With this song, Lennon became the first Beatle to release a Christmas song after the breakup of The Beatles two years prior.

He said he wrote it “because I was sick of White Christmas,” but this song also serves as a powerful protest song against the Vietnam War. This song came on the heels of two years of activism by John Lennon & Yoko Ono. They had already been spreading the message “WAR IS OVER! If You Want It – Happy Christmas from John & Yoko” on posters and such around the world.

Backing vocals on the song are also provided by the Harlem Community Choir — a powerful choice of using children to deliver an anti-war message.