Yoko Ono releases a new cover of John Lennon song ‘Imagine’
Yoko Ono has released a new cover of John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ on what would have been the former Beatle’s 78th birthday. Ono, preparing to release her new album Warzone later this month, also revealed that her stripped-back minimal version of the Lennon track will feature on the forthcoming record.
In an interview with David Sheff for Playboy Magazine, shortly before his death in December 1980, Lennon shared that Dick Gregory had given him and Ono a Christian Prayer-book which had inspired him. “The concept of positive prayer … If you can imagine a world at peace, with no denominations of religion – not without religion but without this my God-is-bigger-than-your-God thing – then it can be true.”
The Beatle continued: “The World Church called me once and asked, ‘Can we use the lyrics to ‘Imagine’ and just change it to ‘Imagine one religion’?’ That showed [me] they didn’t understand it at all. It would defeat the whole purpose of the song, the whole idea.”
Revisiting the early recordings, the project was overseen at Abbey Road by the late Beatles’ wife, Yoko Ono. Ono said: “Imagine was created with immense love and concern for the children of the world,” she once said. “I hope you enjoy it.”
“‘Imagine’ was the only one I was totally nervous about, because everyone in the world knows about it and I could be criticised, but I thought it was very important to do it and my nervousness must be secondary,” Ono said.
“John and I created a lot together and he would be very happy that I did it,” she added.
Stream the song below.
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