"And the world will live as one..."

Almost 40 years ago tonight (38 years to be exact), one of the greatest songwriters of all time, John Lennon was shot and killed outside the Dakota, his Manhattan apartment complex near Central Park, New York City.  Together with fellow Beatles band member, Paul McCartney, Lennon rose to prominence and became one of the most successful and influential singer-songwriter partnerships of all time.  Lennon himself (as performer, writer, or co-writer) is credited with 25 number 1 singles in the US Hot 100 chart.  He was elected twice posthumously into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994).  He died far too young at the age of 40 years.

I wonder what Lennon would say about the world today?  So many of his songs were political in nature.  He sang about peace, love, and harmony.  Someone once asked him what was the best lyric he ever wrote.  He replied, "That's easy. All you need is love." 

In honor of his life, I want to post the lyrics to one of my favorite John Lennon songs.  It happens to be the top-selling single of his career outside the Beatles and was released on October 11, 1971.  It's called, simply, Imagine:

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

 

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

 

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be 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

 

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one

 

Peace.  Harmony.  Love.  As powerful today as when Lennon wrote them so long ago.  Just imagine.