Hi all,
Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “Imagine” by John Lennon. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article. Below, you’ll find my interpretation of the lyrics which are written in italics. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEIC (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1. 英検2級以上 | 名曲で英語を学ぶ
(521 words)
Some might say that today’s song is “low-hanging fruit”. That’s an expression that means something that can be obtained with little effort. In other words, this is an easy song to choose for Social Issues in Song. I think it’s a good way to start the year.
John Lennon wrote "Imagine" in 1971, during a time when many Americans were not satisfied with society and politics. The Vietnam War was still going on, and there were many, many protests against the war and the draft. The Civil Rights Movement continued, calling for racial equality. In addition, more and more people were worried about environmental issues and how the society was becoming divided into two sets of opinions and beliefs.
Lennon often criticized the Vietnam War. He was also involved in various peace protests. He and his wife, Yoko Ono, had several events called “bed-ins” for peace. These were events in which they promised to stay in bed to draw attention to their anti-war stance. "Imagine" is almost an overview of what was happening at the time. It expresses a vision of a world without war, poverty, or prejudice.
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
I…
What if there were no borders and everyone welcomed others? What if we learned from others and taught them what we knew? My own dream is to have high school students around the world go to live in countries around the world to experience different languages, cultures, and ways of living. Our governments would not want to start conflicts in those countries if their citizens’ children were living there.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You…
Many people say that his “dream” was like a utopia and that a utopia cannot exist. Yet, there are others in the past and even today who have created and are actually living the ideals of a utopia-like community.
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
What if you didn’t have to give up the things you own, but instead, you didn’t have to compete with others to be better than or to have more than others? What if we shared the things we owned when we felt it helped the community?
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
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
The song's lyrics encourage listeners to imagine a world without possessions, borders, or religion. What would it be like to live in harmony?
There are many people who are disillusioned or disappointed with the state of the world today. "Imagine" is still a powerful call for peace and unity.
Question
What can we do in our own communities to create a kind of utopia?
Vocabulary
obtain 取得
draft 徴兵
possession 所有
greed 貪欲
disillusioned 幻滅
(adjust subtitles in the gear setting)
Sources
Research guides: Utopian communities (1841-1922): Topics in Chronicling America: Introduction. Introduction - Utopian Communities (1841-1922): Topics in Chronicling America - Research Guides at Library of Congress. https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-early-utopian-communities
Seven utopian cities that can be visited even today. Faena. https://www.faena.com/aleph/seven-utopian-cities-that-can-be-visited-even-today
“Everyday Utopia : What 2,000 Years of Bold Experiments Can Teach Us about the Good Life” by Kristen R. Ghodsee.
https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/everyday-utopia-what-2-000-years-of-bold-experiments-can-teach-us-about-the-good-life-9781982190224
If you are interested in more information on utopian countries, I suggest you read Elle Griffin’s Substack:
I believe that education should be free in any utopia.
All of the articles about the songs will remain free for students to use. (We are all students, are we not?) However, if you find these articles useful and are in a position to make a small (or large) donation, I would be deeply grateful.
buymeacoffee.com/socialissuesinsong
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Happy New Year, Louise! This song is a great way to start 2025!
Happy New Year, Louise! This is the song we need right now. Thanks.