Le titre "Imagine" a été sacré jeudi soir à New York "chanson du siècle". La chanson sortie en 1971 a été écrite par John Lennon.... et Yoko Ono. L'organisme américain National Music Publishers Association a révélé à l'occasion de la remise du prix que l'artiste japonaise verrait désormais son nom accompagner celui de son mari assassiné, comme co-auteure d'"Imagine".
"Imagine" aurait dû être présentée comme une chanson de Lennon/Ono" - John Lennon
Ce précieux signe de reconnaissance arrive tardivement pour celle qui a souvent été accusée par des fans des Beatles d'avoir brisé le groupe et "volé" Lennon.
Les organisateurs de la cérémonie ont à cette occasion diffusé une interview de John Lennon datant de 1980, peu avant son assassinat, dans laquelle il confiait que la chanson avait en partie été inspirée d'un livre d'art de Yoko Ono, "Grapefruit". ""Imagine" aurait dû être présentée comme une chanson de Lennon/Ono. Si ça avait été qui que soit d'autre que ma femme, je l'aurais mentionné", confiait John Lennon.
Quel impact sur les droits de la chanson ?
La chanson emblématique de l'ancien Beatles a été reprise lors de la soirée par la rockeuse et poète Patti Smith, avec sa fille Jesse Smith, pendant que Yoko Ono et son fils Sean Lennon acceptaient le prix. "L'un des plus grands moments de fierté de ma vie", a plus tard réagi Sean Lennon sur Facebook.
Yoko Ono, artiste d'avant-garde avant sa rencontre avec John Lennon, avait étroitement collaboré avec le musicien et se bat depuis sa mort pour protéger ses créations. Déjà héritière des biens de l'ex-Beatles, ce nouveau statut de co-auteure pourrait avoir un impact sur les droits de la chanson. Aux États-Unis, la musique tombe dans le domaine public 70 ans après sa publication, mais l'ajout du nom de Yoko Ono pourrait prolonger ce délai pour "Imagine".
C'est justement autour de questions de droits que Yoko Ono s'était publiquement déchirée avec l'autre célèbre Beatles, Paul McCartney. Les Beatles signaient généralement leurs titres "Lennon-McCartney" et partageaient les revenus de leurs titres. Mais après la séparation du groupe, Paul McCartney avait décidé d'inverser l'ordre des crédits, pour "McCartney-Lennon", sur certaines chansons dont il disait avoir été le principal auteur, ce qui avait provoqué la colère de Yoko Ono.
Imagine - John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band (w The Flux Fiddlers) (Ultimate Mix 2018) - 4K REMASTER
FAQs
Lennon stated: "'Imagine', which says: 'Imagine that there was no more religion, no more country, no more politics,' is virtually The Communist Manifesto, even though I'm not particularly a Communist and I do not belong to any movement." He told NME: "There is no real Communist state in the world; you must realise that ...
Why did John Lennon write Imagine? ›
Imagine, which also included the highly political song “Gimme Some Truth”, was an invitation to imagine the impossible; a plea for people to show spiritual unity and to abandon divisions of religion and nationality. It was also a reflection of Lennon's state of mind at the time.
What song did John write about Yoko? ›
"The Ballad of John and Yoko" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in May 1969, with "Old Brown Shoe" as its B-side. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, and chronicles the events surrounding the wedding of Lennon and Yoko Ono.
How did the song "Imagine" impact the world? ›
It's this that seems ironic, given the lyrics: “Imagine there's no countries / It isn't hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for...” The song has been accepted all over the world as a song of peace and unity, as it asks us to embrace what some call anarchy and early critics labeled communism.
Why is Imagine so controversial? ›
But while Imagine has been taken up as an anthem of peace and unity for half a century now, it's also received its fair share of criticism. Lennon was accused of hypocrisy - as a millionaire ex-Beatle, the line about "Imagine no possessions" rang hollow with people when they considered the enormous mansion he lived in.
Can Christians listen to Imagine? ›
“Imagine” asks the listener to imagine “no religion.” But it's simply asking you to “imagine.” Just imagine that the major things that divide us as human beings—religion, countries and possessions—no longer exist. The song doesn't denigrate religion.
Why did John Lennon leave Yoko? ›
We're growing apart," Ono reportedly said, according to an excerpt of Goldman's The Lives of John Lennon published by PEOPLE. She asked him to leave the house, and Lennon began what fans refer to as his "Lost Weekend," an 18-month period during which he began an affair with Pang and left N.Y.C. for Los Angeles.
What was John Lennon's last words to Yoko? ›
His last words to his widow were more tender, however. Ono told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that on the way home from the studio, she had suggested grabbing dinner before returning home, but Lennon replied, “No, let's go home because I want to see Sean before he goes to sleep.”
Did John Lennon love Yoko? ›
Singer and guitarist John Lennon and Ono meet when he asks her about Ono's intriguing art piece— a ladder topped by a magnifying glass that revealed the word “Yes.” The two artists eventually fall in love, prompting an affair that leads to Lennon ending his first marriage to Cynthia Lennon.
Why did the Beatles break up? ›
Why Did the Beatles Break Up? Creative differences, money problems and a certain band member's girlfriend have all been used to explain the split.
Chartwise, “Imagine” was Top 10 in 8 countries, including #1 on Canada's Top 40 and #3 in the US on Billboard's Hot 100. The song has been covered by over 200 artists, and has won numerous kudos and awards.
What is the lesson of the song Imagine? ›
Imagine is a deep song that touches on the difficult political topic of world peace and acting as one united world. It is said that Lennon's inspiration for this song came from his wife's book, Grapefruit.
Is Imagine a socialist song? ›
March 2002, U.S.A. Many members of the World Socialist Movement have considered John Lennon's song Imagine an anthem of universal hope. In few other songs, and perhaps in no song that reached as wide an audience as that one, is the socialist vision so accurately and movingly conveyed.
Is the song Imagine banned? ›
“'Imagine,' both the song itself and the album, is the same thing as 'Working Class Hero' and 'Mother' and 'God' on [Plastic Ono Band],” he would say later. “But the first record was too real for people, so nobody bought it. It was banned on the radio.”
What is the worldview of Imagine by John Lennon? ›
The meaning of "Imagine" by John Lennon is a utopian vision of a society without religion, nations, and possessions. The meaning of "Imagine" by John Lennon is a vision of a world without divisions, where people live in peace and harmony.
What denomination is Imagine Church? ›
FOURSQUARE - Imagine Church is apart of a denomination of churches that comprises of 80,000 churches around the world. Click this box if you would like to know more about THE FOURSQUARE CHURCH.
