Humanistic and Peace Values in John Lennon’s Solo Albums
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i1.9073Keywords:
Humanistic, John Lennon, Lyrics Analysis, Peace, Marc PilisukAbstract
This study analyzes the representation of humanistic and peace values in John Lennon’s solo albums through a qualitative descriptive approach focusing on lyrical analysis. Eight songs released between 1970 and 1980—Imagine, Give Peace a Chance, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), Mind Games, Love, Working Class Hero, Beautiful Boy, and Watching the Wheels—were selected for their consistent articulation of themes such as unity, compassion, equality, and critiques of social injustice. Guided by Marc Pilisuk’s peace theory, the analysis interprets Lennon’s lyrics as cultural texts that embody moral and philosophical ideals rather than mere political statements. Findings reveal that Lennon’s works function as artistic expressions and ethical reflections, encouraging audiences to envision a world free from conflict and grounded in empathy and solidarity. His songs bridge personal experiences with global concerns, offering meaningful contributions to literary studies and peace discourse. Ultimately, Lennon’s solo albums highlight the transformative role of music in promoting humanity, justice, and peaceful coexistence.
References
Ahamed Assistant Professor, S., & Toppo Assistant Professor, P. (2024). The Creative Launcher The Creative Launcher Exploring the Significance of Literature: A Humanistic Perspective. 13. https://doi.org/10.53032/issn.2455-6580
Andriamasy, A. (2023). Music as an Universal Language for Peacebuilding. Journal of Ethics in Higher Education, 2, 45–67. https://doi.org/10.26034/fr.jehe.2023.4022
Arsyad, A. (2016). The Significance of Peaceful Values in Global Perspective: Challenges and Hopes. TSAQAFAH, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.21111/tsaqafah.v12i2.762
Barradas, G. T., & Sakka, L. S. (2022). When words matter: A cross-cultural perspective on lyrics and their relationship to musical emotions. Psychology of Music, 50(2), 650–669. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356211013390
Dahal, A. (2021). Anti-War Messages in the Songs of John Lennon. JODEM: Journal of Language and Literature, 12(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3126/jodem.v12i1.38709
Denecke, W. (2021). Comparative global humanities now. Journal of World Literature, 6(4), 479–508. https://doi.org/10.1163/24056480-20210004
Dwi Andriani, A., Maharani Sadikin, D., & Author, C. (2024). Contruction of the Meaning of the Song Imagine Jhon Lennon’s as a Media for Social Critism Communication for John Lennon Fans. International Journal of Law Analytics (IJLA), 2(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.59890/ijla.v2i1.1137
Hintjens, H., & Ubaldo, R. (2019). Music, Violence, and Peace-Building. Peace Review, 31(3), 279–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402659.2020.1735163
Jaelani, A., Nuraeni, N., Perdana Prasetya, E., Juraboev, S., Ayu Fadhilah, A., Dwi Rizky, I., & Monalisa, M. (2023). UNRAVELLING THE VISION OF PEACE AND UNITY A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF JOHN LENNON’S IMAGINE. ENGLISH JOURNAL, 17(2), 113–125. https://doi.org/10.32832/english.v17i2.15150
Komatović, N. (2024). “Get back” to where you might belong unveiling the Beatles: Knowledge of music theory. Zbornik Akademije Umetnosti, 12, 46–64. https://doi.org/10.5937/zbaku2412046k
Linden, P. (2016). Insistency: A New Methodology for Lyrical Analysis.
Mitchell, J. (2016). In search of peace: Public humanities and the face in creative arts. University of Toronto Quarterly, 85(4), 12–32. https://doi.org/10.3138/utq.85.4.12
Mutiah Ulfha, S., Lutfiah, S., Adawiyah, R., & Anwar, S. (2023). Indonesian Journal of Multidisciplinary Scientific Studies (IJOMSS) Critical Discourse Analysis of Imagine by John Lennon: An Iconic Song. https://ojs.staira.ac.id/index.php/IJOMSS/index
Oesterdiekhoff, G. (2023). Perspectives of Humanism in a Globalized World. Qeios. https://doi.org/10.32388/kica88
O’Gorman, E., Van Dooren, T., Münster, U., Adamson, J., Mauch, C., Sörlin, S., Armiero, M., Lindström, K., Houston, D., Jospádua, A., Rigby, K., Jones, O., Motion, J., Muecke, S., Chang, C. J., Lu, S., Jones, C., Green, L., Matose, F., … Jørgensen, D. (2019). Teaching the Environmental Humanities International Perspectives and Practices. Environmental Humanities, 11(2), 427–460. https://doi.org/10.1215/22011919-7754545
Paudel, J. (2025). Ensuring Inclusive and Equitable Access to Quality Education for the Survival of Humanity and Development of Global Peace. DELHI BUSINESS REVIEW, 25(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.51768/dbr.v25i2.252202401
Ramadhana, F., & Heriyati, N. (2025). The Role of Popular Music Lyrics in Shaping Youth Identity: A Critical Discourse Analysis. Jurnal Cendekia Ilmiah, 4(6).
Rosa Nasution, A. (2017). Terrorism and the Crime of ISIS as a Crime Against Humanity in the Perspective of International Law and Human Rights. http://www.cfr.org/terrorism-and-the-law/league-nations-convention-prevention-punishment-
Rosa Nasution, A. (2018). Acts of terrorism as a crime against humanity in the aspect Of law and human rights.
Tomenchuk, M., & Foluchka, A. (2024). A VISION OF PEACE AND HUMANISM IN MODERN MUSIC. Věda a Perspektivy, 11(42). https://doi.org/10.52058/2695-1592-2024-11(42)-208-215
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Marvino Diaz Athalah, Hafiz Arfansyah, Euis Meinawati

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access)
