February 28, 2004
ON FIRST LOOKING INTO CHAPMAN'S HOMER:
Imagining John Lennon's Utopia (Byron Matthews)
John Lennon, a famously prolific songwriter, today is most remembered for his 1971 utopian anthem, "Imagine". The song appeared as the title track on Lennon's second post-Beatles album, and it represents the pop icon's deepest musical foray into the realm of political and economic philosophy. Just how strongly Lennon is identified with the song is suggested by the title chosen for his 1988 film portrait, Imagine: John Lennon. Then there was the 2000 release Gimme Some Truth – The Making of John Lennon's "Imagine", which included scenes from an earlier film by Lennon and wife Yoko Ono, entitled – you guessed it – Imagine. The unpopular War in Viet Nam made the song an immediate hit, and it remains the best-loved number in the pacifist hymnal more than thirty years later. It's a good bet that more candles and Bic lighters have been waved in the air to "Imagine" than to all else combined, "Kumbaya" included. In the plaintive voice of the since tragically murdered Lennon, "Imagine" can carry an emotional punch, especially when experienced as the reverent keening of a solemn nighttime gathering of believers in the dream. In the midst of so much hopeful sincerity, even an inveterate cynic could find himself fumbling for his Bic somewhere in the second verse. But what, exactly, was Lennon asking us to imagine? The answer leaves no doubt that Lennon should have stuck to singing about yellow submarines.A sort of musical What Is To Be Done?, "Imagine" is Lennon's prescription for dragging ourselves out of the bloody trenches of war, at long last to "live as one" in the Brotherhood of Man. The secret is to get rid of the three things that have been putting us at each other's throats: religion, countries, and possessions. (How Lennon missed using "A Modest Proposal" as a prankish subtitle remains a mystery to this day.) A website devoted to John Lennon and "Imagine" once asked readers what they thought the song was about. Not exactly a stumper, the answers were about what you'd predict, only with worse spelling. But someone posted this Socratic bucket of cold water: "Are these lyrics not the promise made by communism?" Hmm. Maybe it's time for a dry-eyed look at Lennon's program. Do history and everyday experience suggest that abolishing religion, nations, and private property is the road to a world of peace and plenty? Or did Lennon actually write a prescription for political oppression and economic failure, for a society opposite in every important respect from the enticing vision he intended to promote?
As it happens, I was in college when he was shot and at the campus pub. I turned to another conservative and we high-fived. (Yes, I know, this was terribly insensitive.) We barely made it out alive.... Posted by Orrin Judd at February 28, 2004 4:51 PM
Actually, I think it was Ringo Starr who did lead vocals on "Yellow Submarine". Otherwise, the article is pretty much spot on. I was quite upset when Lennon was murdered, but I don't consider "Imagine" one of his best songs, not by a long shot. John's musical low points generally came when he tried to be explicitly political (cf. "Some Time In New York City", generally acknowledged to be his worst solo album.)
Posted by: Joe at February 28, 2004 7:18 PMYears ago I sat bolt upright in my theater seat when "Imagine" was played as the coda to The Killing Fields. For a moment I thought it was savage irony, juxtaposing this paean to the Khmer Rouge intellectual program with their handiwork, but then I realized that wasn't remotely thinkable. The moviemakers and the entire rest of the audience were just utterly oblivious.
Posted by: Kelly at February 28, 2004 7:30 PMImagine being married to Yoko Ono. Wait, don't.
I can remember arguing with a teacher in middle school that the song was Communist propaganda.
Posted by: Carter at February 28, 2004 7:30 PM"I turned to another conservative and we high-fived. (Yes, I know, this was terribly insensitive.) We barely made it out alive...."
Eugh...congratulations?
Posted by: John at February 28, 2004 7:40 PMThis is my right, a right given by God
To live a free life, to live in Freedom
[...]
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom
Anyone, who wants to take it away
Will have to answer, Cause this is my right
--Paul McCartney, "Freedom" 2001
Posted by: David Hill, The Bronx at February 28, 2004 7:40 PMWhen I get stuck singing Imagine with my musical friends, here's what I belt out for the second verse:
Imaging no possessions. No food or water too.
No children's toys or comforts. And there's not much to do.
Imagine all the people living in the dirt.
You may say I'm a cynic, yeah I'll admit I'm one,
I've seen great ideas ruin millions of lives, and this is just another one!
Oh Conservative humour. Hilarious.
Posted by: John at February 28, 2004 8:19 PMJohn:
It's a real good thing you weren't around for our reaction to Kent State, you'd really be disgusted.
Posted by: oj at February 28, 2004 8:43 PMHa, I bet. To each his own; it wouldn't be half as fun if we all agreed.
Posted by: John at February 28, 2004 8:54 PMHow this became Lennon's most beloved song is beyond me - at least a dozen of his Beatles efforts are better than this one. (On the short list: "If I Fell", "In My Life", "Julia", "I'm Only Sleeping", "Tomorrow Never Knows" ... heck, even "I Am the Walrus" is better than "Imagine"!)
If you want a solo Lennon tune to represent his life, you are better served with "Instant Karma" - I still get chills when I hear it. That tune is absolutely joyous, which you can't say about "Imagine" - Lennon doesn't sound eager to attain this man-made paradise he mumbles about.
Posted by: John Barrett Jr. at February 28, 2004 9:30 PMThe musical mobile over my kid's crib plays "Imagine." Musically speaking, it's a pretty melody and makes a soothing lullaby....but I am glad the kid can't hear the lyrics.
Posted by: Foos at February 28, 2004 9:59 PMLennon was a very talented musician, but he was not a deep thinker. The opposite of Imagine:
ONLY A FOOL WOULD SAY THAT
A world become one
Of salads and sun
Only a fool would say that
A boy with a plan
A natural man
Wearing a white stetson hat
Unhand that gun begone
There's no one to fire upon
If he's holding it high
He's telling a lie
CHORUS:
I heard it was you
Talkin' 'bout a world
Where all is free
It just couldn't be
And only a fool would say that
The man in the street
Draggin' his feet
Don't wanna hear the bad news
Imagine your face
There is his place
Standing inside his brown shoes
You do his nine to five
Drag yourself home half alive
And there on the screen
A man with a dream
CHORUS
Anybody on the street
Has murder in his eyes
You feel no pain
And you're younger
Then you realize
CHORUS
http://www.steelydan.com/lyrthrill.html#track5
Anyone remember an Elvis Costello tune mocking Lennon, something about "millionaires telling us to imagine no possessions"?
Posted by: meen at February 28, 2004 10:29 PMI could have a little utopia for $250 million.
Posted by: Sandy P. at February 29, 2004 12:45 AMBack when I was ignorant, I thought "Imagine" was some kind of anthem. Now it nearly makes me ill. Along with "Happy Christmas/Give Peace a Chance". Yeah, let's just put a flower in everybody's rifle that will fix it all up. Pffffft. I'm reading "Mountains Beyond Mountains" right now, which is excellent, and one of the points Dr. Paul Farmer makes is that religion is the only thing to hold onto for most poor people in the world - what have they got except faith? "No religion too"? Shut the hell up, John.
I too was in college when Lennon was murdered, but to me at that time it seemed more like a generational hero had died. I still admire much of what Lennon did, with the Beatles and solo, and I agree with the comment above about "Instant Karma" being great, but the bloom is off that rose now.
Posted by: Jeff Brokaw at February 29, 2004 8:52 AMI was in Quantico at the Basic School, on a three day exercise when I heard that he had died. A few of my fellow lieutenants gave an "ooh-rah", but we were mostly shocked. A lot of people liked him for his music, if not his politics.
Posted by: Robert Duquette at February 29, 2004 10:17 AMJust so, Jeff. For my own part, I believe Lennon did his best work with the Beatles, especially when he and McCartney were actually collaborating as a team. In fact, upon thinking more on this, it seems to me that it's McCartney's contributions that have stood the test of time better - which is amusing considering how Lennon partisans have for so long derided McCartney's music as being schmaltzy and poppy.
Posted by: Joe at February 29, 2004 10:18 AMJoe, you got that right; you don't suspect John allegedly dropping acid over 500 times has anything to do with it, do ya? ;-)
I felt that way when Karen Carpenter died.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 1, 2004 1:40 AMI felt that way when Kurt Cobain died. I believe I ordered a pizza to celebrate.
Posted by: Chris at March 1, 2004 7:24 AMHarry:
As Kinky Friedman said: if only she and Mama Cass had split that ham sandwich.
Posted by: oj at March 1, 2004 8:30 AMYou didn't mention that "Imagine" is The Most Overplayed song on Oldies stations. The only thing I can compare it to is the Twisted Sister videos back when I first got MTV in the mid-Eighties.
But then, a couple years ago (allegedly in the 21st Century) the PA system where I work was on an "oldies" station. Less than twenty songs in the playlist (repeated endlessly like Twisted Sister on 1985 MTV) and every single one fell into one of three groups:
1) DOPE IS GROOVY!
2) GET OUT OF VIETNAM!
3) "Imagine" by John Lennon.
We almost went postal. (The PA is now on a classical station, and there is much rejoicing.)
Posted by: Ken at March 1, 2004 12:27 PM