Read the lyrics and pick what you think:
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

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
Living life in peace...

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 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

One of the greatest songs ever penned.

I agree with Lombardi. I love that song. I think it's one of Lennon's best. It had significance when it was out, like many other songs of that era, and has significance today as well...or at the very least can be appreciated in today's world.


TIS

ditto.

its one of the greatest and classic songs of John Lennon. . .

GoodFella

It's a great song lyrically. The only part I disagree with it "no religion."

Thats a great song, but its a double sided coin for me.If everything was peaceful, no wars, nothing lie that, we will have no personality,and have lost our individuality, and I dont think its worth it.

I love the music, and because of that, I listen to the song despite the fact that I don't like the lyrics. It's too socialist for me. Peace is nice, yes, but I don't agree with anything else. But it really is a beautiful song.

I'm in the middle of 2 and 3, but find myself leaning towards 2. It's so pretentious and naive, it reeks worse than the stence of kitty poo. Though I don't doubt his talent, I never really liked Lennon's solo stuff, partly because of the Ono effect. I do seem to go for Double Fantasy. He could have really cemented his status as legendary musician but sadly...

I think he is a legend...before he was assassinated, and ever since. Lennon's status as one of the greatest songwriters and musician generals has never been questioned.

You would think that with that pistol he could have at least got off a couple of shots at Yoko.

The first time I heard this song I felt I want to fly. When I listened again to see what he is singing, I thought it is the best if I dont take it that serious. Beautiful rhythm, Great singing, not a deep lyrics.

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
At least Heaven and Hell have been like Prize and Punishment to some people and have made them behave through the history. Without them I'm not sure if the rest of people wouldn't start harmful acts.

Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Could we start consuming up all the planet resources for today and have no plan for future? Dare to imagine what would happen to our children tomorrow? Not to worry, we have already started this line!

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
Living life in peace...
The only problem I have with this part, is that I have a hard time imagining it. I love my country and I dont like to give up its heritage but I dont have that much problem if people give up religion to the extend of not killing each other because of it. After all religions are one thing if you look into them carefully. They all have tried to make us think, talk and act no evil.

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...
This part probably is the most destructive thing that can happen to any society. All advancements have been a result of greed and hunger, which are the basic instincts of human. Without that we would see bunch of aimless people who wouldnt bother to work or do anything, thus the whole human body would suffer this laziness.

What?

Well, go start fighting then, to bring "personality" to the rest of our lives.

If you don't think it's worth it to not lose soldiers' lives, to keep your individuality, when you're not even there fighting... then... well... no comment.

I voted for option 2

I just don't get the popular "piece of shit" option, just cuz someone writes an idealistic and hopeful song...

The message is great - what, no one can "imagine" what it'd be like? He never said anything about the (im)possibility of it.

And "socialist"? And "pretentious and naive"? Would that also describe your own hopes and dreams that you imagine? Probably not.

I'm very confused about some of these responses...

This is the first I have ever heard any say that John Lennon almost achieved legendary musician status, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.
I guess we need a good war every now and then to create some national personality.

I think the song is one of the most engaging and best written songs ever produced. Is it naive to think such a world is possible - of course. Doesn't change the fact that the world he describes is a better one that exists.

Tomorrow would be his 64th birthday as well, very odd to think of the self proclaimed rebel as a 64 year old!

Stunning song, but certainly not his best by some margin in my opinion. Certainly the most commercially popular, but I always get the feeling he spent little more than a few minutes knocking it together. Very simple piece of music with the idealistic lyrics.

Some would no doubt say that adds to his genius, in that he was able to put it together so quickly and easily of course.

Going off on a tangent, I thought this thread might have been about the long awaited DVD release of the 1988 documentary/biography "Imagine: John Lennon"

You sure about that? Last I heard Lennon's birthday was in October. The 9th, I think...same day as son Sean 35 years later.

As for the song...true, it's one of the loveliest ever written. But as irrelevant now as it was back when he wrote it. Especially since I once heard John Lennon say he never voted in his entire life. If you're not going to excersize your RIGHT to he heard, then no song you WRITE is going to make a bit of difference.

Apple

My bad! My office calendar is sitting at October for some reason!

He does indeed share his birthday with Sean, 9th October.

Great Song, But i do Like the beatles songs more than his solo work, was the song released in 1971?

The album "Imagine" was released in October 1971 but the song "Imagine" was not released as a single until October 1975 (in the UK at least).

Agreed, as I said, Lennon's work with the Beatles alone solidified him as an iconic member of music history for all time. I didn't think there was any question of that.

Its a pretty good song. Lennon is a visionary!

Great song, and was used fantastically in The Killing Fields. I agree with most if not all of it--especially the religion aspect. After all, it is the cause of most wars.

Mick

A part of living is fighting,humans do it animasls do it,ants fight too.One thing, just as simple as a colour can bring about diffrent opinions in people.If 2 people with opposing views are very passionate about their view,and its something much more important that a colour, you have a conflict.
If those people's personality hadnt made them so passionate about their view,then the conflict wouldnt have arrisen.There would be no wars,sure, but there would also be no diffrence in people.We would all be in a sence,robots.

Such a wonderful song. However like Double-J I don't agree with the "no religion too." Its a shame that belief in God something that should unite us as human beings has caused so much hatred and suffering. I'm not extremely religious but I do believe that religion has been used as a positive force in the history of mankind and can be again.

no religion too means no osama bin laden too.

I've always tried to be very open minded about religion and I believe this is something spiritual between people and God whom they believe in. I've been raised in a country that people are mostly Muslim and although I've never been that much interested in this religion because of its women right issues I've seen Quran and I've read most of it. I don't know anything about 72? virgins that some people here talk about it, I've never heard of them. But I just here want to quote a few verses of Quran, keep in mind there might be different versions of Islam but there is only one Quran. It says "if someone kills an innocent soul; to God it is like he has killed all people around the world". Also Quran orders death punishment for those who kill another one. Even it says "Eye for an eye". According to this very book this guy (Osama) should die over 3000 times. Calling Osama Bin Laden a Muslim is like accepting all those "so called religious Christian" have done the right thing in the middle ages and it all has been according to Bible. :rolleyes:

Whats all the fuss about John Lennon? He got the idea (for the song) from Forrest Gump.

Lots of people focusing on the "no religion" aspect of the song. What about "no possessions"??

As Elvis Costello wrote in the song "The Other Side Of Summer"..."was it a millionaire who said imagine no possessions?"

Personally I feel this is very much a song of its time (early 70's). Looking back 30 years later it seems simplistic and pretentious. This probably marked the beginning of the end of Lennon's creative contribution. There was a reason that Lennon didn't produce anything between 1975 and 1980...just listen to "Double Fantasy"