55 Years Ago Today, John Lennon Released 'Imagine,' and It Became a Global Anthem for Peace

"Imagine" was released as a single on Oct. 11, 1971, and became one of John Lennon's defining songs

After his 1980 murder, its message of peace took on new meaning. Today, it remains a lasting symbol of Lennon's legacy

Fifty-five years ago today, John Lennon released "Imagine," a song that would become one of the most recognizable recordings of his solo career.  The single was built around Lennon's gentle piano and restrained vocals, presenting a simple but ambitious vision of a world without division.

"Imagine" paired an accessible melody with lyrics that challenged ideas about religion, nationalism and material possessions. Its message of peace would eventually become inseparable from Lennon's legacy, particularly after his death.

According to History, Lennon began writing "Imagine" amid the Vietnam War while still part of the Beatles, drawing heavily on ideas from Yoko Ono, whose poetry collection Grapefruit helped shape the song's concept and eventually led to her being given an official co-writing credit in 2017.

Lennon recorded "Imagine" at Tittenhurst Park, his country home with Ono, working with producer Phil Spector nearly a year after the Beatles publicly split in 1970.

The song stood apart from some of Lennon's more openly political work at the time. Instead of directly addressing a specific conflict, it offered a broader picture of what life could look like without the barriers that divide people. "Now I understand what you have to do: put your political message across with a little honey," Lennon was quoted as saying of the song in Geoffrey Giuliano's 2000 biography Lennon in America, per Billboard.

"Imagine" went on to become a major success, but its place in Lennon's story changed dramatically after he was killed on Dec. 8, 1980. Lennon, 40, was shot in New York City and taken to Roosevelt Hospital, now Mount Sinai West, where doctors tried to save him.

Source: yahoo.com/Tereza Shkurtaj

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