5 Little-Known Trivial Tidbits About 'Imagine' by John Lennon -
Imagine, released in 1971, dug as deep lyrically as John Lennon’s solo debut (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band). But Lennon also focused on making the album a more commercial affair that would reach a wider audience. He ended up with perhaps the most beloved album of his career. Here are five tidbits of trivia surrounding the songs on Imagine.
The whole idea behind the Imagine album was for John Lennon to deliver his opinions and beliefs in ways that were much more palatable to the music listening masses. Thanks to this strategy, the title track became an anthem almost instantly upon its release. Lennon had borrowed some ideas from Yoko Ono’s work for the concept of imagining a better world. After the song was released, Lennon mused that he should have given Ono credit as a co-writer. Years later, he would make good on his devotion to Ono’s musical input, as she would write and sing half the songs on Double Fantasy.
John Lennon did everything he could to leave behind the specter of The Beatles once he left the group. On his first solo album, he even included the song “God”, which made clear his intention to put the Fab Four in his rear view mirror. But he didn’t shy away from some of the writing he did before the band broke up. In the case of “Jealous Guy”, Lennon reached back to a song that he wrote back in 1968 when he was on retreat in India with his other Beatles. It was originally called “Child Of Nature” and was inspired by a lecture given by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
