Bono, Yoko The Edge and Me at the John Lennon Tapestry and Inaugural Day Ellis Island July 2015

July 29th 2015

Ellis Island Yoko, Bono and Me.

John Munnelly with Bono, The Edge and Yoko

I was invited to Ellis Island as a guest of Art for Amnesty International  to participate in an event to inaugurate John Lennon Day and the unveiling of a 'Thank You' Tapestry to Yoko Ono for her donation of the rights to John Lennon's music to Amnesty International.

Bono and Yoko spoke about being an immigrant and specifically about John Lennon's struggle with the powers that wanted to deny him an Immigrant Visa - a Green Card into America. 

Bono claimed all the Beatles as Irish-  it was a fun and humorous speech. Later they unveiled what might be described as a Yellow Submarine crossed with Manhattan-Whale Tapestry in the Registry Hall of Ellis Island. Lennon appears on the top of the commissioned Artwork holding a peace V sign.

Because I am a social justice singer, an Irish immigrant who sought a green card and also a musician/song-writer I felt connected to this events theme and participants. I'm just a wee bit less well known right now.

And also as a Songwriter-Artist I feel a connection with John Lennon not only because I love his writing but because of a very vivid dream I once had. In the dream (it felt mucho real) John Lennon sang a song to me called "All I want is Everything". I tried to later recapture the feeling of this experience when I woke up.

Yoko said -

"he is here he is still here"-  

through his words at least... and Bono mentioned that during the 1970's Lennon whispered in his ear "to dare" ...dare to love and to dare to make music.

 "Dare to give peace a chance. Will we?"

“They let him stay, and he is still here. Yoko, he is still here,”

 said Bono.

Give Peace a chance:

One unifying theme yesterday was PEACE as still relevant today -  and the care for the massive amount of displaced migrants  especially Syrian - as the MC said -

 "Imagine for a minute you had to leave your home involuntarily."

 It struck a chord with me:

We are all wayfarers, visitors and in some way immigrants through an impermanent world.

DREAM Songs with John Lennon
I also as a Songwriter-Artist feel a connection with John Lennon not only because I love his writing but because of a very vivid dream I once had. In the dream (it felt mucho real) John Lennon sang a song to me called "All I want is Everything". I tried to later recapture the feeling of this experience when I woke up 

Who knows whether I met the real Lennon or I dreamed him all up (cause its a dream!) but I had some sort of experience of  watching him sing live, a song that was titled "All I want is Everything". I said to myself while inside in the dream- I wouldn't have thought of that title.
Of course! I wanted to write that song down and in the dream I recalled making a 'note to self' - you'd better remember this! So I did.

All I want is everything

I met John Lennon in my dream, the story I will share
he looked like he always did, glasses,  combat­-jacket, hair.
I met John Lennon in a dream I felt so aware
he sang “All I want is everything” maybe he was really there.

Lennon talked with me about his life, we hung out had some fun;
he laughed about the book I’d read, about things he might have done.

All I want is everything Lennon sang to me
All I want is everything, in the capo’d key of G 
All I want is everything to be what we can be
All I want is everything
Scoffed at his biography pointing from eternity

While I dozed can you believe a Beatle sang for me
he rocked his band and I wished I owned his red Gibson SG
I saw John Lennon play guitar I was real close to the stage
he was cool, so rock 'n' roll, he hadn't seemed to age

He talked to me about his life he talked we had some fun
he laughed about the book I’d read and the things he might have done

He mocked and said something about Sunderland! as he pointed to a page
I got to see him it was great to see him alive upon a stage
Before I woke I made a note to recall the capo and the key
half asleep I grabbed a pen I wrote into my diary

All I want is everything Lennon sang to me all I want is everything, in the capo’d key of G
All I want is everything Lennon sang to me laughed at his biography pointing from eternity


All I want All I want All I want All I want



by John Munnelly (c) 2013
All Rights Reserved