoko? ›
While travelling in the car on the way back from The Record Plant, Lennon spoke to Ono for the last time. “I said, 'shall we go and have dinner before we go home?' ” Ono recalled. “And John said, 'No, let's go home because I want to see Sean before he goes to sleep.
Why did John Lennon sleep in a coffin? ›According to Allan Williams, an early manager for The Beatles, Lennon liked to sleep in an old coffin. Williams had an old, abandoned coffin on the premises of his coffee bar, The Jacaranda. As a gag, Lennon would sometimes nap in it.
Where was John and Yoko's bed in? ›In March 1969, John and Yoko set about bringing a message of peace to the world from their bed in the Amsterdam Hilton hotel.
What did Paul McCartney say about Yoko? ›Paul McCartney: "I had been able to accept Yoko sitting on a blanket in front of my amp… but then when we broke up, John turned nasty" Paul McCartney's recent BBC Radio 4 show yielded some fascinating insight into the Beatle's mindset during the band's 1970.
What were John Lennon's dying words? ›Although their intimate conversations remained private, Paul's wife Linda McCartney once revealed John Lennon's last words to his former band mate. As Ultimate Classic Rock reveal, they were: “Think about me every now and then, old friend.”
What did George Harrison say after John Lennon died? ›"After everything we've been through together, I had and still have great love and respect for John I'm shocked," Harrison would later say. Months later the trio would compose a song titled All Those Years Ago, which was a tribute to their friend.
Why didn t Lennon have a funeral? ›Many have assumed that Lennon's opposition to organised religion influenced Ono's decision. It's also possible that Lennon wanted to avoid the celebrity circus that defined the funeral of Elvis Presley. John was, after all, always distrustful of fame.
Did the Beatles attend John Lennon's funeral? ›Did the remaining Beatles attend John Lennon's funeral? No, because there wasn't really a funeral. Yoko asked for a worldwide ten minutes of silence the next Saturday and got it. Many radio stations went dark for that period.
Could Lennon have survived? ›He bled out in minutes. No one could have saved him. It was very unfortunate, because a lot of people shot in the back do live, but that bullet found the worst possible place.
How long did John and Yoko stay in bed? ›John Lennon and Yoko Ono held two week-long Bed-Ins for Peace in Amsterdam and Montreal to protest the US war in Vietnam.
Where was John Lennon's White Room? ›
Tittenhurst Park: John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the White Room at Tittenhurst Park - 1971 | White room, White rooms, Grand piano room.
When did John and Yoko hook up? ›The pair first met in November 1966 at a London gallery, where Ono was preparing for an exhibition of her work. They instantaneously connected and began a whirlwind (and at times controversial) romance. Less than three years later, on March 20, 1969, the couple married.
What is John Lennon's most famous quote? ›"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality."
Which Beatle got the most girls? ›"Well," revealed Ringo in an exclusive Early Showinterview from the Beatles' hometown of Liverpool, England Friday. "Paul, actually. Paul the most. Because he was just so darn cute!"
Was John Lennon in love with Yoko? ›Soon after, they began an affair, which prompted Lennon to leave his first wife, Cynthia Lennon, and their 5-year-old son, Julian. "When I fell in love with Yoko, I knew, my God, this is different from anything I've ever known," Lennon once said. "This is more than a hit record, more than gold, more than everything."
What was George Harrison's last words? ›According to those present, his final words were: “Everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot wait, and love one another.” To his wife, he said simply: “Olivia, you'll be fine, you'll be fine”.
Did John Lennon leave everything to Yoko? ›He left all his wealth to Yoko and their son, Sean, as the only beneficiaries of his estate.
What song was written about John Lennon's death? ›"Here Today" is a song by Paul McCartney from his 1982 album Tug of War. He wrote the song as a tribute to his relationship with John Lennon, who was murdered in 1980. He stated the song was composed in the form of an imaginary conversation the pair might have had.