Here's another one for the "easier to write than share" file. In 2007, on the 12th anniversary of the Murrah Building bombing, the piano John Lennon used to write the song "Imagine" was brought to Oklahomna City for display at the site of the blast. It has also been displayed in front of a number of other infamous sites over the years, including Ground Zero and the Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas (Lee Harvey Oswald's perch on Nov. 22, 1963).
I'm not comfortable with some of Lennon's sentiments in "Imagine", but considering how religon and patriotism have been perverted at times throughout history, it's tough to be very mad at him.
Why must they ferry that
wretched instrument around?
To all these sad
and tragic places?
They're not the place
for that evil rock music.
What is it doing here? Why here?
Where the worst of man
reared its ugliest head.
Munich, Dallas, Ground Zero,
China, The death camps,
The Murrah building.
Can't this world see?
That music like this,
men like him,
Lyrics like this,
cause these evil things?
Well, don't they?
Or is it when faith and flag,
God and country,
Our most precious beliefs
are taken and twisted into evil things themselves?
Great thoughtful poem on a painful subject and you do have a point, yet I'd say that the stanza: "Or is it when faith and flag, God and county, Our most precious beliefs are taken and twisted
Into evil things themselves?" is where the crux of the problem really lies. Musicians only reflect two things: "where they see we are now OR where they see we should be heading." Yet in this world I can only Imagine Lennon's vision is a future world where all people change as individuals. I wonder if he lived long enough what he would think of this manic & horrendous terrorism today..
PS: I play the piano (jazz instrumental) and have for many years so couldn' help but click on this and my tune: "My Old Black & White" is based on the piano I've had since 1974 It's the same make and style as Lennon's (but of course NOT famous!)
best to your writing, michael guy
Imagine is a creative word and can be animated into a miriade of real and surreal wonderings, Take the word Imagine away and we become drones. This is how i look at it. It's wonderful to be able to have freedom of speech in this country and, if anything, the piano is a symbol of this too.
Blessings and love,
Susan
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A thought-provoking piece, Steve!
Sandie Angel :o)
Into evil things themselves?" is where the crux of the problem really lies. Musicians only reflect two things: "where they see we are now OR where they see we should be heading." Yet in this world I can only Imagine Lennon's vision is a future world where all people change as individuals. I wonder if he lived long enough what he would think of this manic & horrendous terrorism today..
PS: I play the piano (jazz instrumental) and have for many years so couldn' help but click on this and my tune: "My Old Black & White" is based on the piano I've had since 1974 It's the same make and style as Lennon's (but of course NOT famous!)
best to your writing, michael guy
Blessings and love,
Susan
Love Tinka