John Lennon Question

Perhaps this:

1968 Nov 5, U.S. presidential election In one of the closest elections in US history, Republican challenger Richard M. Nixon defeats Vice President Hubert Humphrey and American Independent Party candidate George C. Wallace.

Or this:
1970, Nov 5, Vietnam War: United States Military Assistance Command in Vietnam reports the lowest weekly American soldier death toll in five years (24 soldiers died that week, which was the fifth consecutive week the death toll was below 50 ; 431 were reported wounded that week, however).

Or perhaps since Lennon is British:
1605, November 5, a plot by Guy Fawkes involved a desperate but failed attempt by a group of provincial English Catholics to kill King James I of England, his family, and most of the Protestant aristocracy in one fell swoop by blowing up the Houses of Parliament during the state opening.

The conspirators had become disillusioned by James's failure to give equal rights to Catholics. The plot was intended to spark a rebellion during which, they hoped, James's daughter Elizabeth would be installed as a Catholic head of state.

On the night of November 5th, throughout Britain, bonfires are set alight, effigies are burned, and fireworks are set off. The people do this to commemorate their country's most notorious traitor: Guy Fawkes.

A penny for the old Guy. As the saying goes. A traitor is a bit imprecise.

Guy Fawkes is right!

Thanks all for your responses. I always feel a little silly when I enjoy a piece of music while knowingly being ignorant of an important part of it.

I did a quick Google search and found that there are quite a few traditional English rhymes that sound similar to the following:

Please to remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.
We know no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

The phrasing of the rhymes are similar enough to that which Lennon uses that I would agree with the Guy Fawkes explanataion.

Thanks again!

Niravp - You shouldn't feel silly if you don't know what the lyrics mean. I have albums I love where I don't even know WHAT language it's in. And I don't care! I have other (English) albums that the vocal is just a melody and I have no idea what the lyrics are. I'm just happy when it all goes together "right" and it's enjoyable.

Sorry guys...you are all off on this one! It refers to the date his mother was killed in a car accident. The whole album is a statement which comes from his primal scream therapy where he recalls all of his life's traumas.
Steve

Google says accidental death for Julia Lennon is July 15. I had checked this before my post.

Please see below, copied and pasted:

John's mother, Julia, was a slim, attractive, unconventional lady. She was born on 12 March 1914 and met John's father in Sefton Park when she was fourteen. Fred Lennon was wearing a bowler hat that was unceremoniously thrown into a nearby lake when Julia commented that it made him look stupid.

They were married against the wishes of Julia's father on 3 December 1938 and spent their honeymoon at the local cinema! The day after the wedding Julia went back to her parents' home and Freddie sailed for the West Indies working as a steward.

John was to be their only child. However, Julia became pregnant by a soldier when John was four. Her strict father was furious and insisted that she have the baby adopted or leave the house. It was suggested that her childless sister, Mimi, adopt the new baby but Mimi refused to bring up an illegitimate child. The baby, Victoria Elizabeth, was born on 19 June 1945 and was adopted by a Norwegian family - she was never seen again.

Freddie spent most of the war years at sea and Julia moved in with another man, John Dykins, and the couple settled down whilst John was left in Mimi's care. Julia had two children with Dykins; Julia, born 5 March 1947 and Jacqui, born 26 October 1949.

Julia was to influence John greatly in his interest and ability in music. A keen banjo player she taught John to play 'That'll Be The Day' on banjo. Her musical abilities were to impress the young Paul McCartney too.

JULIA DIED ON 15 JULY 1958. When she was in collision with a car. She had just been to visit John at Mimi's and it was as she crossed a dual carriageway after the visit that she was struck by a car and killed instantly. The driver of the car, an off-duty policeman, was taken to court and acquitted.

This was an event that was to effect John greatly in later life and he penned several songs in tribute to his mother: 'Julia', 'Mother' and 'My Mummy's Dead'.

Adapted from Bill Harry's 'The Beatles Encyclopedia', published by Virgin Publications.