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People are saying, "Isn't there more to do than just imagining peace?" But look what's happening now. Think about it, even on a logical level, when you are imagining peace, you can't be angry or you can't be violent. I think [the idea] "Imagine Peace" is pretty strong. -Yoko Ono |
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JamBase: You enjoy remixing and having others remix your songs, and collaborating with different musicians on projects. What drives this collaborative spirit?
Yoko Ono: I like the idea of so many people remixing "Oh No" because I think the song itself is so strong, and it can take so many different kinds of mixes. I'm an experimental artist. At the start, I was an avant-garde artist, so I've always liked the idea of experimenting.
JamBase: During your entire career you have encouraged your patrons to take part in the experience, for example the "Painting to be Stepped On" or the "Cut Piece".
 Yoko Ono |
Yoko Ono: Yeah, exactly. Boy, it's amazing you knew that [laughs].
[Laughs] Well, I've been doing a lot of research.
It's amazing you know anything about us [laughs]!
A lot of your work I discovered while I was in college, and I'm jumping the gun here a bit with my questions, but I remember listening to John Lennon's Live in New York City and hearing "Woman is the Nigger of the World" for the first time and being absolutely floored. It's such a powerful song. Then I found out that song was based on something you said in an interview.
Some people think, "Oh my god, what did she do?" They get very upset about it, even now.
Even today, it's still a very shocking thing, but the way that the song is written and performed by John, I feel like it's a love song.
Yes, it is, isn't, it?
[Here is a live performance of the song and further background on the tune.]
JamBase: You first said that statement in the 1960s. Is it still true today?
Yoko Ono: I think it's still true. A lot of things are still not right and not just.
Besides feminism, what are the themes of your new music?
I'm getting more and more political now. Well, that's not quite correct, because I've always been political in a way, but right now that is where my emphasis is because it's an age where you really need to try and change the world.
It seems like you caused John to become more political in his work.
 John & Yoko |
Well he was always political. He had that side to him but he couldn't bring it out when he was in the band, you know?
You've had the chance to work with many of the most influential musicians of the past 50 years, and your own music has transcended many different genres. Who have been your best teachers, and what have they taught you?
Well, I don't know, I think that the whole planet is my teacher. I was always just doing my own thing in a way. I don't feel like I specifically learned something from anybody.
It seems critically and commercially, the music world has finally caught up with you.
I don't know, maybe they think that there's something going on.
It's remarkable really, the success you've had in the past year on the dance charts.
I know, I'm surprised, too.
Was this something that you expected 20 years ago? Did these songs sound like this inside your mind or has it been a new process to adapt them?
I was just doing paperwork in my head. I was just making songs. I didn't think that they would ever be accepted.
Do you think the old meaning of pop music has faded, or has alternative music become the new mainstream?
Yeah, alternative music is IT. Indie music is IT, and never was before, you know? I was the first indie music [laughs].
I think you were the first indie rocker, the first punk and maybe the first electronic artist, too.
 Yoko Ono |
But the thing is no one really knows that. Isn't that funny?
It's almost like you and many other artists were kind of paving the way, pushing open the door to music that the commercial music press resisted.
It's so interesting to stretch the horizon of what you can do. It's very important, or shall we say that I feel that if you are not doing that, what are you doing?
What's the point if you aren't inspiring change?
Exactly.
Is electronic music the new rock 'n' roll, in terms of it being the voice of the young against the establishment?
Yeah, well, it's very important always. It's good for the establishment to be pushed. They start to get more aware.
How does music affect politics today? Does it have the social impact it once did?
It's starting to have more impact. It's working very slowly. What is happening in the world is unheard of. We never had this kind of situation. It's really on a very big level that the war machine is working, so in order to try and make peace in the world in this type of situation it doesn't happen in one day.
In one of the clips on your MySpace page you say that we need more people working in the peace industry.
We need more people in the peace industry, yes. We need to keep enlarging the peace industry to the point that the war industry is finished.
You would think that as humans we would rather do something to help humanity rather than hurt humanity.
 Yoko Ono |
I just can't believe that some people are willing to hurt humanity [but] for what reason?
I suppose it's for greed, power and money. I would hope that as a planet we turn that around so that people are motivated for peace.
The money doesn't help most people. Most of the people are getting poorer and poorer, because they are using all the money for war. It's a very strange situation.
What is the state of the peace movement now? How does it compare to the 1960s and 1970s?
In those days we were waving flags, so it was clear that something was going on. But now, I think people are doing it in a different way. They are not waving flags, but they really visualizing peace, and I think it's going to work out.
Your message of "Imagine Peace" is inspirational and relatively easy for individuals to practice.
People are saying, "Isn't there more to do than just imagining peace?" But look what's happening now. Think about it, even on a logical level, when you are imagining peace, you can't be angry or you can't be violent. I think [the idea] "Imagine Peace" is pretty strong.
If everyone just took the time for a little meditation each day...
Exactly. Also, you can't be sad or resentful or attacking somebody when you are just imagining peace.
Has consumerism been employed to distract us?
We are just being entertained to hell. It's a sad situation.
Describe the differences that you see in personal liberties in the United States in the 2000's with George Bush, compared to the 1970s under Richard Nixon.
Anyone can try [to take our personal liberties away] but it's not going to happen because thoughts are really inside us, and they can't control our thoughts.
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