The Newlyweds (1969)

 This interview was published in the July 1981 issue of "With a Little Help From My Friends".  It was taken from a 1969 Brazilian magazine and Cassia Maria do Valle translated it from Portuguese into English for them.  

    On the third day, my photographer and I, along with other journalists, were together, hoping the couple would appear. The direction of the hotel had prohibited the journalists from going in any of their rooms. After spending the whole day in the cold without result, we went out to dinner but left a note with the receptionist, saying, "Dear John and Yoko, we hope you are at peace and calm. We are two Brazilian journalists who would like to take some photos of you, and if possible, get an interview. We hope you can help us. PS. We are looking forward to an answer tomorrow at three o'clock at the reception. OK ." We put the note in an envelope that we designed with a flower, and put their names on it. 

    On the fourth day, at three o'clock, we were at the Plaza waiting for an answer. Of course, there wasn't any message from John. We decided to win by insisting. Finally, after the 10th note, it was 5:30pm and Lennon decided to talk to us, but by using the telephone. 

"Hello, good afternoon."

 "Hello. John. Lennon?"

 "Yes, I am."

 " Did you receive our notes? Can we please take photos and talk a little bit to you? We've been waiting for four days. "

  "Well, I think that okay. It's okay. Please give us 15 minutes, because we've just finished having lunch. You can come ."

    After we rang the bell, the door opened immediately, with Yoko's smile and John's voice coming from inside. 

John:  Come in, hi. Is there enough light to photograph?

     Yoko sat down with her hair almost covering her face. Her sight was tranquil. John remained standing and soon began to speak.

" I don't think it's natural that people worry about our wedding as if it was the most strange event that happened in the world. Lately, there's nothing more natural than two people getting married when they really love each other. Above everything else, it's an act of mutual trust. The wedding only concerns the two persons who are involved in it.

     When I talk about love between Yoko and me, I want to say that it reaches everything we do, everything that surrounds us. Believe me, it's not the fact that we say it exists. In fact, it really exists."

 Yoko: The wedding changes people who are involved in it. It happened to me for the two times I got married previously, and the same happened here when I married John, He is above any obligation with a society so much full of errors. If something superior that only concerns us, paradoxically, if our wedding interests the world, it's not for the simple fact that one of the Beatles got married for the second time, but because a man tries for the second time to find one reason to live, a reason we can get through-- love.

 John:  Some journalists insinuated, as soon as we started living together, Yoko and me, that the misunderstanding between the Beatles increased day by day. That soon we would split up and point out examples of this. Some business is common that is undone. Paul, George, Ringo, and I are as united as we were at the beginning of the Beatles as a musical group. Everybody knows we've changed since then. Everybody must know we are conscious of this. We know the group's influence on the youth all over the world. Yoko has nothing to do with our relationship, which remains the same.

     Don't worry, the Beatles will live on for a long time, still under other forms different from today, perhaps because everything evolves, but they'll never disappear. The most important thing to say is that each one of us, as all men, is different from another. Like this: if Paul is a more agnostic cynic in his way of facing the world, it doesn't mean we won't talk anymore. Life will show who has reason. 

Yoko:  John's activities were multiplied when we decided to live together; now his songs are done with me, too. We made a film where we, both were directors and John started writing the film. We did. There are camera captures, everything, showing our accusers.

 John shows Two Virgins to the reporters. "The record will be released on May 2, but I want to release another one. I'll still work with the Beatles this year on another album. We like to work together. Since we stopped touring, we allow ourselves a series of necessities which for a long time were hidden by manifesting inside us. Paul made short films with Ringo. George studied Oriental music and I wrote two books and acted in a film with Richard Lester, How I Won the War. From each of these experiences, we brought something new to our work in the group. But as the independence in each one of us increases, the necessity of expanding the strength of creation is even stronger, and we feel something like exploding. Each one of us does it the right way, right? The Beatles will always live on as an organization. 

    Do you know why we might do something for the youth, for peace in the world? Tomorrow, we'll take off to Amsterdam, where we'll take part in many public displays for peace in the world. Yoko and I are thinking of continuing to take part in these movements for peace until everyone realizes we've never talked more seriously in our lives. What happened is that people who participate against the system nowadays run the risk of feeling very depressed, but I think this kind of fighting doesn't allow us to be happy. I'd rather always be a lad who arrived in a part and cheers up only with his presence. 

Yoko: John and I know the risks we're running. We know the enemies think we're two lunatics, but at the moment, they realize we really won't fight them. We are really sure they'll try everything, even violent methods. John and I know we run the risk of being shot. 

John: This has happened with all people who spoke of peace in the world, the Kennedys, Martin Luther King, Gandhi. We won't do anything political, but a movement much wider will count with all young people all over the world. Peace is necessary for man's survival in natural conditions. Few people have been truly living in our lives. So much is confused. We've got the responsibility of discovering new ways. This is the right time to assume the direction of the Yellow Submarine.

 John and Yoko don't show any preoccupation with the future. They want to take part in the fight against war, against mankind's enemies.

 John:  The enemies?  There are many. There are powerful, and they are everywhere where more than three men are living. They're in the air. They're in the Spirit. The enemies want to destroy the possibility of men finding peace and tranquility necessary to survive. It is necessary that people believe we want to be against war, but is not war that will solve problems. It's not war that will bring peace to men. It's necessary that men believe in the possibility of peace without war, a permanent peace. Because of this, they can be calm concerning the Beatles' future. We'll keep on together because we know that's the way we've got to show we have a way to follow, an existence to live.

     John stood up and said he and Yoko wanted to go out. Asked if we can go to Amsterdam. If possible, we can meet them at the Hilton Hotel. We go downstairs in the elevator in silence. At the door, they say goodbye, adding "See you soon." They ask the doorman if there is a taxi for them.

     From this moment, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, are not only interested in composing pop music. As a well-behaved couple, many things have changed in the man's head. 

    Yoko:  John and I stayed in bed without getting up for a week to protest against war all over the world. We liked that all the young people would follow us in our protest. 

    John was on his honeymoon with Yoko at the Hilton in Amsterdam. In the bedroom were fruits, records, tape recorders, boxes of chocolates. In a corner, wearing white dressing gowns, the couple talks to journalist.

     John, who speaks kindly. "You all must understand that our ambition is only to leave an example of living." He lights a cigarette. "When I'm tired. I'd rather smoke than drink whiskey. It's proven that alcohol is harmful to the system, while tobacco, whatever it is, doesn't interfere. Besides, there are no hangovers!"

 John and Yoko separate only when the tea hour comes. The new Mrs. Lennon gets out of bed and goes to a small kitchen in the next room. Commenting, "Yesterday, John and I finished up a series of paintings, one of our new projects we've just begun. Later on, we'll write a book of poetry."

 Soon, in a week, John will be back in London to complete an album with The Beatles. 

John:  Do you think I'm changing ? The young people who are against the old and the structure you represent today will be the old of tomorrow. It's necessary to change every day, and above everything, to get rid of society. And the Beatles?  They will live forever, even in another society, in another system. We are everywhere, even in the air.

 And John, holding Yoko, exhales the smoke of an exotic cigarette.