Born in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed The Quarrymen, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Sometimes called "the smart Beatle", Lennon initially was the group's de facto leader, a role he gradually ceded to McCartney. Through his songwriting in the Beatles, he embraced myriad musical influences, initially writing and co-writing rock and pop-oriented hit songs in the band's early years, then later incorporating experimental elements into his compositions in the latter half of the Beatles' career as his songs became known for their increasing innovation. Lennon soon expanded his work into other media by participating in numerous films, including How I Won the War, and authoring In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works, both collections of nonsense writings and line drawings. Starting with "All You Need Is Love", his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement and the larger counterculture of the 1960s. In 1969, he started the Plastic Ono Band with his second wife, multimedia artist Yoko Ono, held the two-week-long anti-war demonstration Bed-ins for Peace and left the Beatles to embark on a solo career.
Between 1968 and 1972, Lennon and Ono collaborated on many works, including a trilogy of avant-garde albums, several more films, his solo debut John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and the international top-10 singles "Give Peace a Chance", "Instant Karma!", "Imagine", and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". Moving to New York City in 1971, his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a three-year deportation attempt by the Nixon administration. Lennon and Ono separated from 1973 to 1975, during which time he produced Harry Nilsson's album Pussy Cats. He also had chart-topping collaborations with Elton John ("Whatever Gets You thru the Night") and David Bowie ("Fame"). Following a five-year hiatus, Lennon returned to music in 1980 with the Ono collaboration Double Fantasy. He was murdered by a Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman, three weeks after the album's release.
As a performer, writer or co-writer, Lennon had 25 number-one singles in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Double Fantasy, his best-selling album, won the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. That year, he won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2002, Lennon was voted eighth in a BBC history poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer and 38th greatest artist of all time. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (in 1997) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice, as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994).
Studio albums
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Imagine (1971)
Some Time in New York City (with Yoko Ono, 1972)
Mind Games (1973)
Walls and Bridges (1974)
Rock 'n' Roll (1975)
Double Fantasy (with Yoko Ono, 1980)
Milk and Honey (Posthumous with Yoko Ono, 1984)
Experimental studio albums with Yoko Ono
Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (1968)
Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions (1969)
Wedding Album (1969)
Imagine
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
The lyrics to John Lennon's song Imagine are often seen as a call to move beyond our current societal structures, towards a more equitable and peaceful world. The opening lines of the song, "Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try, no hell below us, above us, only sky" encourage listeners to contemplate a world where religious institutions cease to hold such a central place in human life. Lennon speculates that in such a world, people might find greater freedom and compassion.
In the next verse, Lennon invites listeners to imagine a world without national borders, suggesting that this would lead to less violence and division. Furthermore, if we were to eliminate religion, there would "be nothing to kill or die for." Lennon's vision is a deeply humanistic one, looking forward to a future where people live in a state of universal peace, without the restrictions of nationalistic or religious identity.
The final verse encourages us to imagine a world where possessions no longer hold sway over us. In this world, there would be no greed, no hunger, and everyone would share the world's resources equally. Lennon's call for a brotherhood of man is an idealistic vision of society, one that is free from the many forms of inequality and harm that are so prevalent today. While some may criticize Lennon's vision as naive, his optimistic vision of the future continues to inspire people around the world today.
Line by Line Meaning
Imagine there's no heaven
Picture a world where there is no concept or belief in a higher power or afterlife.
It's easy if you try
This world without the notion of heaven is not a difficult idea to envision.
No hell below us
In this world, there is no place of eternal damnation or punishment waiting beneath us.
Above us, only sky
The only thing above us in this world is the vast expanse of the sky.
Imagine all the people
Envision every individual on earth.
Livin' for today
Living in the moment and making the most of each day, without worrying about the past or future.
Ah
An interjection that expresses the writer’s sentiment or emotional reaction to their own lyrics.
Imagine there's no countries
Imagine a world where the concept of nations or dividing borders doesn't exist.
It isn't hard to do
This is not a difficult idea to imagine, it is actually quite achievable.
Nothing to kill or die for
With no countries, there is nothing to fight for or lose one's life over.
And no religion, too
In this world, there is no organized religious belief system, which can sometimes cause conflict.
Imagine all the people
Once again, picture every individual on earth.
Livin' life in peace
Living harmoniously with oneself and others - respecting all lifestyles, choices and opinions.
You
You - the listener, as a member of the global community.
You may say I'm a dreamer
The singer of the song acknowledges that others may see their ideas as idealistic and unlikely to come to fruition.
But I'm not the only one
However, this dream is not a unique or singular one, and many people share the same wish for a better world.
I hope someday you'll join us
The artist hopes that others will also work towards building a better world where people can live without hatred and conflict.
And the world will be as one
The ultimate goal is for the people of the world to come together as one community, united and peaceful.
Imagine no possessions
Think about a world without material belongings, where owning things isn't as important as it is today.
I wonder if you can
The artist acknowledges this idea may be more challenging to imagine for some listeners.
No need for greed or hunger
In this hypothetical world, there is no necessary deprivation caused by a system of haves or have-nots.
A brotherhood of man
The artist dreams of an ideal society where all people are united as siblings, equally important and deserving of respect.
Imagine all the people
Once again, the song urges the listener to picture every individual on earth.
Sharing all the world
Together, people share the resources of the world equally and fairly, without exploitation or greed.
You
The singer addresses the listener again as part of the collective, us - all the people in the world.
You may say I'm a dreamer
The final repetition of this line reiterates the singer's belief that such a world may seem like a dream, idealistic and unattainable.
But I'm not the only one
But again, the singer also reminds the listener that they are not alone in their idealism and hope for the future.
I hope someday you'll join us
Once more, the song ends with a call to action, asking the listener to join the artist and others in creating a better world.
And the world will live as one
The final line of the song states directly the desired outcome of the ideals presented- a united world where peace and harmony reign supreme.
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., CONSALAD CO., Ltd., BUDDE MUSIC FRANCE, Sentric Music
Written by: John Winston Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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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, I
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 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
Cary Swansong
What a beautiful concept. Imagine our children never having to fight in wars. Imagine all that we could be...
Donna Williams
Beautiful song ❤
boogoodie
And yet we still can't live life in peace. Oh how i wish we could. Bless you john.
croober46
RIP John Lennon 1940 to 1980, you will be missed by many.
Chris Pritchard
RIP Alan White, the man who provided the incredible drum part on this track!
Marcus Knoll
Wow...amazing drums...amazing sound on those drums fuck!!!!......wow....rip and John
Ozzy's dreamer brought me here
azeoprop
The most enlightened lyrics ever.
Carlos Rocha
Ninguém baniu esta música nos anos 60, pois ela foi lançada em 1971.
Cécile
Cette chanson n'est pas à écouter au "passé " avec nostalgie...elle EST notre AVENIR 💖🍀🙏😊, soyez confiants