Imagine 50 years of John Lennon's 'anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-capitalistic' anthem

ABC South West Vic ^ | 7/5/21 | Matt Neal

[DallasBiff]

"Yoko actually helped a lot with the lyrics, but I wasn't man enough to let her have credit for it," Lennon confessed to reporter David Sheff during a series of interviews for Playboy magazine published just two days before Lennon was shot dead on December 8, 1980.

In early 1971, Lennon finished the lyrics (and Ono's input was officially credited in 2017) and in June that year, he recorded takes at the purpose-built studio at his Tittenhurst Park mansion home — sound engineer Eddie Veale, who helped construct the studio, called it "the first professional home studio in the UK".

[DallasBiff]

Lennon also took some questionable credit for “Eleanor Rigby”, how come “Taxman” isn’t credited to Harrison/Lennon?

[Gay State Conservative]

He urged us to imagine no possessions yet he was worth something like $5 billion when he died. And that was back when a billion dollars was a lot of money.

[hecticskeptic]

It is great to imagine all sorts of things like world peace,...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had a friend with a nice bumper sticker that always gave me a chuckle... “Imagine Whirled Peas” and it had a picture of a bowl of peas being whipped up.

[rllngrk33]

I always thought of that song as a communist anthem.

[dfwgator]

Only A Fool Would Say That

[mfish13]

George Harrison wrote Taxman.

[Gay State Conservative]

One thing he deserves credit for is “And Your Bird Can Sing”...just about the best thing they ever did.

[AceMineral]

The atheist have adopted that song as their answer/equivalent to “Amazing Grace”.

[DallasBiff]

One thing he deserves credit for is “And Your Bird Can Sing”...just about the best thing they ever did.

You are correct every other John song on Revolver was dreadful.

[Torahman]

Undoubtedly the stupidest, if not the the shallowest song ever written. This is the mind of a rich brat who may be well intentioned, but has no idea how he got here, or how to keep the miracle of Western Culture going.

[alstewartfan]

Credit? The repulsive lyrics makes me despise the song.

[Fiji Hill]

I first heard “Imagine” on a German radio station in early 1972. Since the DJ didn’t back-announce, I didn’t know the song’s title nor who sang it until months later. It struck me that it was essentially the Communist Manifesto set to music.

[Fiji Hill]

"Imagine" is a beautiful song, but as Communist anthems go, I prefer this one--written by Hanns Eisler, the brother of Soviet spy Gerhardt Eisler, who hopped a ship and fled to East Germany, making his escape from Richard Nixon and HUAC, who were hot on his tail.

Rise Up!--The New Singers (1935)

[FirstFlaBn]

Lennon on piano in the song. Considering he likely never touched a piano until he was well into his teens and never had one in his home until he was past 22, never took a lesson and couldn’t read music, the piano part is amazing. Both composition and performance.

Lyrics are more often an afterthought, so I ignore these. Nice use of his voice, but the piano is the hook for me. Compelling.

[DennisR]

No way was he worth that much.

[Beowulf9]

“imagine no possessions” as he banged away on his top of the line white Steinway grand and living in one of the most expensive real estate properties in the world in one of the highest priced areas of NY across from Central Park and being worth 600 million dollars.

Tell me about it John.

And while your at it explain to us why Yoko kept John’s first son Julian from inheriting a good portion of his father’s money.

Oh, you’re dead. Well, I guess that ‘imagine no possessions’ is real to you now. However the rest of us are down here struggling along for creature comforts to make the short time here a bit more enjoyable.

[Beowulf9]

Btw,I love John but I’m not blind to his mistaken ideology.

And for all the ‘imagine no possession’ stuff I notice you can’t pry any of it out of Yoko’s tight fists.

[SamuraiScot]

"Yoko actually helped a lot with the lyrics, but I wasn't man enough to let her have credit for it," Lennon confessed to reporter David Sheff during a series of interviews for Playboy magazine published just two days before Lennon was shot dead on December 8, 1980. . .

(So, do you think she set him up?)

[daniel1212]

He urged us to imagine no possessions yet he was worth something like $5 billion when he died. And that was back when a billion dollars was a lot of money.

Well, here is my parody though it still needs some work:

Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy till you die;
No hell below us, Above us, only sky;
Imagine all the people, Livin’ for that lie, A-haa.

Imagine there’s no countries, So there’s more drugs to do.
Nothing to live or die for, And no religion, too.
Imagine all the people, Livin’ for my lie.

You may say I’m a dreamer, But I’m not the only one, I hope someday you’ll join us, So the devil will have won.

Imagine no possessions, I’ll wonder if you can.
But buy my music, Oh brotherhood of man!
Imagine all the people Paying for my $ongs.

You may say I’m a dreamer, But I’m not the only one.
I hope someday you’ll join us, Cause' in Hell you can't run.

[Elsie]

PS... the Columbian kids flat ass lied. Only a moron would believe them.

Or were deceived.

The Great White Throne judgement must take place first.

Last time I looked, it hadn't.