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***********************************                                        ***********************************
***********************************              John Lennon               ***********************************
***********************************        Happy Xmas (War Is Over)        ***********************************
***********************************               [Single]                 ***********************************
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                                 Artist's Name       -       John Lennon
                                    Song Title       -       Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
                                         Album       -       [Single]
                       Approximate Song Length       -       3 min 32 sec
                                  Release Date       -       November 24, 1972



The Story Behind the Tab:


       Twenty-one and three quarter days before Christmas, 2005, I was looking through old Lennon songs and
happened upon Happy Xmas (War Is Over). For me, this is one of those songs with a melody that can't be
lost. Though I had forgotten it, Happy Xmas came rushing back to me the second I started to play it. I hope it
rushes back to you as well!


Notes:


       Each pair of parenthesized chords below represents a single point in time. The first of the two is used
to better illustrate Lennon's "XMajor-Xsus2-Xsus4-XMajor" pattern, while the second puts the final chord in its
correct lyrical position. Of historical interest - this song was originally released as a single in 1972 as a
protest song against the Vietnam War. That year, John and Yoko bought the usage of scores of billboards in eleven
cities and covered them all with a simple, unified message: WAR IS OVER! IF YOU WANT IT MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM JOHN
& YOKO. It latered appeared on Lennon's Shaved Fish (1975) anthology album. This is an incredibly covered song.
Such renown artists as Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, U2, Jimmy Buffet, and Melissa Etheridge have all released their
own versions of this song. Other artists include Julian & Sean Lennon, Sense Field, Die Roten Rosen, Street Drum
Corps/ Bert McCracken and the Pop Idols. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or
comments! Have fun with it!


Transcribed By: Nathan Bartman
E-mail Address: NateBartman@yahoo.com
AIM Name: Nate Bartman










Intro           (Whispered)

                Happy Christmas Kyoko


                (Whispered)

                Happy Christmas Julian





Verse I                    A     Asus2     Asus4     (A)

                So this is Christmas


                    (A)           Bm     Bsus2     Bsus4     (Bm)

                And what have you done


                  (Bm)       Esus4     E     Esus2     (E)

                Another year over


                      (E)             A     Asus2     Asus4     (A)

                And a new one just begun


                    (A)        D     Dsus2     Dsus4     (D)

                And so this is Christmas


                  (D)           Em     Emadd9     Esus4     (Em)

                I hope you have fun


                    (Em)         Asus4       A     Asus2     (A)

                The near and the dear ones


                    (A)         D     Dsus2     Dsus4     (D)

                The old and the young





Chorus            (D)        G

                A very Merry Christmas


                                A

                And a happy New Year


                                  Em7       A

                Let's hope it's a good one


                            D         E7

                Without any fear





Verse II                       A     Asus2     Asus4     (A)

                And so this is Christmas


                    (A)          Bm     Bsus2     Bsus4     (Bm)

                For weak and for strong


                    (Bm)         Esus4     E     Esus2     (E)

                The rich and the poor ones


                    (E)         A     Asus2     Asus4     (A)

                The world is so wrong


                    (A)      D     Dsus2     Dsus4     (D)

                And so Happy Christmas


                    (D)           Em     Emadd9     Esus4     (Em)

                For black and for white


                    (Em)       Asus4     A     Asus2     (A)

                For yellow and red ones


                      (A)          D     Dsus2     Dsus4     D

                Let's stop all the fight





Chorus                       G

                A very merry Christmas


                                A

                And a happy New Year


                                  Em7       A

                Let's hope it's a good one


                            D       E7

                Without any fear





Verse III                      A     Asus2     Asus4     (A)

                And so this is Christmas


                    (A)          Bm     Bsus2     Bsus4     (Bm)

                And what have we done


                  (Bm)       Esus4     E     Esus2     (E)

                Another year over


                  (E)            A     Asus2     Asus4     (A)

                A new one just begun


                    (A)      D     Dsus2     Dsus4     (D)

                And so Happy Christmas


                   (D)           Em     Emadd9     Esus4     (Em)

                We hope you have fun


                    (Em)         Asus4     A     Asus2     (A)

                The near and the dear ones


                    (A)         D     Dsus2     Dsus4     (D)

                The old and the young





Chorus            (D)        G

                A very merry Christmas


                                A

                And a happy New Year


                                  Em7       A

                Let's hope it's a good one


                            D       E7

                Without any fear






Outtro          A     Asus2     Asus4     A

                War   is        o     -   ver


                Bm     Bsus2     Bsus4     Bm

                If     you       want      it


                Esus4     E     Esus2     E

                War       is    o     -   ver


                A     Asus2     Asus4     A

                Now


                (Shouted)

                Yay!


                (Shouted)

                Happy Christmas!


                (Shouted)

                Happy Christmas!


                (Shouted)

                Happy Christmas!










"I haven't understood a bar of music in my life, but I have felt it."

						    - Igor Stravinsky