"Imagine" is John Lennon's account of the perfect world. His ideas epitomize the hippie movement and reflect the thoughts and feelings of many during the late 1960's and early 1970's. He writes about everyone in this world living as one, sharing our world without boundaries we know as countries, or religions that seem to restrict universal understanding.
His plea for peace and brotherhood is captured in his lyrics:
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 believe his song had a huge impact during this era. It was obvious that many (known as hippies) wanted peace, but Lennon's words bring a new perspective: he protests the notion that we need to eliminate frontiers that hinder our ability to be "brothers" and "share" the world. His lyrics are soft, but portray a loud message: this is our world, and its up to us to band together and create peace.
I also think Lennon was careful not to impose his ideas onto his listeners. He carefully asks us to "Imagine" and "hopes one day you'll join us." He was the poet who accurately reflected what society may have been calling out for during wartime.
I believe John Lennon was a major catalyst in the social justice and peace revolution, and "Imagine" was a main factor in categorizing him so.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I think you made a great point when you said Lennon doesn't force his beliefs on people. I think this is important for a protest because many people are turned off by protests that are too demanding. For example, many people disagree with PETA because they try and force their views on others.
I really like how you prove that you like this song by including lyrics and an accurate explanation of the song. Lennon is pretty deep, and sometimes i think that there is more to this song than I think because I tend to expect that from this musical genious. Im not so sure if I agree with you on lennon not imposing on teh listeners in this song...
Post a Comment