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17 November 2015
6.04am
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Joe
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Imagine single artwork (UK) - John Lennon

Written by: Lennon
Recorded: c.20-28 May, 4-5 July 1971
Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector

Released: 8 October 1971 (UK), 9 September 1971 (US)

John Lennon: vocals, piano
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Alan White: drums
The Flux Fiddlers: strings

Available on:
Imagine
Power To The People – The Hits
Live In New York City
John Lennon Anthology
Wonsaponatime
Acoustic

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1 January 2016
10.05am
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Ahhh Girl
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Nice interpretation of the song’s meaning by Will Burns writing for Forbes.

Think about John Lennon ’s lyric in his famous utopian anthem Imagine , “Imagine all the people living life in peace.” It’s a nice thought, but how does one imagine that, exactly? When people are living life in peace are they just sitting around smiling at each other? Is peace just the absence of war?

If so, it’s not enough.

I think the operative phrase in Lennon’s lyric is “living life” – as in, “Imagine all the people (actively) living life in peace.” The real damage of war is that it prohibits people from actively living their lives. Imagine what would have been created had some form of war not prohibited it.

More at the link.

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1 November 2016
10.13am
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Leppo
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Imagine gets a bashing in this article (as well as some Beatles songs) which I think is harsh http://nypost.com/2016/10/28/i…..-all-time/  It’s not the first time I’ve heard people state they dislike Imagine but it surprises me as I think it’s a great song. Are the lyrics a little too idealistic?

Pivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118:  Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives. 

1 November 2016
11.28am
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Starr Shine?
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Musically it is a very dull and boring song.

https://youtu.be/52nwiTs7bk8

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1 November 2016
11.51am
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meanmistermustard
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Imagine ‘ is an ok song that has been shoved down my throat so much under the impression it’s world changing that I got fed up of it. Throw in Yoko’s incessant ploy of marketing John’s legacy on the song to the point that you get a totally false image of John’s life and it becomes a total irritation.

To me John has far better and more significant solo pieces of music that define his catalogue and life.

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1 November 2016
11.56am
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Shamrock Womlbs
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it’s a nice dull and boring pop song

"I Need You by George Harrison"

1 November 2016
12.12pm
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Leppo
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I’m still surprised at the responses as I don’t regard it as dull and boring and I don’t get tired of hearing it. I think it’s a great melody. I also think John once deflected some of the alleged hypocrisy in the lyrics by stating that our “possessions” are not necessarily physical but also mental.

 

Or was that a cop out? a-hard-days-night-john-6

Pivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118:  Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives. 

1 November 2016
12.35pm
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Shamrock Womlbs
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i was joking, i meant:

Shamrock Womlbs said
it’s a nice dull and boring pop song  

"I Need You by George Harrison"

1 November 2016
3.29pm
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sir walter raleigh
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I think Imagine is a songwriting feat. It has a very nice tune with simple chords and simple lyrics, with few other artists having written about such idealistic themes and gotten away with it. 

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1 November 2016
5.05pm
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William Shears Campbell
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I think it’s a pretty decent song.  The problem is, it’s overplayed and over marketed.  I’d probably like it more if it didn’t define John Lennon and his legacy.  I mean when people talk of John Lennon , that’s the only song that’s referenced.  He had so many other great songs that it makes me sad that Imagine is now the definition of his music.

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"Sometimes I wish I was just George Harrison" - John Lennon

 

1 November 2016
8.49pm
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sgtpepper63
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William Shears Campbell said
I think it’s a pretty decent song. The problem is, it’s overplayed and over marketed. I’d probably like it more if it didn’t define John Lennon and his legacy. I mean when people talk of John Lennon , that’s the only song that’s referenced. He had so many other great songs that it makes me sad that Imagine is now the definition of his music.

Instant Karma is another John Lennon solo song that’s fairly popular even to this day and Don’t Stop Believing is a million times more overplayed than Imagine .

1 November 2016
9.00pm
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Starr Shine?
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Might be because Don’t Stop Believing is a better song.

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https://youtu.be/52nwiTs7bk8

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2 November 2016
12.13am
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William Shears Campbell
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@sgtpepper63 said

William Shears Campbell said
I think it’s a pretty decent song. The problem is, it’s overplayed and over marketed. I’d probably like it more if it didn’t define John Lennon and his legacy. I mean when people talk of John Lennon , that’s the only song that’s referenced. He had so many other great songs that it makes me sad that Imagine is now the definition of his music.

Instant Karma is another John Lennon solo song that’s fairly popular even to this day and Don’t Stop Believing is a million times more overplayed than Imagine .  

I feel like people would know Love before Instant Karma .  Most people that I know, only know Imagine .

Here | There | Everywhere

It's ya boi!  The one and only Billy Shears (AKA Paul's Replacement)

"Sometimes I wish I was just George Harrison" - John Lennon

 

2 November 2016
4.21am
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O Boogie
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It’s only a bloody song, as John said. 

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For tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the Sun

2 November 2016
4.47am
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meanmistermustard
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Starr Shine? said
Might be because Don’t Stop Believing is a better song.  

It’s really not. ‘DSB’ is an excruciatingly painful song that is now played anywhere you go seemingly regardless of the circumstance or event.

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2 November 2016
7.13am
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Starr Shine?
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It has more life to it than Imagine . Sounds like everyone was asleep while making it.

Also John doesn’t have to be Imagine . It’s a fantasy like if I sang a song about walking on walls.

https://youtu.be/52nwiTs7bk8

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2 November 2016
8.23am
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Leppo
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Not believing in heaven/hell, past/future and wanting social justice & peace is a fantasy?

Pivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118:  Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives. 

2 November 2016
8.28am
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Starr Shine?
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Leppo said
Not believing in heaven/hell, past/future and wanting social justice & peace is a fantasy?  

I mean the whole song is Imagine if this happened, Imagine everyone living in peace, Imagine no hell below us, The whole song is about imagining what a world like that would be like.

https://youtu.be/52nwiTs7bk8

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2 November 2016
8.59am
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Pablo Ramon
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It is brilliantly sung, among other things…but it is grotesquely overplayed and over-marketed, particularly in the way it has been used to paint John as some sort of patron saint of social justice when what he actually was – a human being with human flaws – was far more interesting…

2 November 2016
9.32am
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Leppo
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I think the philosophy behind the lyrics (perhaps borrowed from Yoko) was that the first step to making something a reality is to imagine it. Maybe it’s another way of saying “Don’t be scared to dream”.

Pivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118:  Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives. 

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