Imagine There's No Imagine

So you remember when Imagine by John Lennon became shorthand for the greatest song ever written? I do. When it would be seen as nothing short of heresy to think anything to the contrary.

The melody, the glasses, the piano, the pleas, the Yoko, the absolute shite. I am not sorry at all, but no. No. No.

The song is trite, patronising bullshit and I am going to explain why.

That simple melody is fine. Nothing wrong with that. I don't have a problem with a song that relies on a few simple chord changes and progressions because, after all, that's how pop music works.

I don't even mind when the lyrics are purposefully simple because pop music is supposed to be catchy in some way.

Take Everybody Hurts by R.E.M., for instance, an untouchable torchbearer ballad directed at highly stressed, disillusioned and often suicidal teenagers. The simple lyrics cut through everything to reach the head and heart. The simple fingered melody helps. Michael Stipe never sounds anything but sincere and he doesn't try to cover over the absolute horror of modern living. It has a timeless quality even though it was written in the '90s, when there was political unrest, wars, economic uncertainty and issues that made people feel unsafe and unsure about what it meant to be themselves. Just like now.

Now take Imagine. Written by one of the greatest songwriters, one half of one of the greatest songwriting duos and one quarter of one of the best and most influential pop and rock bands of any century.

I say all that because that's what everyone says when they speak highly, sincerely and appropriately about The Beatles. A lot of those things may be arguable in terms of personal taste, but when you consider record sales, concert attendances, their impact on generations of musicians after those ten or so years when The Beatles were everything, and their impact on everything else, it's all factually accurate and almost entirely irrefutable.

I love The Beatles. I love Lennon and McCartney. When I was younger, Lennon was my favourite Beatle. Now it's more likely McCartney or Harrison.

So I am not stirring the shit pot just to be some fucking edge lord.

I genuinely think, under intense scrutiny, that Imagine is not even close to the pedestal it is often put upon. Even when you consider the sentiment. In fact, that's the point of mentioning Everybody Hurts, because I think Lennon was aiming for a meaningful song. Maybe.

But the execution is terrible.

It's not that the lyrics are just simple; they range from infantile to simplistic, meaningless sentiment to vagueness and broad universal themes heralded as wisdom.

It's a curious thing, really, that the same man who wrote Working Class Hero, Nobody Told Me, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and Instant Karma! during his solo career also wrote Imagine. And yet, Imagine is the one most people remember.

I do see where some might argue that that is a good thing.

But.

Barbie Girl by Aqua is memorable.

That song by Gary Glitter is memorable.

So let's not use the "it's memorable, therefore it's great" argument without careful consideration of the underlying truth.

"Imagine there's no countries."

I know what he's trying to say. A borderless world where we all can "live as one". Sounds good on paper.

I'd go as far as to say that it's not impractical without being accused of making excuses for not making changes for the better, but it's actually rather offensive.

Surely one of the greatest things about our planet is the melting pot of cultural, experiential, ethnic and geographical differences?

Get rid of that so we can become like a millionaire?

"Imagine there's no possessions" may be easy if you try. It even makes sense. Hell, I constantly fight my love of stuff by weighing up whether I actually need it or not. And while his intention may have been good, it's hard to look past the fancy clothes, big giant houses and cars. Really hard to reconcile those lyrics with his reality.

Like when we come back to Everybody Hurts and R.E.M.'s entire career and body of work in general, there's a sincerity and they often acted, spoke out and backed up the sentiments of their music.

Imagine is a childlike fantasy posing as a sociopolitical rant.

I feel comforted when I listen to Everybody Hurts, moved when I listen to Your Song, engaged when I listen to Perfect Day, roused when I listen to Bohemian Rhapsody and at peace when I listen to Feeling Good.

All relatively simple songs, all with earned sincerity that doesn't treat the listener like children or try to preach to them.

Imagine there's no Imagine, only Working Class Hero, Beautiful Boy and Happy Xmas. Imagine all the other great songs Lennon wrote for us.

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm damn fucking sure I'm not the only one.