What would your ideal world look and feel like? John Lennon envisions his perfect world. John sings “Imagine” and explores the possibilities. Lennon was a member “The Beatles”, which was the most popular rock band in the world. This group was also part of The English Invasion that took place in the 1960’s. One of the most beloved groups of the 20th century was the Beatles. Lennon’s “Imagine” is a detailed reflection of his politics during his career. This includes the turbulent 60’s and 70’s when he worked to keep Vietnam, Capitalism and the country safe. Analyzing his life with The Beatles will help you get to know lennon. Lennon, 16 years old, was inspired to create the skiffle group QuarryMen. Paul McCartney first met Lennon in a church fete, July 6, 1957. McCartney accepted Lennon’s invitation to join his group. The two became one of music’s most successful songwriting partnership. In 1963, the Beatles released their first album Please Please Me. The record was a huge success in Britain and reached number 1 on the charts. Extensive European tours followed. Every night, hundreds of people filled the streets in front of venues. The band soon became the most-popular in Europe. It soon made it to the United States, where it enjoyed a sensational reaction. Beatlemania was the name given to the band’s reaction. 1964 saw The Beatles’ first American appearance. The Beatles’ first US television performance was on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was a historic moment for them and was seen by an estimated 73 million Americans. The Beatles broke up in September 1969. Their last studio album, Let It Be (May 8, 1970) was released. It is considered an emotional finale that has shaken the world. Lennon, who had just finished Abbey Road recording in September 1969 with the Beatles, left. McCartney broke the news to the Beatles in September 1969, just after they had completed Abbey Road. Imagine was his next album, which was critically and commercially acclaimed.

The song’s impact is undeniable. Its message of love and peace, and the flowing piano melody, conceal a host of controversial ideas and ideas that threaten society as it is. It is filled with controversial lyrics and radical thoughts, making it an international anthem. It was once called “Working Class Hero” for conservatives by Lennon, and it is a challenge to the status quo at its fundamental. Lennon wrote the song in just one session in May 1971, while sitting at his white grand-piano in Tittenhurst park in England. His wife, YokoOno, watched as he played the melody. She also wrote most of its lyrics. With help from several musicians, he recorded the song in his own home studio. They all thought it was quite simple and uncharacteristically kept it that way. Lennon’s and Ono began their anti-war campaign with the famous “Bed-Ins for Peace.” The duo made a stand against the paparazzi, who followed them around to record their tracks. The Lennons used their March 1969 honeymoon at Amsterdam Hilton as a platform for their antiwar efforts. They invited the media from around the world to come to their suite in the hotel. There, they spent two weeks in bed, talking about peace and chatting for the next nine hours. Three months later, Lennon held a second Bed-In in Montreal. This was where he recorded the unofficial refrain of peace. By participating in a Shipbuilders’ Work-In, Lennon and Ono supported the working people, railing against Vietnam War, and protesting the brutal killings 14 unarmed civil rights activists in Northern Ireland. Ono and Lennon were deported by the NixonAdministration every time they tried to leave the United States. Lennon received threats to be deported by the Nixon Administration. He was accused of having been convicted in Britain of marijuana offenses in 1968. Ono, however, believed that he had been expelled because of his activism towards the Vietnam War. Lennon received permanent U.S. residency in 1976 two years after Nixon’s resignation. Documents later confirmed his belief. J. Edgar Hoover led the campaign of harassment and surveillance by the U.S. government. This was President Richard Nixon’s attempt to “neutralize” him and have him deported. An FBI file of more than 400 pages is also included. In February 1972, Senator Strom Thumond sent a memo stating that Lennon might pose a serious threat for Richard Nixon’s reelection. Lennon could mobilize youth to vote against Nixon and also donate large amounts of money to rallies that would undermine Nixon’s vision of an orderly America. In 1973, Lennon created Nutopia as a concept state, without borders or passports. The imaginary country would have everyone as citizens and ambassadors. John and Yoko went to the Watergate hearings, Washington, D.C., in 1973.

“Imagine’ has a complex impact. At first, it may seem like a simple melody, a song for peace, or a ballad. The call for peace demands that we give up what we hold most dearly. It is not a guideline, or a set of instructions for how to let go of certain parameters that define us, but rather a call to imagination to create something impossible in this world. It is revolutionary, but it does not call for literal revolution.