Bob Dylan Wrote a Letter to the U.S. Government in Support of John Lennon
In the 1970s, the Nixon administration attempted to deport John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and Bob Dylan was among those who spoke out in their defense. Lennon and Ono had spoken out about the U.S. president and the war in Vietnam. In response, the administration initiated deportation proceedings. Dylan wrote a letter arguing that they should be allowed to stay.
The former Beatle faced deportation in the 1970s
In 1972, Nixon was up for reelection, and Lennon and Ono were aggravating him. They sang “Give Peace a Chance” at anti-war rallies and organized “Bed-ins for Peace.” The Nixon administration responded by ordering the couple deported. They argued that because he pleaded guilty to cannabis possession in 1968, he could not remain in the country.
Lennon understood that the move was a political play.
“Sure, the law exists,” he told Rolling Stone in 1975. “And so do all the Nazis here and the drug dealers that are not American born and all the killers that are allowed in here. They’re still pretending that they’re doing it on the strict letter of the law.”
Bob Dylan wrote a letter in support of John Lennon
A number of musicians spoke out in support of Lennon and Ono. Dylan was a vocal supporter of the couple, and he wrote a letter to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. At the top of the page, Dylan wrote, “JUSTICE for John and Yoko!”
“John and Yoko add great voice and drive to this country’s so called ART INSTITUTION,” he wrote, per the Lennon FBI Files. “They inspire and transcend and stimulate and by doing so, only can help others to see pure light and in doing that, put an end to this mild dull taste of petty commercialism which is being passed off as Artist Art by the overpowering mass-media.”
Dylan concluded his letter by noting that there was plenty of room for them in the United States.
“Hurray for John & Yoko. Let them stay and live here and breathe,” he wrote. “The country’s got plenty of room and space. Let John and Yoko stay!”
Ultimately, the letter from Dylan did little to change any minds. Lennon had to fight the deportation proceedings until 1975.
Bob Dylan was an early inspiration for John Lennon
Lennon first became aware of Dylan in the early days of The Beatles, and he was a fan of his music.
In an article in Melody Maker called “BEATLES SAY — DYLAN SHOWS THE WAY,” the author, Ray Coleman, noted that “Two Beatles particularly go for Dylan in a big way. Harrison has all his LPs and plays them regularly and Lennon admires him too.”
Lennon didn’t necessarily think that Dylan would be as big as The Beatles, but he predicted the American artist would be a success.
“The first time you hear Dylan you think you’re the first to discover him,” he said, per the book No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan by Robert Shelton. “But quite a lot of people have discovered him before us … I think Bob Dylan’s music will grow steadily in this country, but I can’t see him becoming the new craze.”
