Change your head 

"You say, 'In order to change the world, we've got to understand what's wrong with the world and then destroy it. Ruthlessly.' You're obviously on a destruction kick. I'll tell you what's wrong with it - People. So, do you want to destroy them? Ruthlessly? Until you/we change your/our heads, there's no chance. Who fucked up Communism, Christianity, capitalism, Buddhism, etc.? Sick heads and nothing else. Do you think all ememy wear capitalist badges so you can shoot them?"

"The statement in 'Revolution' was mine. The lyrics stand today. They're still my feeling about politics, I want to see the plan. That's what I used to say to Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman. Count me out if it's for violence. Don't expect me on the barricades unless it's with flowers. As far as overthrowing something in the name of Marxism or Christianity, I want to know what you're going to do after you've knocked it down. I mean, can't we use some of it? What's the point of bombing Wall Street? If you want to change the system, change the system. It's no good shooting people. I know how I felt when I was at college at nineteen and twenty - I would have been for complete destruction. I always hoped for it anyway, just as a happening, just to go on the loot, to destroy it. I would have done then, but I don't know whether I would now - I still like stealing things, but I don't, because I can't be bothered. That's how I felt then, but if there was somebody like me I might listen. If you want peace, you won't get it with violence. Please tell me one militant revolution that worked. Sure, a few of them took over, but what happened? Status quo. And if they smash it down, who do they think is going to build it up again? And then when they've built it up again, who do they think is going to run it? And how are they going to run it? They don't look further than their noses. If someone showed me one that worked, then it might turn me a bit. I'd say, 'All right, that's the way to do it,' then turn the place upside down. But there isn't one. The system-smashing scene has been going on forever. What's it done? The Irish did it, the Russians did it and the French did it - and where has it got them? It's got them nowhere. It's the same old game. Who's going to run this smashing-up? Who's going to take over? It'll be the biggest smashers. They'll be the ones to get in first and they'll be the first to take over. I don't know what the answer is, but I think it's down to people. What I say in 'Revolution' - in all the versions - is 'change your head'. These people that are trying to change the world can't even get it all together. They're attacking and biting each others' faces, and all the time they're pushing the same way. And if they keep going on like that, it's going to kill it before it's even moved. It's silly to bitch about each other and be trivial. They've got to think in terms of at least the world or the universe, and stop thinking in terms of factories and one country. The point is that the Establishment doesn't really exist, and if it does exist, it's old people. The only people that want to change it are young, and they are going to beat the Establishment. If they want to smash it all down, and have to be labourers as well to build it up again, then that's what they're going to get. If they'd just realize the Establishment can't last forever. The only reason it has lasted forever is that the only way people have ever tried to change is by revolution. And the idea is just to move in on the scene, so they can take over the universities, do all the things that are practically feasable at the time. But not try to take over the state, or smash the state, or slow down the works. All they've got to do is get through and change it, because they will be it. If you think of the Establishment or whoever 'they are, the Blue Meanies, you've got to remember that they're the sick ones. And if you've got a sick child in the family you don't kick it out the door - you've got to try to look after it or extend a hand to it. So somewhere, along the line we've got to make a meeting point with whoever 'they are, because even amongst them there are some human beings. In fact they're all human, but there's some that even look like it and respond like it. So it's up to us, if we're the aware generation, to extend a hand to the retarded child, and not just kick it's teeth in because it happens to be a very big child. The only way to ensure a lasting peace of any kind is to change people's minds. There's no other way. The Government can do it with propaganda. Coca-Cola can do it with propaganda - why can't we? We are the hip generation. These left-winged people talk about giving the power to the people. That's nonsense - the people have the power. All we're trying to do is make people aware that they have the power themselves and the violent way of revolution doesn't justify the ends. All we're trying to say to people is to expose politicians and expose the people themselves who are hypocritical and sitting back and saying, 'Oh we can't do anything about it, it's up to somebody else. Give us the answer, John.' People have to organize. Students have to organize voting. We have to be the Monday Club, only in a different way.' They'll get a peaceful revolution now if they put as much effort into that. The marching protests, where have they got us? The Grosvenor Square marches against Vietnam - the whole news was violence, the result of the marches. CND were asking us: 'Well, what other ways can we promote peace? The marches seem to be going by the wind now and we have no result' So I was saying: 'You've got a lot of sexy birds in the CND. The Daily Mirror, the biggest newspaper in Britain, as some bikini'd bird in every day. So when it says: "PRETTY POLLY FOR PEACE" they'll stick it in so long as there's tits and arses on it. Promote peace any way - we've all got gimmicks in us.' Let them use sex for a change. ~

EVENTUALLY IT WILL HAPPEN... IT HAS TO HAPPEN. IT MIGHT HAPPEN NOW, OR IT MIGHT HAPPEN IN FIFTY OR A HUNDRED YEARS." ~ John Lennon

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