He sang Imagine there's no country, not no people. He also changed the original lyric. Instead of no immigration, it was "and no religion, too" And instead of "sisterhood and man" it was just "a brotherhood of man".
And then four years later in December 1980 the Cia assassinated him after he won his green card in 1976,they were scared of his political views 😮RIP truth speaker and fellow scouser John Lennon. @StanSwan
That's why first reactions should be on the original album version because of the originality of composure, lyrics, ideas,sound,instruments and the vocalist probably best performance. After move on to the live versions. A lot of lives have problems with amplifiers, sound, lack of some musicians required and vocalist might not be at his best. Some are great but I would listen to the original first.
When he said no immigration I believe he was referring to the dept of immigration since they were trying to kick John out of the country for a long time.
Think he said before that something like imagine if there are no countries. That would mean that there is no immigration since countries wouldnt exist but rather just our earth.
@sliceofheaven3026 You beat me to it lol. The immigration line was improvised; the original line was "and no religion too." John was expressing his frustration with the US government's attempts to kick him and Yoko out of the country.
@@timpwhityou are correct about that immigration line. It was a tongue in cheek slap at his immigration problems at the time. Lennon sometimes could not resist tweaking someone’s nose.
Its a very simple message , get rid of all the causes of conflict and war, no religion, no borders, no things to own, everything that people fight and die for. Just live for each other and today.
after John Lennon's murder this song was played around the world at a prearranged time. It was the first time over a billion people listened to the same song at the same time.
John wrote this in 1971. All these years later, and nothing has changed really. Actually, society has gotten worse and the world is falling apart. Especially the USA. This song always makes me cry. 😢 Great reaction, Britt! ✌🏼❣️
What a great reaction. I love ❤❤ this song. It is inspirational, has beautiful Message & we all should try a little harder. I remember where I was the exact minute he departed this earth. I swear the earth stood still for a minute, just like when elvis departed this earth. It's a shame to lose such beautiful souls so young. Peace & Love to all. ✌️✌️✌️
This song is John Lennon in a nutshell -- he's preaching peace and love, but doing it in a really challenging and thought-provoking way. He's basically questioning the very foundations of civilization that we all take for granted: Countries. Religions. Possessions. What would society look like if we could rebuild from the ground up, with 20-20 hindsight, and leave out all the things that separate us from each other?
The immigration line was thrown in because he was in the middle of a battle with US immigration, who, under the Nixon administration, was trying to deport him, an English man living in NYC.
He is saying if the things people war over were removed (religion, nations, wealth and resources), the people of the world could live together in peace. Its a wonderful impossible dream .
Thank you for this, Britt. This song has resonated with so many all of these years. John is my favorite Beatle since the 60s when I was a kid. I recently heard Chris Cornell sing this on a video during a Howard Stern show. Just stunning RIP John and Chris ❤❤❤
You should have seen John in the early 1960's leather jackets, ray bans, and generally a pretty cool dude. You could never tell the master genius that was lying underneath.
This is such an amazing song. The lyrics are so so good. You should watch the Pentatonix version. I know you love them as much as I do. John would be proud.
He's not suggesting that we give up all possessions leaving everyone with nothing, Quite the opposite. He's saying that every one should have everything, and share everything. A beautiful vision, indeed.
We listened to this song back in the early 70s. We felt it was part of the peace and love vibe, coming just two years after Woodstock which was all about peace and love and drugs and vomiting and rain and mud and overflowing porta-potties and food helicoptered in. Imagine was very much a statement. I have never seen a video of it being performed. This is the first time I've seen that. Way back then we listened to Imagine on records- black vinyl platters played with a needle creating sound when the platter spun. The olden days. 🙂
There’s a story that while he was in grammar school. The students were assigned a task by the teacher to write down what they wanted to be when they grew up. The only thing he wrote on the paper was HAPPY. The teacher told him he didn’t understand the assignment and he told her that she didn’t understand life.
Like a poetry reading and the author does a couple/three adlibs beyond the original text like adding "sisterhood" (likely Yoko's influence). Julian is his oldest son is now in his 60's and sounds much like his father. He recently did 'Imagine" because he could emotionally finally actually record it.
one of the best songs ever written......unfortunately people who dare to preach peace , love and harmony between all ......get murdered . says a lot about humans!
Lennon had always had a critical perception of what he symbolized and how he felt he appeared to the general public. You might want to check out his song, "Working Class Hero". (FYI: In the original Phil Specter version, the words "...and no religion too" was changed in this version to "...and no immigration too", interesting choice and very topical to the current politics of our era.)
The 60's was one of the most socially progressive times ever, in a good way. Everybody wanted to love everyone, no matter religion, politics, race, or country your from. The 60's was about love. It's like everyone forgets we did better 60 years ago than what the media thinks we are doing today. YES I know this is a 70's song, but JOHN told me himself he wrote this five years ealier. He wrote it with Yoko, and she isn't the devil you think she is.... she was right. John by himself with one album was better than the beatles with a decade (I AM JOKING, but I would like to hear rebuttles anyways).
It's one of his lesser songs actually. None of the attitudes in the song are in any way related to the way rank and file humans live their lives. It's an anthem for those who preen and posture in public, but don't walk the walk. One of the positive developments in Lennon's attitudes, at the end of his life, was his complete disgust with the way President Jimmy Carter was driving the country into the ground. He expressed to several people that if he had the vote in the US he'd vote for Ronald Reagan in 1980. That is one thing about Lennon that I very much "imagine" with satisfaction.
Hey Britt! This is by far my favorite John Lennon tune, as a peace and love for all type of guy myself. I would love to see you react to "Here to Love" by my man, Lenny Kravitz! He was awarded his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today, which is great, and he is nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. I love him so much, can you tell? I love you too, girlfriend.
You're very intuitive, I've noticed that before. You also really listen to the lyrics, and try to make sense of them. You've gotten things that I've seen other's not even have a clue! You also make all this very entertaining to us, for that, I thank you. Thank you for bringing back songs of my time and appreciating them as much as we did.
Every government agency wanted to deport John Lennon and he had to fight to stay here ironically if he was deported he may still be alive!!!There were several reasons they wanted him out but ultimately there is no money in peace
You got my subscription after this strong reaction. This album, where this song comes from, has been my oldest record ever and i love this song in particular. My grandma bought it for me when i was 11 years., i think 1971. Thanks grandma!
He had the most beautiful soul. I don't know if it's true I heard there was statements made that the government was very Leary of John because people would listen to him. He had such a large following. And I have to admit I was one of them. I'll never forget when he was murdered. I never cried so hard except one other time. And that's when Elvis died. I couldn't understand how someone could take such a beautiful soul. All he ever talked And sang about was love and peace. I used to say that when I pass away.I wanted this song and unchained melody put on my headstone.
John and Yoko spent a week in bed as a protest for peace. The Beatles did a song called, "The Ballad of John and Yoko" that tells about the couple and describes the bed protest and John says (in the song) "The newspaper says, say what are you doing in bed, I said, we're only trying to get us some peace".😂
look at the version of him and Yoko playing in a big white room and he is playing the piano and you can understand the lyrics. He was shot and killed outside hs apartment in NYC
Have you seen the video of his song, #9 Dream (Ultimate Mix 2020) with the Plastic Ono Nuclear Band? The opening guitar solo was played by Native American Indian Jesse Ed Davis.
Britt, I am making a career out of watching and enjoying you music reactors on YT, and I cannot think of any reactor I have seen who "gets" John Lennon as well as you do!! I can't remember if you have reacted to "Working Class Hero" yet, but if you haven't you should definitely put it on your list!! Peace and Love!!
John had a tendency of changing lyrics in his songs at concerts. His is the actual lyrics for Imagine: Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us, only sky Imagine all the people Livin' for today Ah 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 Livin' life in peace You 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 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 You 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 Songwriter: John Winston Lennon
From an interview with David Scheff in December 1980: Despite the concept of unity that Lennon touched on with David Sheff, the song was also inspired by the communist movement. Lennon later confirmed that the similarities between his ideals set out in the song and Communism were indeed deliberate: “‘Imagine’, which says: ‘Imagine that there was no more religion, no more country, no more politics,’ is virtually the Communist Manifesto, even though I’m not particularly a Communist and I do not belong to any movement.”
The important element. It's not a statement. He only says "imagine".And as far as religion goes, this was back in a time where there was actually more religious wars. Even Catholics v. Protestants in Ireland.
The US Govt. was trying to kick him out of the country hence the reference to immigration. He changed the words several times in this version, best to watch the OG video.
It´s certainly his most iconic solo song. Lennon was a very interesting person. He was a quite dark person with an aggressive past, but tried hard to change himself and the world. It´s worth watching interviews with him, he´s very intelligent and brutally honest.
"When are you going to tell me you realise I'm a psychic?", "When are we going to have that conversation?". If you are a psychic you won't need to ask.
Enjoying your reactions Britt, especially to John Lennon. You’re very perceptive and really do ‘get’ John’s honesty in his music and his character- its those traits that have really drawn so many fans. By no means was he perfect, he made many mistakes, but he always wrote from his heart and its his soul you feel through his voice and music. ❤ ✌️🕊️
This song came out in 1971. I was a young girl and the beauty of the music captured me. But the lyrics bothered me, Bothered me a lot. "Imagine there is no Heaven"? that was a terrifying thing to imagine to me. Why would I want to do that? As I would continue to hear that song and pick up on more of the lyrics, it bothered me more and more. I had my own dreams and imaginations throughout my teens and I still do, but never, ever the things John Lennon imagined. John Lennon was so messed up on drugs and rich enough that he could stay in a perpetual world of his imagination. And I thank the Lord that it stayed in Lennon's on mind and could not be a reality. I have always thought that John Lennon had a sad and troubled life.
You can also take from it that maybe the heaven you seek can also be found in sharing love and kindness in this world we live in. Heaven existing in all our dimensions from conception to birth to life to death and beyond, all "live as one."
@@vampfashions Well coming from Lennon, it could mean anything. But considering he paired that in the same verse as imaging no hell, he was talking about ‘heaven’ as the same Heaven of the Christian faith. And he said to imagine no heaven and no hell. So he isn’t talking about a heaven or earth kind of thing. He is talking about his own idea of a perfect place, which only exist in his mind. A world that is perfect to him. A world that he creates in his mind to suit him.
When he said "imagine no immigration", he changed the lyrics from "imagine no religion". At the time of this performance the U.S, government was trying to kick John out of the country due to his immigration status. He was incredibly popular and publicly vocal about his opposition to the American War in Vietnam. You should see the documentary, "The U.S. vs John Lennon". You can view the trailer here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NTfyVYqYL90.html
