A new documentary has revealed video showing John Lennon, legendary Beatles member and one of the most influential musicians of all time, insisting he was not worried about getting shot.
The eerie footage was filmed years before his murder by gunshot.
The film titled One to One: John & Yoko focuses initially on the band mixing music with political activism in the 1970s.
In one particular scene, Lennon is speaking on the telephone with drummer Jim Keltner about the risks of engaging in such activity, especially during a period of tense political activity in America.
Keltner asked Lennon if he was experiencing “any paranoia” about people before the band embarked on the Free the People Tour.
His comments are chilling with the benefit of hindsight.
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John Lennon Says He’s Not Going To Get Shot
In the new documentary, John Lennon quickly dismisses the notion that he might be worried about people overreacting to the band’s activism at the time.
“What people? … You mean people trying to kill us or something like that? I’m not about to get myself shot,” he tells Keltner.
“It’ll cause excitement in its own way. But, er, you know, I’m still an artist, but a revolutionary artist, right?”
In later scenes, however, Lennon admits that the band is “all very nervous” after the group noticed people outside the apartment and had spotted a vehicle following them.
The Beatles icon notes that his driver is an “ex-cop” but still conveys the band has grown uneasy over the scene.
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Tragically Gunned Down 8 Years Later
The world was shaken by the murder of John Lennon just eight years after this video footage.
Mark David Chapman, a former Beatles fan, fatally wounded Lennon with four shots from a .38-caliber revolver outside his New York City apartment, the Dakota. Lennon had signed an autograph for Chapman hours earlier.
Lennon was taken by a police car to Manhattan’s Roosevelt Hospital within 10 minutes, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Chapman was driven by a mix of personal envy and disillusionment with the Beatles member’s public statements and lifestyle. He remains incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility to this day.
Lennon’s death was not just the loss of a musical icon but symbolized an attack on the ideals of peace and love he championed. The global reaction, which still resonates nearly 45 years later, underscored his profound impact on music and culture.
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