9/18/2023 0 Comments Imagine. john lyrical music notes![]() ![]() A year after the song was released, during a performance at Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972, he’d already changed two of the lines. Many thought it was hypocritical for a man who owned a custom-painted Rolls Royce (and barely drove it) to be preaching "imagine no possessions." ( Elvis Costello, a lifelong Lennon fan, even included it in the lyrics to "The Other Side of Summer," in which he sang, "Was it a millionaire who said imagine no possessions?") Lennon, always a step ahead of everyone, was updating his lyrics in live performances. Those weren’t the only lyrics people had issues with. No doubt all the world's fanatics are imagining one religion, but that’s the opposite of what he was singing about. Since his death, Ono has been approached many times by groups who wanted to do the same thing, and she consistently refuses. Lennon was approached by the World Church asking if they could use it but change the lyrics to "one religion" instead of “no religion.” Lennon said no, explaining that that would defeat the whole purpose of the song. Even those who claim to accept the message struggle with its meaning. Feelings of peace and acceptance are swirled around lyrics suggesting we abolish some of the things people hold most dear. And no religion, too." Sounds about as anti-American, anti-British, anti-establishment as a song can be, and yet it's a song of positivity and hope, about the possibilities of a better human existence. It's this that seems ironic, given the lyrics: “Imagine there's no countries / It isn’t hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for.” The song has been accepted all over the world as a song of peace and unity, as it asks us to embrace what some call anarchy and early critics labeled communism. And Jimmy Carter said, ".in many countries around the world - my wife and I have visited about 125 countries - you hear John Lennon's song 'Imagine' used almost equally with national anthems."Ĭritics had issues with the meaning behind the lyrics George Martin, famous for producing the Beatles' records and helping steer them to musical superstardom, says the album it's on, Imagine, is the one he most wishes he'd produced. Bono said it was the reason for his career. Paul McCartney - someone inclined to be less than generous about Lennon's early solo career, given what Lennon said about his - admitted he knew it was “a killer” the first time he heard it. Everyone knew the song was special at the time, but couldn't have had any idea of the impact it would have on the world, both musically and politically. The song was released on October 11, 1971. Strings were added by members of the New York Philharmonic, called "the Flux Fiddlers" by Lennon. The final mix was done at The Record Plant in New York City, a city where Lennon and Ono would soon make their home. The more they added, the more they ended up stripping away. They experimented, at one point having Hopkins play on the same piano as Lennon, but on a higher octave. He recorded it in his home studio with help from musicians Alan White, longtime Beatle friend (and artist behind the cover of the Revolver album) Klaus Voorman, Nicky Hopkins, and producer Phil Spector, who uncharacteristically kept the track fairly simple. His wife, Yoko Ono, watched him as he played the melody and wrote most of the lyrics. Lennon composed the song in one session, sitting at his white grand piano in his Tittenhurst Park estate in England in May 1971. READ MORE: John Lennon's Death: A Timeline of Events It only took one session to record "Imagine" ![]() ![]() Lennon once called it "’Working Class Hero’ for conservatives,” and indeed, it challenges the status quo at its most fundamental. The song that has become an anthem all over the world is actually full of controversial lyrics and radical ideas. But disguised within its message of peace and love and its flowing piano melody is a collection of edgy, "dangerous" ideas that challenge society as we know it. The impact of the song is unquestionable. The song has been covered by artists in every genre, from Liza Minnelli and Stevie Wonder to Neil Young and Lady Gaga, and performed at some of the biggest events across the globe. Put your political message across with a little honey." So said John Lennon about "Imagine," the most successful single of his solo career. ![]()
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