Imagine - John Lennon

Who doesn’t know Imagine by John Lennon? Lennon released this song after his decorated career with the Beatles and is one of the world’s most iconic songs. Boasting over half a billion plays on Spotify, this song is a cultural phenomenon. In it Lennon yearns for a world where people are united to act in one another’s best interests, a world where there is no conflict and or troubles plaguing humanity. This song took on meaning after Lennon’s death in 1980, and became a call for people across the world to come together. Remember that video of all those celebrities during the pandemic singing it to… sing it? Not sure what the point of that was, it was embarrassing. Oh right, it was to show everyone how the multi-millionaires are just like us regular folks! Talk about tone-deaf. The song has been used in much more poignant and meaningful ways; former president Jimmy Carter is on record saying that you hear the song “used almost equally as national anthems” across the world. The track’s somber and hopeful tone and lyrics lend to it being used in such ways, but some may be surprised about the song’s original intentions. Lennon confirmed that Imagine was partially inspired by the communist movement. Not a self-described communist himself, Lennon drew on aspects of the Communist Manifesto - no more country, politics, or religion - to create the message. What’s fascinating is that he did so in a way that everyone from every political background knows and enjoys this song. I personally know a person or two that would refuse to accept that the song that they know and love is promoting Marxist ideology. But it’s still a nice song with goals that we can strive towards as one, so maybe we’ll let this one stay our little secret.

By Evan