It was on this day thirty years ago that we awoke to the reality that John Lennon had been murdered. The Beatles were the soundtrack of my entire childhood.
My favorite song of all time is Imagine. It absolutely maddens me when people change or drop the lyrics because they're uncomfortable with what he had to say.
We miss you, John. Your voice was the voice of more than one generation and still captures our dreams for a better tomorrow.
In his memory, all of the lyrics:
Imagine
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...
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...
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
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...
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 live as one
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
While I regret that Lennon was killed, I don't think anyone can make the case that as a songwriter he was more than mediocre. I always found Lennon's songs to be condescending, sanctimonious, or puerile or some combination of those. I don't think there was a good one in the bunch.
ReplyDeleteIn that era, Peter, Paul and Mary, the Beach Boys, the Association, the Stones were far better. I'd even take Herman's Hermits over the Beatles any day. Heck I'd take Lawrence Welk over the Beatles.