John Lennon's "Peace" lyrics sheet to be auctioned off in July

All he was saying was "give peace a chance."

Christie's plans to auction off a hand-written sheet of lyrics to John Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance" this July during its rock and pop memorabilia sale. Lennon gave friend and fan Gail Renard the piece of paper during his eight-day "bed-in" in with Yoko Ono in Montreal, the one that culminated with the recording of the popular song. It later went on to become a worldwide hit, and a phrase that's part of the popular lexicon, pacifist or otherwise. The event occurred toward the end of Lennon's stint as a Beatle; the band would soon dissolve.

"I think the interest is there because this is certainly one of the most recognizable and influential of John Lennon's solo compositions," Helen Hall, head of the popular culture department at Christie's South Kensington, told the Associated Press. "It's important not just as one of Lennon's most famous peace anthems, it's also the fact that it was written at such a historical event."

The lyrics will be available for public viewing July 5 in London. Renard also plans to auction photographs of herself with Lennon and Ono.

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