One of the greatest things about writing a blog is the knowledge that someone, somewhere is reading your words, and they either agree or disagree with the opinions that you have. Most of the time, the words are just used for the reader's own internal debate, and sometimes the reader feels passionately enough about a subject to leave a comment for me.
I love comments, cause it justifies why I do this. Knowing that people read allows me to feed my ego, and continue on with the process (thanks to all who comment, and a big shout out to Sue, who almost always does so!) No matter if you agree, disagree, laugh, cry, or scream at what I write, your opinion is just as important as the words I write.
Sometimes, I feel passionate enough to respond to the comments. If you weren't around for the Cat Stevens Fiasco, then you might not know what I mean...but if you were around for that, you DEFINITELY know what I mean!!
Anyway, my recent post attracted a new reader whose comment I would love to respond to. The post in question, 5 Things I'll Never Understand, listed as one of the things the fact that radio stations cut the ends off of songs. To this, a reader named "Jose" responded:
"LYRICS!!! The one I can't stand is IMAGINE. For example, imagine there is no religion. Someone should shoot the godless communist that wrote that one."
(He goes on to say a few more things that you can read for yourself in the comments section of the post.)
For those of you not in the know, I am a huge Beatles fan, huge John Lennon fan, and I cannot keep my lips buttoned on this comment. I will leave the comment up, because I believe in people having their opinions, but I will have to respond to it, and here is my answer to you, Jose...
A few years back, I was watching a program about lyrics in songs. It was about how kids are drawn to violence because of the lyrics in songs from Twisted Sister, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, etc...and then the show had a preacher-type guy on there who was "analysing" an Alice in Chains tune called "Man in the Box."
Preacher Man said it's songs like "Man in the Box" that are teaching kids to hate religion, to turn their backs on God and other such anti-religious things in nature. Why?
"Just listen to the lyrics," he pointed out. As a clip of the music video played, he helped us understand the lyrics.
"Feed my eyes...can you sew them shut...Jesus Christ...deny your maker..."
"See how clear it is, they are telling you to deny your maker!!" he exclaimed.
The show then went to another song. This enraged me, being an Alice in Chains fan, because I know that song, and I know how it ends...
"Feed my eyes...can you sew them shut...Jesus Christ...deny your maker...HE WHO TRIES...WILL BE WASTED!!"
Hello!! When you take the song completely in context, you see the rest of the story. They aren't saying deny your maker, they are saying IF you deny Him, you will be wasted. This isn't an anti-religion song, it's actually a PRO-religion song if anything! (Actually, the song is speaking out against animal cruelty and censorship, NOT against religion!)
Why this Alice in Chains rant? To make my point about "Jose's" comment, and it is simply this: Take the whole song in context, not just the parts you want to make your argument. John Lennon was a lot of things...but the theme of his music was almost always about one subject, peace.
Let's look at the song 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
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 that 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 may say that 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"
Lennon isn't saying denounce religion, he's saying if you took all the things that divide people...possessions (dividing the rich and the poor), countries (dividing different nationalities), religion (I don't think I need to give examples of how religion can divide people...ALSO don't misread this as me saying religion divides people, because I am not saying that!! I am simply saying religion CAN divide people and has in the past and current day.)...and eliminated them, maybe the world could establish peace and could, as the song says, allow us to live as one.
I can see how the line "Imagine all the people, sharing all the world" might sound like he is promoting communism, but look at the song as a whole, and look at Lennon's musical works as a whole, and I think the only conclusion you can come up with is this song is NOT about communism or Lennon being "godless" as Jose wrote.
Now, if you have made it this far, I need your help. Whether you agree or not with this, please take a minute and comment, just so I know you are out there, and to know your stance on this subject. Maybe I am wrong on this...the bottom line is this: Take things, whether they be song lyrics, speeches, or quotes in their context. Don't assume because someone says "deny your maker", that they are denouncing religion because you never know if they are going to follow that up with "he who tries will be wasted!"
14 comments:
I am sure that everyone knows these quotes. Don't judge a book by it's cover and not everything is what it seems to be. I mean does anyone really know what these stand for and understand them? If we did then we wouldn't be having so many problems in this world that we live in.
Tony,
You are right as usual, although I do not feel that the world Mr Lennon dreams of in "Imagine" would be ideal. You can not be upset with Jose, John was a genius, and wrote songs and acted in a way that created discussion. This was not by accident, it was designed that way by him. The fact that this song still stirrs up emotionally charged discussions some 30 years after the songs release, and 20 years after the authors death is a true testimony to his genious. In closing; do not be mad at Jose, he simply fell into a plan hatched 30 years ago by a hippie to create discorse and discussion in regards to the state of people and the world. A topic that will never be outdated, and why this song is so timeless. Touche Missour Lennon for a valiant effort against close mindedness and ingnorance.
Right on, Tony. You nailed it!
- Ben T.
Anyone who knows me, knows that i'm the least racist person there is. Knowing that two of my very best friends are Japanese and Korean. So what i'm about to say has no reflection on anyones actual Race, just to the actual person that is this race. Jose you BASTARD, i mean who do you think you are dogging the great John Lennon? Have you done anything great in your life besides landing in the clink? Which by the way sounds like the perfect place for you. You obviously must not understand ENGLISH very well, or what PEACE is. John Lennon was all about peace, he was not saying anything bad about religion. Tony explains it all prefectly in this blog. I guess I will spell it out for you in words you might understand. La paz es buena, su un perdedor chinga lejos. Espero que usted es jodido en el asno en la prisión! Oh and Mexicans are not going to take of the US of A, look how hard you have to work to make less than us and how we have the cushy office jobs that pay a shit load more. We have the nice houses and not the roach infest apartments with 50 people living in them. Have a nice day.
Actually, I thought Jose's post was kind of funny as maybe it was intended to be. You guys just didn't get it.
Oh, and by the way, John Lennon did, sort of, in the first verse of "Imagine" endorse the communist view that religion is the "opiate of the masses" and therefore presumably endorsed the view that it should be forcibly erradicated.
Unfortunately, he seemed to have fallen prey to the idea that if communism eventually succeeded, government would eventually become obsolete, and a peaceful anarchy would reign on earth. History shows us that anarchy is certainly possible, but it is never peaceful.
I cannot agree that Mr. Lennon was a genius, maybe a "musical genius". Keep in mind there is a fine line between "creative genius" and psychoses.
Anyone who thinks there is not currently in full progress an unarmed invasion of the United States needs to wake up. Invest in a copy of "State of Emergency - The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America". And be afraid, be very afraid that if things don't change soon, America as we know it will cease to exist by the year 2040. And that boy's and girl's IS within your lifetime.
I like John Lennon but I do not believe that he is THE GREAT. It seems that when some of importance dies under tragic cicumstances that they automatically put on a pedestal and are perceived to be greater than what they were in life. I am not saying that Lennon did not contribute to society whether it be musically or politically but I do believe that is greatly exgeratted do to the tragic circumstace of his death. I have been to Strawberry Fields in Central Park and paid my respects to a man who contributed to the world.
"Imagine" John Lennon without mind altering drugs... Genius - No
psychotropic drugs - Yes.
“Doobie Tuesday”
Imagine there's no Heroin
It's easy if you try
No crack or methadone
Nothing illegal to buy
Imagine all the people
Living strait and dry
Imagine there's no doobies
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to shoot and kill for
And no hallucinations too
Imagine all the people
Living life aware
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not I’m only high
I hope you’ll come and join me
And the world will float on by
Imagine no probation
I wonder if you can
No need for electronic monitoring
A world without “the man”
Imagine all the people
Sharing all their drugs
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not I’m only high
I hope someday you'll join me
And the world will float on by
Doobie Tuesday is hilarious. Now this place is taking on some life. Way to go and, Oh My, I'll get high with a little help from my friends.
I want to know what the chipmunk death tally is now.
Thanks everyone for throwing down a comment!! All are appriciated!!
dark_raven: I agree, we all know the quotes, but too many people take the "action" instead of just hearing "the words."
dan s.: I think you are correct, sir! Very astute observations. (I think it's time for a trivia rematch...your skills are sharp!!)
Ben T.: Thanks!
Amanda: Los lobos burrito chimichonga, por pavor!!
Anonymous 1: "Creative Genius" for sure...genius genius, no. You are correct on that. I found Jose's post to be blunt and honest...not comical in nature. As far as you Imagine suggestion...I still don't believe he wrote it with communism (or religion really) in mind...
Anonymous 2: ...
Anonymous 3: Lennon was great, and it transcended his dying under the tragic circumstances that he did. Was he a saint? No, but he undoubtably is one of the most influential songwriter's and musicians ever to have lived, and musically, he had a vision that was far beyond the times. His music is timeless, and his gift was priceless.
Anonymous 4: Still a genius, I don't care if he took drugs or not...drug do not equal talent.
Anonymous 5: (why aren't you people signing your names to these comments?!?) "Doobie Tuesday" was very inspired, creative and funny.
Anonymous 6: This party already had life!! ha ha
Anonymous 7: Chipmunk death toll is holding steady at 4...
Thanks again everyone!!
Tony,
As you and the rest of the world is well aware I am unable to sing there for I do not listen to alot of songs with vocals in them.
However what ones I do listen must move me i.e. "Imagine"
"man in the box" "It's your thang do what you want to do" "war is over..if you want it" as a lover of freedom and one of the last last true patriot's with the balls to speak up when some numb nuts thinks the world would be just a little safer place with out our 5th amendment! "and yes I am a conservative/Gun Owner who would drop you like a...well lets just say dont screw with what few rights I have left"
I belive that words can be used or percieved in a vast amount of ways. Did reading Adolf "Noble wolf" Hitler's Mein Kampf ("My Struggle") make me want to join up with the National Socialist German Workers Party and go jew hunting of course not! No more then reading J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye give me the urge to pop a cap in somebody.
They are just words/sounds /vibrations..."what if I had the ability to make you duct tape your mom and stick her in the trunk of her buick with out ever saying a "word"?
What if by the mere notes/vibrations I played on a given instrument had that power?
"Imagine"?
Double`D
Said it now go and tell the world!
To "Double D" - huh?
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