IMAGINE Song Analysis

Study the lyrics and audio of John Lennons 1973 song. Lennon is a
controversial, but very popular singer/songwriter who wrote Imagine to get
people thinking. All the lyrics mention governmental issues, and cause you to
question if government is necessary or not. You will analyze this song by
answering the provided questions. (12 pts)
Imagine Lyrics
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...
You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.
Imagine there's no countries,
It isnt hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...
You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live 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 Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

As you study this John Lennon song, answer the following questions:
1. Identify three lines that stand out or strike you (either positively or
negatively). (3 pts)
a. Imagine there's no heaven, (This seems like such an established
belief today that there is afterlife)
b. Imagine all the people
living life in peace... (he credits religion and nationality as causes of
war when some view those as reasons that peace exists)
c. Imagine no possessions,( I find this impossible due to popularity of
materialistic pleasure.
2. What is the message of the song? (1 pts)
Lennon says that if the social norms in life are erased in the aspects of
possessions, religion, government, then people can live together in peace.
3. Identify two parts you agree or disagree with, explaining why. (4 pts)
a. I disagree with his statement that having no countries would
prevent killing and dying for a cause. I believe people kill and die for
causes that are associated with countries but are not exclusive to
countries such as family, freedoms, religions.
b. As a religious person, I disagree that there is in fact a heaven and a
hell respectively, since I have been raised that way.
4. Is this song realistic? Explain why. (2 pts)
a. In the foreseeable future, no. I cant imagine a reason why people
would abandon so many things that they hold dear.
5. Can government exist in Lennons world? Why or why not? (2 pts)
a. No because I think government thrives on a common belief, and
common beliefs appear to be things that should be disregarded in
Lennons world.