in the world of rock, a ballad is often thought to be “deep” when it is really just “not blaring.” It’s a sort of Pavlovian acoustic response that conflates mere noise reduction with contemplation.That is why, I’m convinced, a song as stupid as “Imagine” by John Lennon can still be regarded by millions as both profound and moving to the degree that it is the No. 3 greatest song ever, according to Rolling Stone.
Finally someone has said it! (I feel liberated.) Did the NYT intend to be this offensive? Or does it not listen to lyrics?
How does it honor the firefighters who sacrificed their lives to mewl about “nothing to … die for”?
Let's leaf through the catalogue, shall we?
So, Mark, is there any forum where it would make sense to play this song?Everything the song advocates and hopes for as a supreme good was the fountainhead of all the horrors of the 20th century.
- “Imagine there are no countries.” Hitler dreamt of a world without borders.
- “Imagine there’s no heaven … no religion too.” Stalin and Mao sought to free us from religion and the burden of hoping for something more than this life.
- “Imagine no possessions.” Communism was all about freeing us from possessions (though multi-zillionaire Lennon seems to have honored this dream more in the breach than the observance).
- “Imagine all the people living for today.” You got it! A culture of brain-dead MTV-educated “fornicate-today-and-abort-tomorrow” zombies has
accomplished the mission.Yet people still talk as though “Imagine” is some sort of inspiring hymn. I cannot, for the life of me, see why.
For me, it’s one of the agitprop songs they play over the concentration camp speakers non-stop in order to keep the inmates’ minds off both heaven and hope.Gitmo, then? Maybe that would be a compromise Bush & McCain could accept.