Digital Booklet - Imagine

2imagine the clouds dripping. dig a hole in your garden to put them in. yoko 63

imaginecrippled insidejealous guyits so hardi dont wanna be a soldiermama i dont wanna diegimme some truthoh my lovehow do you sleep?how?oh yoko!

3to critical praise but only muted approval inthe marketplace. The conclusions were, to him, pretty obvious. He might be a trail-blazer in all kinds of ways, but he was at heart a populist an artist but also anentertainer. The task was to frame his ideas in music that listeners loved and took insidetheir hearts. Plastic Ono Band had beenadmired, but often from a distance. The roleof the next album the record that becameImagine was an attempt for maximumcommunication offering hopes to thebleeding, battered world.

On the musical level he certainly succeeded.Imagine is the best-loved album of his solocareer, while its title track is perhaps his most revered. By contrast to its austerepredecessor the new music had melodies in abundance, and colour and variety. It hadflashes of broad humour and moments ofabsolute joy.

In his home outside London, at TittenhurstPark in Ascot, John had built a studio wherehe could record the raw tracks, withoutrecourse to his traditional base at AbbeyRoad. The producer Phil Spector returned tohelp John oversee an informal family ofmusicians. Among them were GeorgeHarrison, and friends like Klaus Voormann

Just a year on from theimplosion of The Beatles,John Lennons life had yet tosettle. In 1971, while lawyerspicked over the remains ofhis old band, he travelledwith Yoko to meet her familyin Japan, and to Americapursuing custody of Kyoko,her daughter by ex-husbandTony Cox. Within Johns own,ever-enquiring mind, a war of ideas was raging.

In London and New York he had been drawnto the radical underground, where hippy idealsof the 1960s met the hard-edged politics of anew decade. But this being John, nothing wascut and dried. In parallel he was cultivating analmost mystic line of thought, much of itinspired by the art and poetry of Yoko Ono.

Johns first post-Beatles album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, had emerged in late 1970

4and the drummer Alan White, who had allplayed on Johns tremendous debutcollaboration with Spector, Instant Karma!.The Rolling Stones favourite pianist NickyHopkins was there, and members of the Apple labels Badfinger.

As Yoko says: It was so good to havebreakfast in our own home and walk right intothe new studio next to it. We could smell thegrass and the trees from the garden and heardthe birds chirping. We felt like they werehelping us.

Imagine took shape in the early summer, after which the tapes were taken to New Yorkfor final overdubs (not least the magisterialsaxophone of King Curtis) at Record PlantEast. It seems that everyone involved, andcertainly John himself, had a sense of itsbeing exceptional. Here were songs that threwrevealing light on his whole personality at thatpoint from the devout but imperfect lover tothe embattled former Beatle; a manpreoccupied by his inner doubts yet ready foranyone when his righteous fury was aroused.

The keynote song itself was drawn fromYokos work. It was so influential upon Johnthat he later said she deserved a co-credit. As far back as 1964, in her collection of

5poems called Grapefruit, Yoko began eachpiece with an invocation to imagine: one example, from 1963s Cloud Piece, is quoted on the album cover. Whether inspiritual or earthly matters, the idea runs, we must visualise our goals before we canachieve them. Its a theme to which Lennonreturned frequently, and the hymn-likesimplicity of its setting reflects his basic faith namely, that our collective imaginations are a force for good.

The cover-art, from a photograph by Yoko,further shows John in a dreamers role, literally with head in the clouds. But typicallyof Lennon there was an earthier touch, as well,in a giveaway postcard of him wrestling a pig satirising, as most fans at the time wouldhave spotted Paul McCartneys pastoralimage on his own solo LP of that year, Ram.For all that Imagine has a generosity of spirit,the infamous How Do You Sleep? is narrowand hard, despite its lush and spaciousarrangement. John would later say that theattack on his former musical partner was, in fact, as much an assault upon himself.

Gimme Some Truth looks out with anidealists impatience to the political world,while Crippled Inside has that quality (moreobviously than How Do You Sleep?) of a

tirade that is leavened with self-reproach. Its knockabout honky-tonk contrasts withLennons previous album, Plastic Ono Band,though the lyric shares a primal screamacuteness. Likewise Jealous Guy, anotherunflinching look into the writers own sense of failure, is spun into a different realm by itsethereal melody. If John felt that his lastalbum forbiddingly stark to some ears had not found the mass audience its songsdeserved, he was not about to make the same mistake with Imagine.

Emotional range is central to this recordsenduring appeal, with light and shade at every turn. From tough, grinding rockers likeIts So Hard and I Dont Wanna Be A SoldierMama we are sent to the solace of Oh MyLove or the confessional vulnerability ofHow?. And the album skips away in a songof sheer delight, Oh Yoko!, possibly thehappiest thing that John Lennon evercommitted to record.

On its release in September 1971, the Imagine album was recognised as a roundedself-portrait of this complex, candid,passionate man. It re-established hiseminence in the commercial firmament,among a rising generation of rocknroll starssuch as Led Zeppelin and David Bowie.

6It was clear the 1970s John Lennon would notsit in the shadow of his 1960s self.

When he left England for America, on 3September 1971, it was just another trip inJohns turbulent existence, probably in searchof some fresh cause to champion, morebattles to fight and unknown songs to sing.Nobody knew, of course, that he would neversee his homeland again. For now, New Yorklooked like the city to be the capital of theworld, as he believed where new adventuresbeckoned with siren allure.

8Imagine

Imagine theres no heavenIts easy if you tryNo hell below usAbove us only skyImagine all the peopleliving for today...

Imagine theres no countriesIt isnt hard to doNothing to kill or die forand no religion tooImagine all the peopleliving life in peace...

You may say Im a dreamerbut Im not the only oneI hope someday youll join usand the world will be as one

Imagine no possessionsI wonder if you canNo need for greed or hungera brotherhood of manImagine all the peoplesharing all the world...

You may say Im a dreamerbut Im not the only oneI hope someday youll join usand the world will live as one

Crippled Inside

You can shine your shoes and wear a suitYou can comb your hairand look quite cuteYou can hide your facebehind a smileOne thing you cant hideis when youre crippled inside

You can wear a maskand paint your faceYou can call yourself

the human raceYou can wear a collar And a tieOne thing you cant hideis when youre crippled inside

Well now you know that yourcat has nine lives babeNine lives to itselfBut you only got oneAnd a dogs life aint funMamma take a look outside

You can go to churchand sing a hymnJudge me by the colourof my skinYou can live a lie until you dieOne thing you cant hideis when youre crippled inside

Jealous Guy

I was dreaming of the pastAnd my heart was beating fastI began to lose controlI began to lose control

I didnt mean to hurt youIm sorry that I made you cryI didnt want to hurt youIm just a jealous guy

I was feeling insecureYou might not love me any moreI was shivering insideI was shivering inside


I was trying to catch your eyesThought that you were trying to hideI was swallowing my painI was swallowing my pain


Its So Hard

You got to liveYou got to love You got to be somebodyYou got to shoveBut its so hard, its really hardSometimes I feel like going down

You got to eatYou got to drinkYou got to feel somethingYou got to worryIts so hard, its really hardSometimes I feel like going down

But when its good its oh so goodAnd when I hold you in my arms babySometimes I feel like going down

You got to runYou got to hideYou got to keep your woman satisfiedBut its so hard, its really hardSometimes I feel like going down

I Dont Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Dont Wanna Die

Well, I dont wanna be a soldier mama, I dont wanna dieWell, I dont wanna be a sailor mama, I dont wanna flyWell, I dont wanna be a failure mama, I dont wanna cryWell, I dont wanna be a soldier mama, I dont wanna dieOh no oh no oh no oh no

Well, I dont wanna be a rich manmama, I dont wanna cryWell, I dont wanna be a poor man

mama, I dont wanna flyWell, I dont wanna be a lawyer mama, I dont wanna lieWell, I dont wanna be a soldier mama, I dont wanna dieOh no oh no oh no oh no oh no

Well, I dont wanna be a beggar mama, I dont wanna dieWell, I dont wanna be a thief nowmama, I dont wanna flyWell, I dont wanna be a churchmanmama, I dont wanna cryWell, I dont wanna be a soldier mama, I dont wanna dieOh no oh no oh no oh no

Gimme Some Truth

Im sick and tired of hearing thingsfrom uptight-short sighted-narrowminded hypocritics

All I want is the truthJust gimme some truth

Ive had enough of reading thingsby neurotic-psychotic-pig headedpoliticians


No short haired-yellow belliedson of Tricky Dickyis gonna Mother Hubbardsoft soap mewith just a pocketful of hopeMoney for dopeMoney for rope

Im sick to death of seeing thingsfrom tight lipped-condescending-mommies little chauvinists


9and since youve gone yourejust another day

How do you sleep?Ah how do you sleep at night?

A pretty face may last a year or twoBut pretty soon theyll see what you can doThe sound you make is muzak to my earsYou must have learnedsomething in all those years


How?

How can I go forward when I dont know which way Im facing?How can I go forward when I dont know which way to turn?How can I go forward into somethingIm not sure of?Oh no, oh no

How can I have feeling whenI dont know if its a feeling?How can I feel something if I just dontknow how to feelHow can I have feelings when myfeelings have always been denied?Oh no, oh no

You know life can be longand you got to be so strongAnd the world is so tough Sometimes I feel Ive had enoughoh no, oh no

How can I give love when I dont knowwhat it is Im giving?How can I give love when I just dontknow how to give?How can I give love when love issomething I aint never had?

Oh no, oh no

How can we go forward when we dontknow which way were facing?How can we go forward whenwe dont know which way to turn?How can we go forward into something were not sure ofOh no, oh no

Oh Yoko!

In the middle of the nightIn the middle of the night I call your nameOh Yoko, oh Yoko My love will turn you on

In the middle of a bathIn the middle of a bath I call your nameOh Yoko, oh Yoko My love will turn you onMy love will turn you on

In the middle of a shavein the middle of a shave I call your nameOh Yoko, oh YokoMy love will turn you on

In the middle of a dreamIn the middle of a dream I call your nameOh Yoko, oh Yoko My love will turn you onMy love will turn you on

In the middle of a cloudIn the middle of a cloud I call your nameOh Yoko, oh YokoMy love will turn you onOh Yoko, oh Yoko, oh Yoko, oh Yoko, oh Yoko

Ive had enough of watching scenesof Schizophrenic-ego-centric-paranoic-prima-donnas


Oh My Love

Oh my love for the first time in my lifemy eyes are wide openOh my lover for the first time in my lifemy eyes can see

I see the wind, oh I see the treesEverything is clear in my heartI see the clouds, oh I see the skyEverything is clear in our world

Oh my love for the first time in my lifemy mind is wide openOh my lover for the first time in my lifemy mind can feel

I feel sorrow, oh I feel dreamsEverything is clear in my heartI feel life, oh I feel loveEverything is clear in our world

How Do You Sleep?

So Sgt. Pepper took you by surpriseYou better see right thru that mothers eyesThose freaks was right when they saidyou was deadThe one mistake you made was in your head


You live with straights who tell youyou was kingJump when your mamma tell youanythingThe only thing you done was yesterday

10

John Lennon and The Plastic OnoBand (with the Flux Fiddlers)

Produced by John & Yoko and Phil Spector

Imagine: John Lennon: Pianos. KlausVoormann: Bass. Alan White: Drums

Crippled Inside: John Lennon: ElectricGuitar. Klaus Voormann & SteveBrendell: Upright Bass. GeorgeHarrison: Dobro. Nicky Hopkins: Piano.Ted Turner, Rod Linton & John Tout:Acoustic Guitars

Jealous Guy: John Lennon: Guitar/Whistling: Klaus Voormann: Bass. Jim Keltner: Drums. John Barham:Harmonium. Alan White: Good Vibes

Its So Hard: John Lennon: Guitar.Klaus Voormann: Bass. Jim Gordon:Drums. King Curtis: Sax

I Dont Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Dont Wanna Die: John Lennon:Guitar. Klaus Voormann: Bass. JimKeltner: Drums. George Harrison: SlideGuitar. Nicky Hopkins: Piano. Joey &Tommy Badfinger: Acoustic Guitars.Mike Pinder: Tambourine. SteveBrendell: Marracas. King Curtis: Sax

Gimme Some Truth: John Lennon:Guitars. George Harrison: Lead Guitar.Klaus Voormann: Bass. Alan White:Drums. Rod Linton & Andy: AcousticGuitars. Nicky Hopkins: Piano

Oh My Love: John Lennon: Piano.Nicky Hopkins: Electric Piano. KlausVoormann: Bass. Alan White: Drums/Tibetan Cymbals. George Harrison:Guitar

How Do You Sleep?: John Lennon:Guitar. George Harrison: Slide Guitar.Klaus Voormann: Bass. Alan White:Drums. Nicky Hopkins: Piano

How?: John Lennon: Piano. KlausVoormann: Bass. Alan White: Drums.John Barham: Vibes. Nicky Hopkins:Piano

Oh Yoko!: John Lennon: Guitar/ Mouth Organ. Klaus Voormann: Bass.Alan White: Drums. Nicky Hopkins:Piano. Rod Linton & Andy: AcousticGuitar. Plus the J & P duo

All songs written by John Lennonexcept track 7 by John Lennon andYoko Ono.

Tracks 1, 3, 10 c Lenono Music. 2, 8, 9c Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. 4, 5c Northern Songs Ltd/Lenono Music.6 c Lennon Music administered bySony/ATV. 7 c Lenono Music/OnoMusic

A joint interest in Oh My Love claimedby Ono Music Ltd. Whip and Mirror byYoko Ono. Cover Design and Photo:Yoko Ono; Typography: GeorgeMaciunas

Basic tracks made at Ascot SoundStudios. Engineers: Philip McDonald,Eddie Klein (no relations), Eddie Offor,Eddie Veal, Eddie Beer. Food by Val andDiana. John & Yokos personal assistant:Dan Richter. This and that: Mal Evansand Peter Bendry. Flux Fiddlersoverdubbed at Record Plant, NY.Engineers: Roy Sicala, Jack Douglas,Shelly Yukus (sleep). This and that: Tomand Arlene and Al Steckler. Stringorchestrations: Torrie Zito. Cloud Piece,1963 by Yoko Ono, on back cover

All arrangements by Lennon except OhMy Love by Lennon/Ono. Alan Whiteappears by courtesy of WizardRecords Ltd. An Apple Record. An EMIRecording

Remaster Project Production Producer: Yoko Ono. Project Co-ordinator: Allan Rouse.Remaster Engineers: Paul Hicks, Sean Magee. Audio Restoration: Simon Gibson. Remastered at AbbeyRoad Studios, London, England, 2010

Sleeve notes by Paul Du Noyer.Additional Photography: PeterFordham (c 1971 Yoko Ono), Spud Murphy (c 1971 Yoko Ono).Drawing by John Lennon

Art direction by Yoko Ono. Design byPeacock. Artwork Co-ordinator: Karla Merrifield. Photo research: Xilonen Oreshnick. Projectmanagement by Timothy Ryan, JaneVentom, Kris Perera and Guy Hayden

Digital remaster. p 2010. The copyright in thissound recording is owned by EMI RecordsLtd. c 2010 EMI Records Ltd. This label copyinformation is the subject of copyrightprotection. All rights reserved. c 2010 EMIRecords Ltd.

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Digital Booklet - Imagine

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