John Lennon. “Imagine.” Imagine. Apple Records. 1971.
“Imagine” by John Lennon was written during the Vietnam War when the first Nixon administration and Peace Movement happened. Much of the culture of the time was centered on these activities. In the song, he is asking us to think of what the world would be like with no government, religion, and possessions. He believes in a world like that, there would be no war, hate, or poverty, only peace. With that in mind, it would shift peoples mind in creating their own identity and who they want to be. It would be a world of unique individualism brought up to one on their own doing, not one that is affected by outside sources.
Today, one forms their identity given religion, culture, government, and many other things. Without all these sources, one can actually become who they want, not having anything to influence them, such as the song suggests. Every outside source influences individuals and causes some to be similar to others. However, if these didn’t go into effect, there would be a greater range of unique individualism.
"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 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 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