The song 'Imagine'

It's a song about a world like the garden of eden – escapism. My escapism used to be reading Jane Austen.

Jane still works for me, Bags. I attribute my wide reading to having lived in a slum and hating sports. Peel Park library was my spiritual home. MY grandchildren have sometimes asked me what we did without TV/video games etc. Simple answer - we all read.

I don't understand why a songwriter has to be judged on whether they are hypocritical. What's that got to do with successful songs he produced? Lots of people live away from their place of birth without being criticised when they speak sentimentally about it. John Lennon was no hero of mine - he was arrogant. However, he and his wife did give time and money to Liverpool and local charities and Yoko Ono still supports several small Liverpool charities and Barnardo's. The lyrics are sentimental and idealistic, and the tune is catchy. It works for me because I agree with the lyrics, no matter who penned them.

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

I've never liked JL,or the song/melody, but I think the lyrics are really quite wistful and gentle

greatnan he only asked you to imagine..not actually do it!
I still like the song and the sentiments. JL was an odd person not sure if I would have liked him if I had known him. I enjoyed the recent film about his early life..not sure how accurate it was though!

Actually, it's lovely.

And John was beeeeautiful!!!

Now who's playing the flippin' innocent, jingl?

It's a very childish picture, though, isn't it? Not very mature or sophisticated in its thinking – and musically rather dreary (though nothing like so awful as the egregious Mull of Kintyre by his erstwhile colleague)? I think I prefer I am the Walrus.

Or Lucy the Sky with Diamonds. One of my granddaughters (five years old) sent me home with a picture for Mr absent. He is sitting on a cloud with coloured balloons. Maybe I should write a song…

I love I'm only sleeping

Who needs mature?

Second favourite blackbird

I was never a great Beatles fan and certainly never liked Imagine, melody or lyric wise. However, I've been dipping into the Keith Richards autobiography and Lennon is one of two people that he rates as being totally obsessed with music; I'll try to dig the quote out next week. As for living in New York, it seemed to be the place for someone to go to who happened to be one of the most famous people on the planet, a place where he could lead some sort of 'normal' life. Sad how it turned out.

How sad is this?When my sister and I were in our teens we used to listen to our Beatles LPs and play the game 'Who can cry first?'.It involved flopping in armchairs, playing the sings and seeing who could cry first!!!!!I could still win now with John singing 'In my life' !

meant songs

They did write some great songs together, and the early Beatles stuff was great, until they started tripping on LSD and taking themselves a bit too seriously, but I was always a Stones fan - still am today. The Keith Richards biography is really interesting - so is Ronnie Wood's. There is a biography about the Stones by Philip Norman and I have my picture in there, along with hundreds of other fans (but I can see me and my friend) at a concert in 1965.

Saw the Stones at Eel Pie island..anyone else?

Lucky you nanaej. That was such a special time - round about 1963/64?

Yes I must have been about 14/15 ..just left a boarding school and attending local school in Kingston.. was a crazy time. Excited to have so much freedom after being a boarder! We were all under age for drinking and thought a port and lemon was the most sophisticated thing to order! Live music was cheaper and easier to see then! Also attended great music tours held at local cinema with loads of 'names' on the programme. Bought one ticket, someone would use it to go in then open the emergency exit and another three of us would go in!

Say what you like - the 60s were the best time of all for teenagers!

Spent lots of Saturdays walking up and down Kings Rd or going to Carnaby St in the hope we'd see someone famous!! Eventually had to get a Saturday job so I could save up for the clothes I 'needed' , so that put an end to that!

I saw Adam Faith in the City.

nanaej Yes, saw the Stones at Eel Pie and the Yardbirds at the Crawdaddy.

Maybe we saw each other too! Great times! A girl in my year at school also went out with one of the Kinks! Can't remember which one!

Ringo Starr bought me a drink! I lived in Monaco and he and his wife used to frequent Flashman's Bar, where a lot of British expats hung out. We were introduced by one of my men friends, who was Operations Manager for Olympic Maritime, the Onassis company. Ringo was very friendly and happy to talk to anyone. So was Michael Crawford, but Oliver Reed was very unpopular.

I thought the lyrics for Eleanor Rigby were ground-breaking and very moving.
I was a teenager in the 1950's and most of our pop songs were just pap.
We danced in the aisles of the cinema to 'Rock Around the Clock' -I still think it is great for dancing!