Imagine

Any man that could express poetic words with such musical grace and warmth as John Lennon did, was, for me, a very personal and instinctive awakening! Thank You John!!!

One of the simplest songs John ever wrote, yet it's about a rather complex issue. The idea of world peace and racial tolerance, which most everyone claims to want, will never be realized John feels, because each race wants it on their terms — a very unrealistic notion.

The first thing we notice is the child-like title of the song. The unsophisticated heading, IMAGINE, immediately warns us not to be so serious, and to just relax and think dreamily for a moment about the enormous possibilities man has if we were to sincerely apply ourselves and not think selfishly or fearfully. It may also indicate a bit of sarcasm that man is already in a child-like state with it's fantasies of heaven and hell, and it would take added "imagination" to extract ones self away from those illusions in order for us to see the necessary reality of what it takes to achieve our goals. For example: If a child believed there were monsters under the bed, a parent may help the child to "imagine" that the monsters were eaten by friendly protective Casper-like ghost, and thus no more monsters and nothing to fear. John tells us to imagine other possibilities that are actually more real and believable than the world as it is now.

The song begins: "Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky."

John informs us, that in his view, the first order of business is that mankind needs to do away with the silly notions of religion — especially Christian religion. He notes that man has got to dispel the concepts of heaven and hell before one can think clearly about how to achieve peace, racial acceptance, and putting a stop to world hunger. John felt heaven and hell were infantile ideas man put upon himself, burdening our ability to see clearly.

"Imagine all the people. Living for today."

John ask that we imagine everyone "living for today," and not wallow in the past or future. The very idea that heaven awaits us leaves too many folks in the continuing dream of a "promised and better" life after death, thus they miss out on the ideals of the one and only real life they will ever know. For most of us, changing the world is too much work, so it's easier to fantasize about a nicer, pleasanter, place after death, where the work has already been done for us.

"Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. And no religion too."

Here is where John makes the point that the ideal of world peace and racial tolerance will never be realized because each race demands it on their conditions. John's saying the borders that define each counties territory would need to be abolished if humans ever wish to realize their dreams of brotherhood. I am quite sure John knew that ridding man's boundaries was an impossible task, but he let's us know anyway that that's what it would take to achieve a world union. Personally, I have problems with converting my thoughts from quarts and pounds, to kilos and liters, let alone accepting a world without borders. Humans are naturally protective of their cultures and race, thus borderlines are drawn whether for the right reasons or not.

"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."

In the chorus John knows he is laughed at and ridiculed by many for being a dreamer, but instead of being upset by it, he instead reminds us that we are all dreamers to some degree, whether it be our beliefs in ghost, Gods, prophets, UFO's etc. And nearly every kid, when asked what they wish to see less of in the world, will usually reply, "I wish there were no hungry people." Or "I wish there weren't any wars." Are they dreamers, or are they the realist?

"Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger. A brotherhood of man."

No possessions? It is incredibly hard to consider such a world when our whole life we've known only one way, like money, those pieces of paper that everyone goes Ga Ga over, which controls our thoughts more than any item in the world. We will spend hours shopping, looking at the quality of the products and their cost, in determining whether it's a good buy or not. We will drive by gas stations because the station down the road is selling their gas for a nickel a gallon less. We plan and save to purchase homes, cars, and businesses. We may pursue yard sales, auctions, and antique shops looking for those items that were well worth the price. We'll spend money we don't have on lotteries in the hopes of gaining a fortune. We'll work long hours each day for bigger pay checks while our lives tick the days away without ever truly living. We'll balance our budgets and check books with care, knowing a careless transaction will have consequences, and so on. I recently observed, for about 15 minutes, a lady attempt to extract a quarter with a fork from a cafe floor. She was relentless! I had crazy-glued it, and sat back to watch in amusement the human behaviors and reactions at those who tried to get the quarter. I never realized how much effort others will put in, in the hopes of acquiring even a small profit. Our lust for more of everything is evident everywhere.

"Imagine all the people, sharing all the world."

Yes, I can imagine it John, but the system that has been devised by man is here to stay I think. The class divisions, money, drugs, possessions, political and corporate criminals, etc. have numbed us into disillusionment.

"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."

One thing I think most people will agree with, is although John Lennon knew realistically that the world would never imagine what he imagined, he was however always hopeful.