Song At Funeral Comforts Everyone By Telling Them There's No Heaven, Religion Is A Lie, And Everything Is Ultimately Meaningless

Babylon Bee ^ | 01/10/2025 | Babylon Bee

[DFG]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mourners who had gathered at the National Cathedral on Thursday to say goodbye to former President Jimmy Carter came away comforted after Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood sang a song about how there's no heaven, religion is a lie, and everything is ultimately meaningless.

The song, "Imagine" by John Lennon, known for its pleasant melody and nihilistic lyrics, is routinely played in Times Square on New Year's Eve as an appeal to world peace in a time of crisis, or to celebrate another year of debauchery, one of the two. Experts described the song as most suitable for use at a funeral, however, because the comforting lyrics remind people what really matters: absolutely nothing.

"I guess nothing matters and Jimmy Carter is gone forever," said one attendee. "Such a comforting thought."

Among the attendees were all five living presidents, with several of them hit hard by the loss of Carter because it forced them to confront their own mortality. But the uplifting song reminded them there was "nothing to live or die for" in the world so nobody cares.

"I cannot think of a more appropriate song for a state funeral," said former President Bill Clinton. "It washed my tears right away. Not that I had any. I barely knew John. I mean Jimmy."

"We're all worm food in the end," said George W. Bush. "Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. I read that somewhere. MAD Magazine, I think."

At publishing time, Garth Brooks denied ever playing "Imagine" at the funeral, stating it was actually Chris Gaines.

[xxqqzz]

Here are the actual lyrics:

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us, only sky
Imagine all the people
Livin’ for today
Ah
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace
You
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

Songwriters: John Winston Lennon

[cowboyusa]

That’s the way I feel. The music is increadable. The lyrics are pure evil. Someon set it to Christian lyrics, I think.

[chalkfarmer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_X2c6MPiAg
Maybe they were confused as to what song was requested.

[Cold_Red_Steel]

Christian Comedian Tim Hawkins sings a parody version. He also has a song parody of “Yesterday” called “Chic Fil A!”

[TalBlack]

If there were no God I’d be free to deal with people I don’t happen to like as I saw fit. And I would do exactly that.

[bakeneko]

“Only a fool would say that.” —Donald Fagan and Walter Becker

Our world become one of salads and sun
Only a fool would say that

A boy with a plan, a natural man
Wearing a white stetson hat
Unhand that gun begone
There’s no one to fire upon
If he’s holding it high, he’s telling a lie

I heard it was you
Talkin’ ‘bout a world where all is free
It just couldn’t be, and only a fool would say that

The man in the street draggin’ his feet
Don’t wanna hear the bad news
Imagine your face there is his place
Standing inside his brown shoes
You do his nine to five
Drag yourself home half alive
And there on the screen
A man with a dream

I heard it was you
Talkin’ ‘bout a world where all is free
It just couldn’t be
And only a fool would say that

Anybody on the street
Has murder in his eyes
You feel no pain
And you’re younger than you realize

Only a fool would say that
Only a fool

I heard it was you
Talkin’ ‘bout a world where all is free
It just couldn’t be, and only a fool would say that
Only a fool would say that
Only a fool would say that

[daniel1212]

However, a lesser-known Beatles tune off of Rubber Soul called “Run for Your Life” is pretty disturbing. The tune is especially unsettling knowing Lennon’s admitted tendencies toward spousal aggression. Some of the lyrics go:

Let this be a sermon
I mean everything I’ve said
Baby, I’m determined
And I’d rather see you [perish]

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand, little girl
Catch you with another man
That’s the end, little girl
https://www.ranker.com/list/stories-about-john-lennons-dark-side/ada-hart

I do not need the actual lyrics of the song (by a man who was hardly a model of virtue and humanity) which is aptly title "Imagine," since it is a delusional atheistic fantasy. For the reality is that man, left to himself, will inevitably misuse what (God has) provides him with ability to do anything. And thus some proffered suggestions.

And a story:

"Lord, I hate buttermilk", the farmer began. The visiting pastor opened one eye to glance at the farmer and wonder where this was going.

The farmer loudly proclaimed, "Lord, I hate lard." Now the pastor was growing concerned.

Without missing a beat, the farmer continued, "And Lord, you know I don't much care for raw white flour". The pastor once again opened an eye to glance around the room and saw that he wasn't the only one to feel uncomfortable.

Then the farmer added, "But Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up that we don't like, when life gets hard, when we don't understand what you're saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing. It will probably be even better than biscuits. Amen."

[ViLaLuz]

I did military honors at a funeral where the family played “Another One Bites The Dust.” The detail was in shock and one had to fight busting out laughing.

[1ScrappyArmyMom]

I’ve pissed off folks explaining what a corrupt pos Carter was. The song fits a narrative nonbeliever, not a Christian

[SunkenCiv]

https://slate.com/culture/2014/07/yoko-onos-grapefruit-at-50-the-book-that-inspired-john-lennons-imagine.html

[dayglored]

I've played a lot of Beatles songs in my amateur musical career including a number from Rubber Soul, but never covered "Run For Your Life", as it struck me as rather dark and scary. And it's not for being afraid to sing difficult songs -- I've covered Dylan's "Masters of War" which is pretty dark in a different direction.

I like your story about the farmer. If you don't mind, I'm going to put that somewhere for future use. Seems like a handy one to have around for when things get rough.

Thank you, and bless you for your many wonderful posts on FR.

[sauropod]

+1000!

[daniel1212]

I like your story about the farmer. If you don't mind, I'm going to put that somewhere for future use. Seems like a handy one to have around for when things get rough.

It is useful, and I copied it from Quora, without attribution. Here is poem Corrie ten Boom often quoted to capture this allegory.

Life is But a Weaving (The Tapestry Poem)

By Grant Tuller

 

My life is but a weaving

Between my God and me.

I cannot choose the colors

He weaveth steadily.

 

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;

And I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper

And I the underside.

 

Not ’til the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly

Will God unroll the canvas

And reveal the reason why.

 

The dark threads are as needful

In the weaver’s skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned.

 

He knows, He loves, He cares;

Nothing this truth can dim.

He gives the very best to those

Who leave the choice to Him.

[dayglored]

That’s beautiful, thank you again!

[caddie]

If and when Biden, Obama, Clinton, LBJ, and even Carter did bugging and eavesdropping worse by far than the whole of Watergate, I bet we still wouldn't know to this day.

So one sided is and was the media coverage pro Rat and con Nixon and conservatives and GOP in general.

In retrospect, now it appears that the Watergate/takedown of Nixon was a clear CIA op. Factors involved were the SDS, the media, and other agents of the Communist infrastructure in the US at the time.

Agree with you that Nixon was the better President. I wish he had left China with a visit, and maybe a follow up. But flooding the US with spies and agents in the form of students was a fatal mistake.

One we may not recover from.

Fixing prices and going off the gold standard were other crucial errors.