“Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple)”: John Lennon’s protest song

As determined fighters for civil rights and determined opponents of the Vietnam War The Beatles were collectively associated with the countercultural activism of the 1960s, which increasingly challenged the establishment to bring about social change. Of course, their political views were evident in their songs, but of the four writers, it was perhaps John Lennon who was most involved in the movement and became a staunch advocate of peace as the 1970s approached.

The one-week “Bed-In for PeaceHe performed with his new wife Yoko Ono in Amsterdam as their honeymoon in March 1969 was a pacifist protest – the pleading anthem “Give peace a chance” was recorded at their second bed-in in Montreal in June – but as the Vietnam War raged on, John and Yoko felt the need for more action. When Lennon and Ono moved to New York in August 1971, they immediately found themselves in like-minded company. “I’ll tell you what literally happened,” Lennon said Rolling Stone 1975. “I got off the boat, only it was a plane, and landed in New York, and the first people to contact me were Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman. It’s that simple. And before you know it, I’m doing benefits for John Sinclair and stuff like that.”

Order John Lennon’s Mind Games – Ultimate Collection.

Protests and problems

On his June 1972 album, Lennon went even further, Some time in New York Citya communiqué full of songs that raised awareness of political issues such as prisoners’ rights, feminism, Northern Irish independence, police corruption and the Black Panthers.

Some time in New York City met with mixed reviews upon its release. By early 1973, Lennon was feeling under attack; his popularity was declining, he was under FBI surveillance, U.S. immigration authorities were denying him citizenship, and Nixon was overwhelmingly re-elected. The pressure was taking its toll. Lennon’s next move was about how to stay out of trouble.

Playing mind games

The roots of his subsequent album, Mind gamesbegan in the spring of 1973, when Yoko Feel the spaceThe album was recorded at the Record Plant Studio in New York. Impressed and inspired by the session musicians gathered there, Lennon wanted to use the band and the studio for his own purposes. He then began composing new material and recording demos with which he hoped to win back his fans.

In a return to the introspective studies that dominated his 1971 hit album IntroduceLennon gave the songs a far more personal than political impact. The dominant theme was his devotion to Yoko – as evident in “Out The Blue”, “Intuition” and “You Are Here” – but there were also feelings of regret, in songs like “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)” and “I Know (I Know)”.

Free the people

Although the majority of Mind games While it had been conceived in a brief writing phase, there was still a remnant from the past that Lennon wanted to revive. In 1971, Lennon bought a National resonator guitar and, using the instrument’s distinctive acoustic sound, composed a simple, repetitive three-chord refrain of “Free the people,” which he turned into a song for release on Some time in New York Citybut was not completed on time.

He continued working on the song until it was ready for the Mind games Sessions, by which time it had developed into a song that was just as biting as the rest of Some time in New York Cityand served as the conclusion to Lennon’s practice of mixing politics and music. He called it “Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple).”

Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple)

“Bring On The Lucie” builds the entire song around the same three chords and relies on a funky groove to effectively convey the song’s power without getting in the way of its direct message, so it took some capable hands in the studio to drive the score forward.

Gordon Edwards’ lively bass jumps and pops around the spirited beat and rolling fills of drummers Rick Marotta and Jim Keltner, creating a danceable groove counterpoint to Lennon’s biting vocals. Ken Ascher’s keyboards are subtle in the mix, while David Spinozza contributes quaking guitars.

The most striking musical feature of “Bring On The Lucie,” however, is the chiming pedal steel guitar of former Flying Burrito Brother “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow. The plaintive repetition throughout the song is soothing yet disarming, underscoring the narrative’s point.

Lennon’s lyrics

“Bring On The Lucie” almost acts as a bridge between Lennon’s transition from public activist back to private artist. It continues Lennon’s anti-war agenda and takes direct aim at Richard Nixon. The song was written during his struggle with the US government and is an attack on the people who threatened to destroy him.

“We don’t care what flag you wave / We don’t even want to know your name,” Lennon begins, “We don’t care where you came from or where you’re going / All we know is that you came.” You can sense his own resignation here – beleaguered by his struggles, he seems to be moving away from targeting his real enemy and instead turning to warmongers in general. Rather than persecuting and killing his citizens, he advises, “That’s something you better do,” and in the chorus he offers them the conciliatory solution: “Free the people.” This line can be taken as a general sentiment, but it wasn’t just a simple slogan: the song specifically refers to plans to release prisoners who couldn’t afford bail. (John, Yoko and Jerry Rubin once planned to tour as the Rock Liberation Front.)

Lennon leads this sweeping call to action, warning that people power is ready to rise. “Your time is up,” he sneers, “you should know better.”

The influence of the song

Lennon rarely addressed politics in his music for the rest of his life, but the impact of this protest song is still felt. Folk singer Julie Felix covered the song in 1980, as did former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft in 2021. The Charlatans, in turn, credit “Bring On The Lucie” with the direct influence that can be heard in two of their 1995 songs: “Just Lookin’,” which borrows Lennon’s lyrical melody, and “Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over,” whose title and eager acoustic sounds are lifted directly from “Lucie.”

Heard in the credits of the 2006 film Children of menA cautionary tale set in a dystopian future, “Bring On The Lucie” is a testament to John Lennon’s ongoing commitment to social justice and his belief in the power of music to create change. The song remains a powerful expression of Lennon’s political philosophy and continues to resonate with listeners who share his vision of a more just and equal world.

Order John Lennon’s Mind Games – Ultimate Collection.