Catholic Answers article concerning Woodstock and John Lennon

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I was going to say something, but hashing over a festival that happened 50 years ago and a man who has been dead for 40 years and spent much of his adult life as a mentally fragile drug addict is beside the point.
I will just pray instead.
 
I’m split on Woodstock and Lennon. A radio station played the whole Woodstock concert last weekend for the anniversary and I liked most of the music, but the self indulgence such as the drugs, sex, nudity are the aspects I dislike. It was however peaceful with everyone looking out for their fellow human beings. When they were running out of food local residents collected food and had it helicoptered in, helicoptered because the roads were impassable with all the cars parked in the road. One local resident, explaining why they helped a bunch of outsiders, said the locals might be hicks but they know enough to follow the Bible where it says welcome the stranger.

As far as Lennon I like his music, more with The Beatles than solo, but I could never get over how he treated his first wife and their son. I haven’t thought about that for a long time though and just remember him for his music.
 
John Lennon started out well and did well with The Beatles. After the breakup, something happened and he sang terrible songs.

Anyway, Woodstock 2 was cancelled and I’m happy about that. The original was a mix of hedonism and profanity. At the time, it was interesting but not memorable as time passed.
 
Zach said:
I’m split on Woodstock and Lennon. A radio station played the whole Woodstock concert last weekend for the anniversary and I liked most of the music, but the self indulgence such as the drugs, sex, nudity are the aspects I dislike. It was however peaceful with everyone looking out for their fellow human beings. When they were running out of food local residents collected food and had it helicoptered in, helicoptered because the roads were impassable with all the cars parked in the road. One local resident, explaining why they helped a bunch of outsiders, said the locals might be hicks but they know enough to follow the Bible where it says welcome the stranger.

As far as Lennon I like his music, more with The Beatles than solo, but I could never get over how he treated his first wife and their son. I haven’t thought about that for a long time though and just remember him for his music.
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It was peaceful if you can overlook the three deaths, everyone “going to the bathroom” in the surrounding woods, etc.

 
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Woodstock was many different things to many different people. It was a turbulent time on our history. Many things coming together at one time.
But the fact that nearly 500,000 young people came together for a weekend of music is a tribute to the young people of the time. Most were good people looking for answers to tough questions. Those still living are grandparents now.
As for John Lennon, he and the rest of The Beatles were music geniuses. They changed the music scene.
 
I was around when Woodstock happened. It was for hedonists and Hippies. Yes, some normal people attended. It was a waste. Do you know how Hendrix died? Do you know how he started out? I had all of his albums and I got them as they came out. I would never buy the bootlegs which I saw on sale.
 
That is the five minute, mix and match version. There was only one Woodstock and only one impression of it. All of the music magazines published photos and articles at the time. Portions were shown on TV. Please don’t distort what is on the record.

It had NOTHING to do with answering any questions. It was just fans of the bands that were there to see them and hear their favorite songs. NOTHING more.
 
The thing about the Hendrix performance is that by the time he came on Monday morning most of the people were gone. He was given the option to play Sunday night but he wanted to play last. I agree that was the standout moment. It was one of the first times he played with his new band but they still sounded good.

Because I was a little kid at the time I wasn’t aware of all the politics surrounding the event and the time in general. So to me all these years later it’s a musical event more than anything, and not something to be praised as the culmination of the counter cultural movement or, on the other hand, as something to be condemned as a bunch of self indulgent hippies.
 
It should be condemned. It was supposed to be a music concert. That’s how it was billed at the time. Politics were attached external to it. Joni Mitchell wrote a song that was pagan and nihilist. It was later sung by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to drive home that message.

I came upon a child of God
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, where are you going
And this he told me
I’m going on down to Yasgur’s farm
I’m going to join in a rock ‘n’ roll band
I’m going to camp out on the land
I’m going to try an’ get my soul free
We are stardust
We are golden
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden

Then can I walk beside you
I have come here to lose the smog
And I feel to be a cog in something turning
Well maybe it is just the time of year
Or maybe it’s the time of man
I don’t know who l am
But you know life is for learning
We are stardust
We are golden
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden

By the time we got to Woodstock
We were half a million strong
And everywhere there was song and celebration
And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation
We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devil’s bargain
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden

Woodstock. Lyrics, performance, Joni Mitchell 1969
 
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If the song is “pagan and nihilist”, then why are you spreading its message by posting all the lyrics here? Someone might read them and be influenced to turn pagan.
 
In some ways, Woodstock was just a music festival. In other ways it was a definition of the late 60’s and a youth that was in flux and trying to understand a world where they could die in Vietnam but couldn’t vote for those that sent them there. It was a time where the establishment couldn’t be trusted. It was a time where drugs could expand your horizons and connect you closer to God (yes, many thought that). It was a time where the young didn’t just accept answers but wanted to know WHY!

You couldn’t really separate rock and roll from politics. The festival wound up defining my generation in many ways, good and bad. It’s an interesting event and like any gathering of humans, it wasn’t all peace and love but it was more of that than death and violence! Ed remembers three deaths…I don’t remember that but I remember there were three births!

I almost went to it but I was 17 and my parents forbade it. I wish I had gone but I understand my parents reluctance! I knew quite a few friends that went and all of them were and are glad they did. It was an experience of a lifetime!
 
Some see the world of nothing but negative things. They seem to hate everything. While others try to find the good in everything. I pray for those who have nothing good to say about anything. They need all of our prayers. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
 
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