Imagining "Imagine" : John Lennon's gibberish-filled anthem.

Daily Standard ^ | Joel Engel

[agrace]

That was a great episode. His sister becomes so convinced that she freaks out - if Sam is really her brother, then he's telling the truth about her other brother dying in Vietnam. Then he leaps into his brother's unit to save his life. Probably my favorite too. Actually a trilogy, IIRC.

[Trampled by Lambs]

"But when you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow..." - "Revolution" (a Lennon tune...)

[August West]

See Post #79

[BSunday]

"But when you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow..." - "Revolution" (a Lennon tune...)

Probably Lennon's self description of his relationship with authority, in general.

[NittanyLion]

I suspect Lennon is asking you to imagine these things along with all the attendant changes necessary to mankind and human nature that would make them possible. I don't think even Lennon believes these things to be possible in the world we live in.

While the author is right in the literal sense, I think he comes off as a bit anal to actually deconstruct the lyrics. 99% of the people listening to the song probably like the tune/sound and never give a second thought to what the lyrics actually mean. Articles like these are the reason conservatives are viewed as so ill-humored. JMO.

[August West]

Actually, even an atheist like myself can plainly see that religion keeps us from all being murderers, rapists, ...i.e. basically animals.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The one thing that Joel seems to have missed is the title of the song; "Imagine".

Lennon isn't saying that any of these things is possible or particularly preferable. Only that we should imagine them. It's called daydreaming. For is doing so, perhaps we can take a small something from the process and apply it to real life. Like maybe treating each other a little better.

G'head, flame away.

[dhs12345]

He said he later regretted writing this.

[new cruelty]

Actually, he is asking the listener to consider that an alternate reality does, in fact, exist; that's why it's "Imagine there is no heaven...", not "Imagine there were no heaven.." Although extremely subtle, the use of the verb "imagine" followed by the indicative mood (rather than the subjunctive mood) is pure genius - not that I agree with the premise of the song, but it is pure genius.

Whoah...

[NittanyLion]

Exactly.

[Skooz]

Exactly.

It's just a song, people.

It makes as much sense as "Tutti Fruity" or "Girl From Ipanema."

[BSunday]

Lennon isn't saying that any of these things is possible or particularly preferable. Only that we should imagine them

I don't believe in preemptive flaming =). But I will disagree with you using Lennon/Lenin's own words:

"I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one."

[metalboy]

Imagine was written as a comment on that Democrat nightmare called Vietnam (something that liberals will always blame Nixon for. Johnson, who`s that?) All he`s saying is "Imagine if the world was like this, wouldn`t it be cool?" Nowhere in that song does he say "we must live like this and force other people to live like this". The mistake liberals make is assuming that, because their IQ is in the double digit range, and also that line that says, "You may say I`m a dreamer but I`m not the only one. I hope some day you`ll join us and the world will be as one" The word is "HOPE". He isn`t saying "You must" join us. Who wouldn`t hope all people would be like that? Of course it`s impossible, even Lennon himself proved that with that with the "no possesions" part, but that`s why he calls it IMAGINE. It isn`t called "We MUST". Liberals take it that he is saying "we must" because they`re thick headed morons. Lennon wasn`t a moron, yes he was a bit of a nut, but he was also a guy who absolutely refused to live in the past like this idiot Neil Young, and would see things for what they were in the present. I highly doubt that if he were alive today and still lived in NYC, that he would be so incredibly stupid as to sing "Imagine" like this dingbat Yoko every five seconds when his own city was attacked twice by psychotic sand monkeys in a span of less than 10 years, and a new Hiter was running amok. He might have went the way of the UN, but on the other hand he was a freggin` nut, and very well might have said "f- it" and wrote a song called "Bomb the bastards" to shock people, and had a picture of him an Yoko naked on the cover. (Oh man, I`m puking at the thought)

[Stone Mountain]

That's an interpretation that may be valid. I still hold to my original premise that the author should lighten up... this was just a song, not a political speech or call to action.

[Trampled by Lambs]

LOL Demanding perfect english in a rock song is beyond silly.

[August West]

If you listen carefully, there is a bazouki (or some such exotic instrument) playing in the background. The arraignment is not as simple as it appears.

[Stone Mountain]

Actually, even an atheist like myself can plainly see that religion keeps us from all being murderers, rapists, ...i.e. basically animals.

Really? Well then, as an athiest, what keeps you from murdering, raping, etc?

[Taliesan]

Lennon isn't saying that any of these things is possible or particularly preferable. Only that we should imagine them.

Now the discussion has hit rock-bottom silliness. Of course he's saying they're preferable . Let's not be stupid.

[Peter Libra]

Sticking up for my late fellow Brit here. John Lennon had your P.T. Barnum beat. $250,000,0000 left to his wife. Defied deportation as a hard line drug addict. Plus his song about the poor people of Liverpool, who would give you what they had. Starkey another one- with his gated mansion in Buckinghamshire. And they said the London Cockney was the smartest thing on two legs- working class that is.

[Skooz]

Buckinghamshire

Brit place names rule.