M.I.A. Once Attacked John Lennon’s ‘Give Peace a Chance’

M.I.A. once said she got sick of the message of John Lennon‘s “Give Peace a Chance.” In the same interview, she also had something to say about Bono of U2. Regardless of what M.I.A. had to say, “Give Peace a Chance” was successful in her native United Kingdom.

M.I.A. flipped the lyrics of John Lennon’s ‘Give Peace a Chance’ on their head

In 2009, M.I.A. appeared at the Grammys to draw attention to the Sri Lankan Civil War. During a 2010 interview with The New York Times Magazine, M.I.A. discussed this decision. “The whole point of going to the Grammys was to say, ‘Hey, 50,000 people are gonna die next month, and here’s your opportunity to help,'” she recalled. “And no one did.”

Subsequently, M.I.A. commented on two of the most famous musicians who were also peace activists: Bono and John. “I wasn’t trying to be like Bono,” she said. “He’s not from Africa — I’m from there. I’m tired of pop stars who say, ‘Give peace a chance.’ I’d rather say, ‘Give war a chance.'”

M.I.A. said she wanted to be an outsider and liked a show about terrorism

M.I.A. made some comments about terrorism. “I kind of want to be an outsider,” he said. “I don’t want to make the same music, sing about the same stuff, talk about the same things. If that makes me a terrorist, then I’m a terrorist.”

M.I.A. thought there was humor to be found in terrorism or, at least, fictional terrorism. “America also has no sense of humor,” she opined. “There’s this show in England about kids who want to be terrorists. It’s brilliant! The kids are buying Ajax to make bombs and trying to think of new ways to do suicide bombings. It’s really, really cool.” The rapper did not name the show that she liked so much.

How John Lennon’s ‘Give Peace a Chance’ performed on the pop charts

“Give Peace a Chance” became John’s first single without The Beatles. It was a modest hit for the Plastic Ono Band. “Give Peace a Chance” reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remained on the chart for nine weeks. The tune appeared on the compilation album Shaved Fish. The compilation reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the chart for a total of 32 weeks.

According to The Official Charts Company, “Give Peace a Chance” peaked at No. 2 in the United Kingdom and stayed on the chart for 18 weeks altogether. In addition, The Official Charts Company says Shaved Fish reached No. 8 in the U.K. and stayed on the chart for 29 weeks.

The song has continued relevance in the modern era. Lana Del Rey quoted the lyrics of “Give Peace a Chance” in her song “Say Yes to Heaven.” She recontextualized John’s title to refer to a romantic relationship. “Say Yes to Heaven” is one of several Del Rey tunes that reference John and his music.

“Give Peace a Chance” is a classic protest song even if M.I.A. wasn’t a fan of its message.

How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 to speak with a trained crisis counselor at the free Crisis Text Line.