Today, we imagine there’s no Lennon.
[Video][Website]
[4.90]
Leonel Manzanares de la Rosa: Yoko Ono is not a musician — not in the pure sense — but she’s a creative powerhouse and an era-defining artist. John Lennon knew it, but in the ultimate dick move decided to silence Yoko’s part in the creation of one of the world’s most iconic songs. It is a triumph of History that Yoko’s authorship is finally recognized, a triumph for Women. And still, this version, that itself signifies the correcting of an absolute injustice, was brought up by Yoko as a loving tribute to her beloved companion. That gesture alone describes that enormous truth, that Women are what holds the world together. A gesture that speaks as much as the song itself.
[10]
Edward Okulicz: I loathe “Imagine.” Lennon’s gloopy hymnal arrangement and sleepy performance always sounded opportunistic and dishonest to me, wallowing in misery while promising deliverance. I find it vile, and I hate the melody too. Much of Ono’s take on the song she had a big hand in creating fixes the things that cause my revulsion. Ono removes the sickly piano from the first part of the song (alas it comes in later) and intones the words starkly, making a song of hope sound quite bleak, as if it really is an anthem for times of crisis. I still loathe “Imagine” the song that is so important and meaningful to everyone because of who sang it and how he sang it, but Ono makes a stronger case for the worth of “Imagine” the relatively humble poem. I can’t imagine ever wanting to listen to it again, but I’d take it over Lennon’s any day of the week.
[3]
Alfred Soto: Justice for Yoko Ono — not long after she was awarded a deserved credit for co-writing “Imagine” she has a go at her dead husband’s most famous song. I’m not a fan of the original; I’m a fan of Yoko, though, and her halting, tentative approach suits a song whose conditionals haven’t gotten any less conditional in the last forty years. But I never want to hear it again.
[5]
Tobi Tella: Yoko isn’t winning any “vocalist of the year” awards for this one, but as an 85 year old woman I think she’s past that point. This rendition is genuinely haunting, the sparse instrumentation and true melancholy of her voice make the meaning of these often sung words feel new. It’s not the kind of thing I would listen to casually, but I would much rather listen to a cover with purpose like this then some artist giving a generic imitation of Lennon.
[6]
Iain Mew: It makes me think of the Johnny Cash “Hurt,” which I guess is a combination of a familiar song and the rarity of hearing the age in anyone’s voice laid this bare. It’s so eerily bare that it reveals a tinge of nihilism that the original was way too cozy to let out, a progression in meaning beneath the words. Imagine there’s no heaven. Imagine there’s no countries. No religion. Imagine NOTHING. Live as one with nothing. Listen to it hum. Then the piano comes in and rather spoils the effect.
[6]
Will Adams: “Yoko broke up the band” is as common a refrain of received misogyny as “Eve gave Adam the apple,” which is why the video for “Imagine” is flooded with drive-by dislikes despite the comments largely praising her version. That alone would make this worth championing, as would her finally reclaiming her work, if only from a songwriting standpoint. The original’s treacly arrangement isn’t exactly upgraded — the first half especially is rather dirge-like — but by the end, when the haze lifts and we’re left with a lone piano, this version approaches something more stirring.
[6]
Jonathan Bradley: Pouring acid on John Lennon’s messianic self-regard improves “Imagine” immeasurably, but Ono’s stark delivery can’t curdle the melody nor the sentiment of her poem enough to stop it from cloying.
[2]
Taylor Alatorre: It was CeeLo’s New Year’s Eve performance that got me to finally realize that “Imagine” is a bad song. It wasn’t how he changed the line about religion or how the chattering class reacted to it. It’s that the line was there in the first place, as something to be gawked at and fussed over and cowered from and wielded against your enemies. I don’t take issue with the irreligious slogans of hardcore or the hushed heresies of indie folk, but really, how are you gonna write a song about universal brotherhood and deny entry to 80% of the world’s population? Never mind that Lennon’s vision of brotherhood is the kind of post-materialist pablum that’s led entire left-leaning generations to regard tending their organic gardens as more important than organizing their workplaces. Ono’s version is an improvement on Lennon’s because it’s harder to tell how serious she is about the quote-unquote political message, even though she had a hand in its creation. You can imagine it’s just a tribute song four decades in the making, a finger tracing the ink lines of an old love letter, an echo of a recording of an echo. A prayer with no return address.
[5]
Juan F. Carruyo: The orchestral approach reminds me of Disturbed’s Simon & Garfunkel cover and while Yoko turns a brave, stark performance at the end of the day she’s still a millionaire bossing the audience around.
[0]
Joshua Minsoo Kim: Yoko Ono is a much reviled figure, often for reasons rooted in racism, misogyny, a misunderstanding of her experimental roots, and the deification of The Beatles. While John Lennon had stated that she was the main creative force behind “Imagine,” it wasn’t until last year that she finally received her co-writing credit. Nearly fifty years since Lennon’s single, Yoko’s rendition feels like a small victory. But a question arises: who is this for, exactly? While the song’s first half is quietly haunting, it eventually defaults into familiar, cloying territories. Those who love the original won’t find this to be more inspiring, and those who hated it will likely be turned off by that damn piano melody. The song’s good for those interested in virtue signaling, and it’s surely a curious little novelty, but will anyone be listening to this years from now? Who knows. But the sense that Yoko’s version of “Imagine” will remain an obscurity is at the heart of the song’s true beauty. For one of history’s most universally known pop songs — one meant to unify the entire world — Yoko manages to turn this into something incredibly intimate, like Lennon and Ono are the only ones privy to its existence. “Imagine” was always a love song to humanity, but it’s only here that it can be understood as a love song between two specific people.
[6]