My Featured Song（例）

Imagine by John Lennon

"Imagine"

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... Aha-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
Living 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

 I. About the Song

Recorded between May and July of 1971, Imagine may be John Lennon's most popular and most famous song. "Imagine conveyed Lennon's wish for world peace and harmony in simple terms, both musically and lyrically. It was inspired by Cloud Piece, an instructional poem dated Spring 1963 that appeared in Yoko Ono's book Grapefruit" (Imagine).

Imagine the clouds dripping.
Dig a hole in your garden to
put them in.

John Lennon famously said about Imagine, "[Imagine] is anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic... but because it is sugar-coated, it is accepted" (Imagine). 

Personnel on the recording included John Lennon on piano and vocals, Klaus Voorman on bass, Alan White on drums and the Flux Fiddlers on strings. The recording was produced by John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Phil Spector, and was released on Lennon's second solo album, Imagine, after the break-up of the Beatles.

When Imagine was released as a single in the US, it took the #3 spot on the popular music charts. It became a #1 hit in Australia, and it has continued to be played on radio and soundtracks of TV commercials and films to this day. The impact of Imagine has been profound. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, "[it] has been accepted all over the world as a song of peace and unity [for the whole world]" (Ulster).

Works Cited

"Imagine." The Beatles Bible. The Beatles Bible, n.d. Web. 20 July 2016. <https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/john-lennon/songs/imagine/>.

Ulster, Laurie. "The Life & Legacy of John Lennon's 'Imagine'" Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 8 Dec. 2015. Web. 19 July 2016. <http://www.biography.com/news/john-lennon-imagine-song-facts>. 

 II. About the Writer: John Lennon

Singer-songwriter John Winston Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England. At a young age, John's father left his family, and John was raised by his aunt Mimi. During his childhood, John's mother was in and out of his life, and this on-again/off-again relationship with his mother profoundly affected his outlook on life, and may have been a strong influence in his songwriting. 

As a teenager, Lennon formed a skiffle band called the Quarry Men with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and some other boys. This band, with some changes of personnel, notably the addition of Ringo Starr on drums, eventually became the Beatles. From the late 1950s to the early 1960s, the Beatles played continually in bars and clubs in England and Germany. In 1961, Brian Epstein, a local record store owner became the manager of the Beatles helped them change their image, clean up their stage act, and guided them to recording contracts, bigger live venues and world-wide fame. 

From the period of 1963 to 1965 the world experienced 'Beatlemania' during which the Beatles became one of the most famous and popular music groups in the world, and toured many countries in Europe, North America, Asia and in Australia. They produced popular films and many, many top selling records.

By 1970, John Lennon had become tired of being a Beatle, so he decided to quit the Beatles and become a solo artist. During this period of his life, Lennon often co-wrote and performed with his second wife, artist Yoko Ono.

 Lennon's solo career produced a number hit records and very successful albums, including the peace anthem, Imagine. Unfortunately, a mentally disturbed fan shot Lennon to death in December of 1980. Lennon's death shocked and saddened millions of people all over the world, but his legacy of music continues to this day.

Works Cited

"John Lennon." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 19 July 2016. <http://www.biography.com/people/john-lennon-9379045>.

III. Reaction Points
 

A. Reaction Point - Rhyme

• Rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the ends of words.
• There is not a great deal of rhyme used in this song, but there is some, such as 'try' and 'sky' in the first verse, 'do' and 'too' in the second verse and 'can' and 'man' in the third verse. There is no rhyme whatsoever used in the chorus.
• This spare use of rhyme does not detract from the poetic feel of the song. Lennon doesn't require rhyme to make the lyrics sound lyrical. He accomplishes that with simple and deft expression of deep and profound ideas.

 

B. Reaction Point - Theme

• Theme is the central idea of a work of literature.
• The main theme of this song is that we can obtain peace through giving up aspects of personal identity such as religion, political ideology, nationality and materialism. Lennon asks us first to simply imagine a world in which we don't bother with ~isms and ~ideologies.
• The theme of this song has the feeling of being true because most of the conflicts among people occur because of the aspects of personal identity that Lennon lists in the verses of this song.

 

C. Reaction Point - Point of View

• Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told.
• The point of view is 'first person,' that of the writer and singer, Lennon himself.
• By using this point of view, Lennon is talking directly to each and every person who listens to this song. By extension, anyone who sings this songs is giving this message directly to anyone listening to him or her.

 

D. My General Opinion
Imagine is hands down one of best songs of the 20th century. It's only more relevant and important today because the world seems to have even more conflict now in the 21st century than in the 20th century, something that no one thought would be possible. In the future, Imagine will only become more important and more loved as an anthem of peace for all people, and John Lennon will only become more of an icon for having written it.