John Lennon, Imagine - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- Опубліковано 7 гру 2023
- #johnlennon #imagine #johnlennonimagine #virginrock
Is it possible to cut through all the noise, conflict, and stress of life on this planet to make us pause and truly imagine a better world? That is the gift of a real artist. That is the gift of John Lennon.
Here’s the link to the original song by John Lennon:
• John Lennon Imagine Of...
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by John Lennon
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Thank you Amy and Vlad. Beautiful and sensitive appraisal of a beautiful and sensitive song. You are right in that the childlikness of this timeless composition is its strength and dare I say, its maturity.
PS: slight aside - but I enjoyed the fade from B&W to colour - Nice bit of sympathetic creativity.
PPS: Your 'loved up' analysis at the end, It was encouraging and uplifting. 😍
@foxdenham I noticed that too. Vlad has great chops in video creation. Kudos Vlad.
I also noticed and appreciated the artistic touch of fading from black and white to color. Nice job Vlad!
It's amazing that a woman of her age has not heard this song especially one who plays piano. This is not a negative criticism but merely a neutral observation
The song goes from mono to stereo when he starts singing, very clever. The song itself is very atmospheric and evocative
He’s saying imagine there’s no barriers between people such as the fear of god or satan or religious differences or haves and have nots
" ' He was no angel?' - 'He wasn't, but he was, as well' " - George Harrison interview.
Only Buddha is perfect, and he’s fat and bald- Me
The same can be said of everyone I’ve meet in my 72 years.
@@ed.z., I'm sure George would agree.
@@ed.z. exactly
Paul described John as a beautiful person
The concept of Imagine is genius. Lennon was such a dynamic person. He was a rebellious person, anti-establishment, non-conformist, intelligent and eloquent. At the same time, like we see in pieces of art like Imagine, he could be so gentle, so sensitive, so wholesome. So we have one of the coolest, most rebellious artists in history composing one of the most gentle, sweetest, wholesome songs. Some critics use this dynamic against him, portraiting him as a hypocrite. I disagree, I think he was a person that went to hell, realized it was a deadend and tried to change himself and the world to something better. That gives him more credibility, he knew where the darkness can lead you.
I'm a hard rock and heavy metal guy. I like the Beatles but I wouldn't call myself a big fan. Love some of their songs. Know most of their well known songs. Respect John for what he stood for. But that's pretty much the extent of my admiration for the Beatles. So this will tell you what I think of this song. Simply put, it's the best song ever written. Gives me chills and brings me to tears every time I hear it. Rest in eternal peace John. The world misses you.
Do you know Beatles' Helter Skelter and I Want You (She's So Heavy), the most "metalish" Beatles songs? I also recommend, for a metal head like you, songs like Yer Blues, Oh! Darling, Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey or Happiness Is A Warm Gun. Or from their psychodelic era Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite, Tomorrow Never Knows, It's All Too Much. Or artsy songs like Yesterday, In My Life, For No One (the baroque trilogy of songs of the Beatles). I could go on but it's up to you to dive deeper in Beatles' catalogue. You won't be disappointed. They were so amazingly versatile!
The Beatles practically invented heavy rock. Although I give that to Leslie West and Mountain, from NYC. My home town, 25 years ago.
There is tragedy that we lost him but there is glory that we had him. Gone way too soon but he and his mates changed the world for the better, forever.
@@ed.z.I'd like to have a dollar every time I cranked up Mississippi Queen on my Macintosh, back in the day. Back when almost all the music coming out was good! 😮
@@sx20Ramar me too! My C 26 Mac preamp still sings.
In Central Park in New York City, there is a small landscaped area known as “Strawberry Fields” that is dedicated to John Lennon, who died in the nearby Dakota building. The area includes a large circular mosaic in the pavement with a single word at the center: “Imagine”. It’s a very moving place.
On my one visit to NYC we did all tourist stuff and included Strawberry Fields. To just be there on a random day with other people who also have great appreciation for John and his music was the highlight of the trip. Definitely a moving experience.
Fans hold jam sessions there on his birthday and the anniversary of his passing. There are quite a few videos on UA-cam showing some of the concerts. The communal singing is very bonding and heart-warming. The closest entrance in via 72nd street on the West side across from the Dakota. And a beautiful mosaic too!
Amy, I am 74 years old. Over the years, I learned to speak German, Persian and Japanese. My life has been touched by both the horror and wonder of our history. I have known people who spent time in concentration camps, both as prisoners and as overseers. I worked with the Minister of Education in Iran, whose entire care was for the well being of Iranian children, Farrokhroo Parsa. She was executed after the revolution. I have been back since then.
I have visited Hiroshima and spoken with people who experienced the atomic bombing. BTW, visited Dr. Suzuki in Matsumoto.
I was in Kuwait during the fires.
Our world is full of both horror and wonder. There are many people who share John Lennon's dream.
Art is a tool that helps us cope at every level.
Now we need to know more about your incredible life, please.
@@IwasInThe60s I have indeed had an incredible life - part of this is because I have a big mouth. I find that good musicians, like Amy, are also passionate people.
I think that is much of the secret - if there is one. I may mention some of the musicians I have met it it comes up, but in the mean time, I am really enjoying Army's insights and the joy she takes in expanding her horizons
@@MoreAThanI There is no way to tell some people anything, especially if they have invested their lives in mastering "cancel culture" You seem to be on the way there, unless you can say more clearly what you wish to, and it is something else.
What made John Lennon and Paul McCartney so special, is that they could come up with one of the greatest compositions ever within 5 minutes. And they could do that over and over.!
I've known this song for 50+ years and it never fails to give me goosebumps.
I still miss him as much as I did 43 years ago...rest sweetly, Johnny.
Same here. ☮️
Yes. A terrible day.
I have always loved John Lennon and this song. Speaking about its power to reach or touch others, it was playing on the radio one morning while dropping my daughters at school. My 7 year old was in tears at the end and I asked her what is wrong, she turns and says mom imagine the world was like this and there was no hunger or war. My heart was both broken and touched at the same time. But for a 7 year old to understand and get it just blew my mind
"... but I'm not the only one." is a super important lyric to remember.
John Lennon was many things; unimaginative was not one of them. Thank you for listening and recognizing this song. Peace to all.
Hi, I'm from India, and I have recently discovered your channel. I have been watching all your old videos and loving each one. I love the way you listen so closely and describe the music so eloquently. I really enjoy doing close listening with you. Although I like rock music, I don't have enough exposure to it, I haven't heard many of the bands, so going through this journey with you has been educational and fun.
And finally, I just want to say, you are keeping John Lennon's dream alive, crossing borders to teach and entertain listeners all across the world! ☺
We still miss you , John ❤
I was a kid. His assassination broke me. I was inconsolable for months. It still guts me every December. A wonderful review, and kind words.
And 6 months later, Bob Marley died.. But Henry Kissinger lived to be 100 years old, go figure...
@@hansemannluchter643criminals always live longer !
When the piano beginning of this comes in, very quietly, near the end of The Killing Fields, my eyes fill with tears. A perfect use of this beautiful song.
Tribute to John Lennon
(Assassinated on this date Dec. 8, 1980.)
In a world where darkness dwells, we yearn for love to cast its spell,
The winds of change blow through our hearts, longing for a brand-new start,
With words of wisdom, let's unite, guided by a guiding light,
Oh, let us soar on wings of doves, embracing peace, with all our love.
Imagine harmony embraced, where war and hatred are erased,
No walls dividing you and me, just pure acceptance, can't you see?
Let's mend the wounds that time has torn, and let empathy be reborn,
With open minds and hands held tight, we'll shine as one, with love's pure light.
In every heart, a seed resides, waiting to bloom and turn the tides,
Let's water it with kindness true, till love and peace in each renew,
For though the road may seem so long, with love as guide, we can't go wrong,
With every step, we'll rise above, spreading John Lennon's message of love.
Peace and love, like John Lennon dreamed,
Together, we can heal the seams,
Let's break the chains that hold us down,
And sow a field where love is found.
So let us sing this song of peace, let it echo, never cease,
From heart to heart, let love ignite, until its flames burn ever bright,
In John Lennon's spirit, we'll persist, ensuring love cannot be missed,
For peace and love, it's time to fight, and make our world forever right.
Mark R.
ThNk you for sharing your creativity with us. Ringo has certainly adopted “peace and live” as his life’s credo.
The lyrics to this song were a revelation to me and the way it was sung so gently yet his words were so powerful just blew me away. What courage to compose this! It makes all of us question everything we thought we knew! No war, no religious differences, no racism, no separations just a planet with people that all live and care for each other! I weep at the idea. What an amazing idea considering WHEN it was written I really think this song changed the world. We aren’t there yet but he was courageous enough to take the first step. I love your description “the simplicity of a master”. That is the best description of this man’s song I’ve ever heard. Thank you! The first verse does stun us but grabs our attention. Then it becomes such a humble, yet defiantly peaceful idea for the world and an inside look at his beautiful inside thoughts. Perfection. You are right. I’ve watched people weep listening to this song for years. Thanks for explaining how the music aided his idea of a perfect world to seem simple and attainable. It’s more complicated than I knew. 🙏 Thank you.
Someone reckoned I would not be able to cry, as I am on beta blockers, but I can!
So why don't you start enacting his vision by giving away all of your possessions? Like... now. All of it. Gotta start somewhere, right?
@frossbog are you a commie ?!
@@frossbog I do believe you missed the point. Try listening again and really trying to allow yourself to envision what paradise, heaven or just a planet without hateful, critical and cruel, fearful and biased people may look like. John Lennon was able to see it and put that vision to a melodic lullaby type of music. If you let go of the vitriol and envision a world without cruelty or violence, not with your old political fears of outdated ideas; then, I think you’ll see the beauty he was speaking about. Try to be a dreamer. Imagine.
The communist ideal of the song is surely coming to fruition. Sadly.
John died on my 8th birthday- I listened to this song before and after he was killed. Its truly special.
A reaction to suit the song - simple, profound, beautifully observed. Thank you, Amy and Vlad!
I want to know where Amy does her grocery shopping, where famous pop songs aren’t continually pumped into shoppers brains while they’re looking for the baked beans. How she has managed to reach adulthood whilst keeping her brain entirely unpolluted by awareness of popular music is a mystery.
This was a masterclass Amy and I really appreciate what you've put into it.
Anyone else tearing up at the end when Amy reads Imagine? Is it odd that it almost felt like a mom reading her kids a story??
John Lennon had one of the BEST rock n roll voices ever.
I heard this late at night on the radio AS a child and it moved me deeply. It was conspicuously (conaudiously?) different, solemn, deep, rich, significant, beautiful. It stopped me in my tracks and left me stupefied for a while. It joined a pantheon of late-night life-changing songs I heard when I was a kid that includes Stairway to Heaven and Bohemian Rhapsody. Songs that taught me that music can make a deep DEEP impact on a person's life, and can be a natural source of energy and euphoria and hope.
It's our attachment to things that causes suffering. Peace comes as a natural result of letting go. So, live in the present and have gratitude for what has passed.
'Masterful simplicity' : you've put it perfectly Amy.
John's music transcended duality ,a penetration of concepts,a childlike innocence..The absolute.Infinity.Timeless..One love! 🙂🙏🌱
Another iconic peace anthem that might be fitting now around Christmas is John Lennon - Happy Christmas (War is Over). It´s a beautiful Christmas song with an important message that is also interesting musically.
Aside from the beautiful message, I think part of the appeal of this song is that makes us feel nostalgic for the Beatles. The way the drums lazily come in, the descending bass guitar notes, and the strings' long strokes, it feels like we are getting something we've been longing for since the Beatles broke up.
This song still makes me cry. It's a nice dream. It would be nice if the world worked that way. Instead we live in chaos, war and mass shootings. Sigh!
John was able to make his soul and deep feelings been expressed through his voice. His needs of "Help!", his memories in "In my life", his needs to free himself from his old man in "I want you (she's so heavy)", hus capability as a writer in "In my life", his sense of innovation in "The walrus", his warmth in "If I fell", his dreams in "Imagine". His legacy is everlasting. Thank you, John.
Thank you. You made this 58 year old fan who’s heard Imagine a hundred times learn new things about this song. RIP John Lennon.
Awesome first listen and reaction! 'Imagine' is such an iconic, beautiful, yet powerful song. John Lennon's masterful use of simplicity is perhaps the song's greatest strength, both in terms of music, lyrics, and message. It's where the song derives its transcendent and poignant qualities and makes it the perfect anthem for man's aspirational desire for world peace. While some may say the song is naively idealistic, it nevertheless remains incredibly effective at being thought-provoking and perfectly expressing a very real universal sentiment. Only a truly great artist like John Lennon was capable of producing such masterworks, which, even in his short life, put him in league as one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Very well said and articulated.
To me, John Lennon has a lot in common with another Legend, Bob Marley.
The video is extraordinary as well. John and Yoko walking in the foggy garden and then entering the darkened white room where John plays the white piano while Yoko opens the many floor to ceiling window shutters bringing 'enlightenment' to John and the song.
Liverpool's John Lennon Airport has a statue of John with the inscription "Above us only Sky" which is really apt for an airport and of course a nudge to this wonderful song
Lennon was a real force of nature. Great reaction and a reminder that though Lennon is gone, our problems have not.
Mr. Lennon, like the rest of us, was not a perfect human being. He lived, he learned, he adapted from his mistakes, and grew. I would think he probably wished he was that person, in this poem, which presented a very high bar to achieve. However those goals, presented, was not that something, to stop striving for. You grow and you keep trying and trying and trying ….
If anyone thinks this song is hard on religion, try Lennon's song "God" from his first solo album in 1970. It's RAW. That same album gave us "Mother" and "Working Class Hero", BTW.
Amy you missed the one interesting foreign chord! After "dreamer" it's not a diatonic e minor, it's E Major! It really grabs you.
You're completely right my friend 👍🏻😀 I noticed that too, I hope Amy reads your comment. This E major is the crucial point there!
Elton John's 'Empty Garden' is, I feel, the most touching response by a musician to the loss of John Lennon.
Next you should listen to Donald Fagen's cynical Imagine rebuttal "Only A Fool Would Say That" from Steely Dan's 1972 album "Can't Buy A Thrill."
That is what John Lennon did. This song shows how poweful music and talent can be.
John Lennon died years before I was born. I feel privileged to be alive at a point in human history where his voice is preserved, his message still vibrant, his songs still played for us. We were lucky enough to hear him again with the release of “Now and Then” a while ago, a song I hope Amy will tackle eventually, but this is truly the song that represents him to people my age. Was he a perfect human who exemplified these ideals his whole life? Of course not, no one is or can be that fully formed at the start. However, knowing that even decades after his untimely passing, his words and music can still elicit so much hope and joy helps spread hope and joy itself. A unique man who I will never meet, and yet I feel like I know him via his songs.
Also, lovely work with the video starting in monochrome and fading to color as the song begins. Subtle and effective, much like “Imagine” itself. Well done.
Well, John stole a song that Frank Zappa had written. FZ wasn't mentioned on the record that The Plastic Ono Band released.
Launching my own new album today on my birthday...it was a shock that I'd forgotten that 43 years ago my coming of age was marked by John's murder...it was like losing a soul brother because of songs like this and the many others he left us...
I am 63 years "young" (as of yesterday). Every "Baby Boomer" knows where they were when the news of John's death was related. I was in college, even those who were not into his music just froze!!! It was surreal! I am from New York City (Manhattan). John LOVED Manhattan!!! His lyrics are tattooed on my right arm in honor of my son w/Autism who loves him. You now have a new subscriber, I do love your reactions and I love the respect that you paid to this Great man! R.I.P. John. And God Bless.
AS a songwriter, I have learned that the first line of song can make or break the song, and in fact, the first line can write the rest of the song. This song, of course, is genius.
Thank you Amy & Vlad. Thank you John, I will always love you ❤🎻🎸🎶🎵
He was a genius and this is the song of the 20th century, and perhaps all time. You have grasped the simplicity and the genius aspects of the song. Kudos!
In my interpretation, the first verse stating imagine there's no heaven/no hell isn't really in itself a comment on religion but is tied together by the line "Imagine all the people living for today". It's really speaking to what could we accomplish here and now on earth if we weren't focused on the afterlife and our wide ranging views on how that's achieved. If we believed this one short life was all we had, how would we act differently?
Every time I watch the news of the fighting in the Middle East, I think of this song. If only.😢
I used the lyrics in my English poetry classes for grade 7 students. It provoked much discussion. At the end I played the song. You could see a strong reaction from the kids when I explained how Lennon met his end.
This is what Lennon strived for and projected, but the real man was for more complicated and human. Love this channel.
He was a secular prophet. Even Jesus' apostles had complications in their home lives and flawed personalities. That's the point: to be imperfect and strive anyway, to reach for the stars and never grasp them but to never stop trying.
It is the music of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Tool, Stevie Nicks and Nightwish that I consider the music of my life. John Lennon is an incredible musician. I remember dancing around the christmas tree to the sounds of The Beatles when I was a kid. All my life John Lennon has been a huge influence on my love of music.
i was 19 when john was killed,and the hurt has never gone away. you would love the music video john and yoko did for this song. they are in a white room with john sitting at a white piano playing as yoko draws open the curtains to let sunlight in the windows. it's very beautiful. thank you for letting us share your first listen to this timeless classic,amy. i'm sure it will remain a very special moment in your life.
John Lennon’s death is the first big news story I can remember. I was 7 years old when he died.
Imagine is a timeless classic.
Thank you for a typically thoughtful analysis.
That such a tormented soul can produce such beauty should give us all hope..
Great reaction. Still amazed that there are folks that have never heard this song!
Unbelievable!
loved lennon then, still love him now,
Love John Lennon's music, assassinated on day after my birthday(yup, yesterday was my bday) and really enjoy your channel, have a good weekend Amy🌹
Vlad: try not to think so much about music or lyrics...
Amy (thinking): He doesn't realize that's impossible, but I'll keep a straight face and an open mind. 😉
This song was played simultaneously in 130 countries to commemorate what would’ve been Lennon’s 50th birthday - on October 9th, 1990.
Btw... the bird songs heard at the end of the song on this particular track - were not on the original song when it was released in 1971 (not as a single or on the album). They were added to the song on a much later release.
Sono stata per molti anni una fan sfegatata dei beatles, sapevo vita, morte e miracoli, tutte le canzoni a memoria... poi mi sono interessata ad altro, e dopo molti anni ho avuto una bruttissima depressione. Non ho parlato per due anni. La mia psicologa non riusciva ad arrivare a me, sinché un bel giorno mi ha chiesto se mi piacessero i beatles e io ho annuito. Allora mi ha chiesto se conoscessi "imagine" e ho annuito di nuovo, e quindi "sai la storia di questa canzone?". Ho detto "no".
Mi ha raccontato che Yoko Ono aveva un fratellino e durante la seconda guerra mondiale, in Giappone come altrove, c'erano solo rovine e niente cibo. Lei portava in giro il fratellino affamato e piangente e gli diceva "immagina se ci fosse questo... immagina come sarebbe se..." e lo distraeva così dalla fame e dalla paura.
E io ho ricomiciato a parlare.
Per me, oltre la bellezza oggettiva di questa canzone, ha un grandissimo significato.
Molte grazie🙏
You made me cry watching your reaction. You hit it on the head when you said it felt like stepping into a dream when the sound expanded.
Lennon & the rest of the Beatles, wrote the best music I've ever heard. Their songs are more like stories or events. Give a listen/watch to their new song Now & Then. 60 years of great music! 😮
David Bowie and John Lennon were great friends. Bowie told a story of John and him having days off their tours in the same city. The two hung out for three days exploring the city and just being good mates. Bowie sang Imagine for some shows during his Serious Moonlight tour back in 1983-84. It was less than four years after John's death and Bowie cried in the monologue before singing the song.
That's very moving about David Bowie.
Thank you very much for this reaction, such a great song, wonderful choice for this day 👌😊❤️🎹
I enjoyed this enormously. "It's a real gem", perfectly said 👌 Simplicity is the right thing for this musical profundity, exactly, fantastic review 👍🏻😊👏👏👏
Love the moment you say it stops the song from being “unimaginative”.
There was a real dreamy quality to a lot of Lennon's music.
☮️💟i still mis John Lennon and this is my favorite song. Thank you.
RIP John! ☮️💟
Great reaction and commentary Amy. I am so glad you have now heard this wonderful song. It has been high on my list of songs for you to hear on your journey. You really had a great commentary on the lyrics and message. You really get the core message. This song is timeless and I think its message will always apply to humanity. We need to be reminded to use our imaginations for imagining a better world for all of us. It can be the hardest when things look the bleakest for the world around us, but that's when we need it the most. To at least help get the pendulum to swing back in the other direction.
That’s a beautiful comment Lee, you basically said what I was going to say. Well done.
@@Hartlor_Tayley Thanks Hartlor. That means a lot. I think Amy did a great job of expressing the sentiment of this song, giving it the attention it deserves.
I remember the school choir where I worked chose this. We thought it was a brave choice, one we Approved of.
@@LeeKennison thank you kindly. yes she did and I also appreciated all the content she brought. The song really transcends what is actually written in the song and she brought that aspect out.
@@bobseago1513 I miss those days
As a concept the words that John brought together for this song seemed like an achievable day on the worlds horizon. Now they serve as a reminder to hold on to your dreams no matter how impossible they seem to be.
Listeners were merely a lot younger when this first came out. 🤗
@@mikes9305 Precisely. Childlike views of the world should be for children, not grown men. Yes John I can imagine a world without borders or possessions and it wouldn't be good. I want to live in a community that takes care of itself, not one that tries to take care of everyone else. And I have a unique set of interests and ambitions that I wish to pursue - not interested in the Left's pursuit of group-think utopia that inevitably leads to hell on Earth. Think Soviet Union, think the CCP, think Pol Pot. No thanks.
@@djknox2 Don't connect me with your anti-left sentiments, please. I'm a moderate.
@@mikes9305 So am I.
@@djknox2 Well I don't perceive this song to be a path to Pol Pot. Freedom of expression... The ideas may be unrealistic but by thinking about them, most persons will realize that they're merely wishful sentiments on the part of the writer.
I think he's pointing out that all of the things he is saying "Imagine there's no..." about, are things we are already imagining - constructs of the human mind (religious beliefs, borders, possessions), which our egos use to bolster our self-image and think they can find some security in. So, it's really not a matter of adding new imaginings, but of subtracting false, comfortable ones until you are left with reality.
This song, Imagine reminds me of a line from a Beatles song, The Ballad of John and Yoko. The line is,"Last night the wife said, oh boy when you're dead, you don't take nothing with you but your soul. Think".
It's almost an expansion on that line.
Beautiful thank you love it. ❤️💜💙☯️🕉️♒
A masterpiece. And a very good explanation of why it appeals to so many. Thank you, and imagine what could have been if John had been with us today.
I'm so glad you were able to do this classic song. Amy, you did a great job of describing how sometimes it is simplicity that a song needs. As Vlad told you this is an anthem for progressive people all over the world. John Lennon and Yoko were people who lived to get the message out that it's possible to have that world of peace and plenty where we all live as one. It's funny how everyone loves this song but so few work towards it's goal. This was a great reaction and description of the song. What is sad is that so many people like John who "imagine" that paradise he describes are killed trying to help us achieve it.
'Living life in peace''....you may say I'm a dreamer, but he wasn't the only one.....in every country I sang this song as a street musician, the listeners shared that dream......a dream for one world we share ❤💕❣️
In the opening refrain, I don't think that the line about there being no heaven is a bad thing at all. Heaven is a concept of some religions but not others, so it simply compliments the line about imagining that there are no organized religions that divide us. As someone who is spiritual (I have a one-on-one relationship with God outside of any organized religion) but not religious, I can relate to every line in this song, even though it is sometimes referred to as an atheist anthem...
I guess her point was that when you first hear that line, you don't know exactly what it's communicating. Usually when people talk about heaven, it's to give them hope that there's something out there that's better than the current world. You don't know what the song is about, and it opens with this line. It would also work in a nihilistic song that tries to tell you that nothing matters and there is no hope. That's a more "traditional" understanding of the line on its own - if there is no heaven, then there is no hope. The message of that line only becomes clear when you listen to the song further.
So, it's definitely a bold choice as the first line of the song. He could have chosen a less radical line like "imagine all the people living life in peace" that everyone can immediately get behind. But not everyone can get behind "imagine there's no heaven" - it may sound shocking to a lot of people who find hope in the idea that they and their loved ones go to a better place after they die. He could have also opened with "imagine there's no hell", which again a lot more people would immediately get behind (then again, I guess some people's morality is quite strongly based on the idea that if you do bad things, you deserve harsh punishment, and if there was no hell, then there would be nothing to stop bad people from doing bad things - but I definitely think that there being no hell is a more popular idea than there being no heaven). But he didn't. He first destroys the concept that gives a lot of people hope, especially during a difficult time (remember that the song was written during the Vietman war when a lot of people had to deal with the death of their loved ones). It isn't difficult to imagine there's no heaven when there's so much suffering in the world, but the thought of there being a heaven still gives people hope.
This is also why it was a bit ironic that this was the song that the celebrities decided to sing when covid lockdowns started (all in all, not sure how the message of the song relates to the pandemic). A lot of people were dying, and the song starts with "imagine there's no heaven". It is not a comforting thought in that context, and I think that is exactly the point of the first line. But it becomes a comforting thought as you listen to the song further - this is the life that matters, and it is possible to make the world a better place as long as more people start imagining a better world. It still doesn't help you deal with loss, but it helps with creating a world where not so many people have to go through the pain of losing someone they loved. So, imagining that there is no heaven actually helps with creating a "heaven on earth" - it gets us closer to heaven, even if that seems contradictory at first.
I think the message of the first verse is that we should focus on the current day. Live in the moment and try to improve this world right here and now - don't just wait for a better future in the afterlife that may not even exist. This becomes clear in the end of the first verse: "Imagine all the people living for today". If everyone did this, even if they actually believed in an afterlife, our current world would be better. It's not exactly telling you not to believe in an afterlife. It's simply telling you to focus on this world, and not worry about the afterlife right now. Our goal is to improve the world today, and not wait until our death when we hope to go to a better place.
We miss you john 😢
How is it humanly possible that you have not heard this song? ??
Thank you for remembering the great John Lennon (and his dream) on this day. The dream was achieving world peace by letting go of the things that divide us. This is a message that this devisive world needs now more than ever.
"All we are saying, is Give Peace A Chance".
Rest in Peace John.
"You're not the only one. But we miss you" Beautiful, we all thank you for that
Amy should react to Don McLean as well. Vincent or American Pie are a must.
IMHO, the best lyrics in pop music ever written. The guide for humanity. But I am sure that humanity will not pass this exam.
Growing up having trained as a musician, I used to only appreciate songs that are special because the music itself is either intricate or beautiful in some way. John (and this song especially) altered me to the love and be inspired by the poetry. You’re 100 correct by saying the music is presented very simplistically. I believe that was the point - the message is simple. He said it himself: “it’s easy if you try”.
It is such a good thing that Amy has embarked on this popular/rock music listening project. To think that someone who has such a deep love of music has gone through her life to date without ever hearing this song is mind blowing, but to think that she might have gone for the rest of her life without ever hearing such an impactful song, and others like it, would have been downright sad.
Amy, you do a beautiful, thorough, analysis of a beautiful song. Thank you.
Amy, you are “masterful” in your immediate recognition of such beauty and the subtleties that make it so. Thank you for sharing your discoveries with us and helping us appreciate why these beautiful gems touch us the way they have for so long. So glad you’re getting to experience them too.
Wow!, just wow! I can hardly put into words how much your reaction touched me. I grew up listening to the Beatles Abbey Road and Let It Be. I was 7-8 yrs-old when the albums came out, my older siblings had a collection of over 200 albums from that period of explosive Rock 'n Roll creativity. When I was kid we pretended to be in the band, playing my tennis racquet with my brother while listening to the albums, eventually we would be in a band, best of times. I mostly admired John, and I remember watching the News the night he was shot and telling my older brothers when they came home. John had just come back into the public eye with his Double Fantasy album (which is a good listen) after 5+ years. It seemed he'd been out of public eye forever, and sadly being back in the public eye my have led to his murder.
John was simply asking to consider possibilities, but he was also a realist, he knew it wasn't likely, but he made you think.
That really was johns super power was just to be simple. In a way that’s very hard for most people.
I liken the simplicity of the music to that of Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt, utterly beautiful and captivating. No ornations required. It never gets old.
One word can be so powerful .. one artist can change the world.
#ripJohn
Amy, if you've seen Forrest Gump, there is a funny scene where Forrest and John are both interviewed on a TV show, and Forrest gives John ideas for the lyrics of this song.
I think that could be why the lyrics seemed somewhat familiar to her. IIRC John, Yoko, and Forest were guests together on Dick Cavett show after Forest's return from playing ping-pong in China.
Thank you. You can see why it’s called the international anthem, and it’s amazing how widely it’s been accepted. It will return to you every day for a while now, and you’ll be more and more stunned by its power, beauty, and simplicity, maybe to the point that you’ll see a before “Imagine” and after “Imagine” to your thoughts. It’s a good thing!
You may say that he's a dreamer, but he's not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one. ✌
In following the theme of simplicity, I simply say, 'Thank you Amy and Vlad, and thank you John Lennon for this beautiful piece of music.' ❤
It’s been a long since I’ve listened to this. I wept.
I didn't know it was possible to be over 20 and not have listened to Imagine yet, at least in an English-speaking country. You still have beautiful things to discover, you're lucky. I bet you must have listened to a lot of Schoenberg, however, unlike the 99% who know "Imagine". Best wishes
You made me cry at the end. Thank you for a beautiful reaction. 😊
Many detractors have said that John was naive. I think they missed the point, totally. Now it makes me cry when I hear it.