John Lennon, Imagine | Controversial Tunes 😈🎶

On the 31^st edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, “Imagine” by John Lennon. 

B

ring on the controversy, won’t you? Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows and totally stirred the pot.  The records that grace Controversial Tunes are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  On the 31^st edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, 🎵 “Imagine” by 🎙 John Lennon. 

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Theme & Lyrics ✍

“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” is a beloved classic by the late, great 🎙 John Lennon.  It appears as the opener on his 1971 album, also titled 💿 Imagine.  If you mention his name, “Imagine” is undoubtedly the first song that comes to mind.  It is ICONIC to the nth degree.  But guess what? It’s also C-O-N-T-R-O-V-E-R-S-I-A-L. 

 

“Imagine” is a perfect song – timeless! That said, it’s not the inspirational song that it’s wrongly assumed or interpreted to be.  Sure, “Imagine” is thoughtful and uplifting, but it’s not Christian and wasn’t written by a Christian.  John Lennon was an atheist, so any Christian ties to this song come from the respective listener, not Lennon himself. 

“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
I.”

That first verse clearly does NOT align with Christianity.  Sure, you can bend the “Living for today” as a means for morality if you wish but Lennon isn’t supporting your church or any church.  Need more explicit evidence?  Lennon sings on the second verse, “Nothing to kill or die for / And NO religion too.” Amazing that “Imagine” is revered as much as a hymn yet writes off heaven, hell, and, as expected of an atheist, implies the lack of God’s existence. 

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Final Thoughts 💭

So, here’s the deal.  “Imagine” remains an elite masterpiece – one of the greatest songs of all time.  Perhaps if you are a believer, the anti-Christian/anti-God vibes irk and perturb you.  Fair enough.  Nonetheless, it’s hard to deny or fail to acknowledge the utterly sublime art he’s created.  Furthermore, his vision of a utopian society is positive.  It simply fails to acknowledge a higher power or eternity beyond life on earth.

 

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 19 Atheistic, Agnostic & Highly Skeptical Songs
🔗 🎧 11 Stellar, Totally Dreamy Imagine Songs

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🎙 John Lennon • 💿 Imagine • 🏷 EMI • 📅 1971
John Lennon, “Imagine”: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 No. 31 [📷: Aidan Feddersen on Unsplash, Brent Faulkner, EMI, The Musical Hype]

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