“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” was written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, based on an anti-war campaign the couple had created in 1969 in response to the Vietnam War. Billboards in major cities around the world read, “WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) – Happy Christmas from John and Yoko.”

Two years later, the fleshed-out song was recorded in New York, co-produced by Phil Spector (who’d produced Lennon’s “Instant Karma” single and, somewhat infamously, shaped the Beatles’ Let It Be album). Kids from The Harlem Community Choir were called in to sing the “War Is Over” chorus.

In 2005, Boy George and Antony Hegarty (of Antony & The Johnsons) contributed a cover of “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” to the War Child charity album, Help: A Day In The Life. The disc featured British artists who’d recorded new tracks in one 24-hour period prior to the set being made available for download on the War Child website. Coldplay, Radiohead, Keane, and Kaiser Chiefs also participated.

The message of “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” is a simple yet powerful one, and though George and Antony’s version sports an orchestra, it’s more intimate than the Lennon/Ono original. While the absence of Spector immediately tilts things that way, George and Antony possess such original voices that it’s as if both are singing directly to every individual listener. In their hands, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” becomes a very personal plea. Hear here:

Purchase George and Antony’s cover of “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” via iTunes or Amazon MP3.