I never liked it either. Always reminded me of Lennon’s Imagine. Very pretty melody with vapid lyrics.
I don’t think the lyrics are vapid at all.
John Cale’s version on “I’m Your Fan” (a Leonard Cohen tribute album) deserves credit for popularizing the song. Cohen’s own version, done a couple of years earlier, comes off quite differently.
And, yes, it’s about a relationship.
Laughable about how artists - and now the “estate” of dead artists - somehow imagine they’re the ultimate authority on how songs can be heard. That’s all up to the people who own the publishing, and if the proper license has been obtained the opinion of the artist / estate means absolutely squat.
Excellent comparison.