This is the very first piece I wrote for an internal writers portal at my first job back in 2014. I found it one of my early free blogs on WordPress. I have copied it here along with all its imperfections to remind myself where I started from.
My journey of English or foreign music started with a friend, Asif, who gave me a few songs in a Compact disk. Those were a couple of songs from Linkin Park’s Hybrid theory album. Since it was one of the most successful album of Linkin Park, I was drawn by its lyrics and music.
By fate I stumbled upon a Goan guy Aditya through a mutual friend. Since Goan culture is influenced a lot by the foreigners, this guy had a fantastic taste of English music. He introduces me to a number of artists and various types of musical forms. I was around 17 at that time. The influence of English music grew on me and I personally started to explore a lot of artists and music forms and till today I love doing it.
One fine day, while watching a famous TV show on History TV, I was introduced to the Legend John Lennon. The way the guy told his story and the tragic incident that killed the legend, I was forced to know more about him. I went on to the traditional search engine and started reading about the guy. Many fells on forum recommended his song “Imagine”. So i decided to give it a shot. At first it seemed a dull song with typical old music of 70′s and 80′s. Being an Indian, I was not much comfortable with the ascent and hence I searched for the lyrics and started to listening to the song along and O boy, I was completely taken by it. Each line of the song made me realize why they call him a legend.
In this song, all John is asking us to do is “Imagine”, as I am in the age of adolescence it was not difficult for me to Imagine. I did the same most of the time because in this age span all we do is imagine wild things (You know what I want to say!).
The first two stanzas we just beautiful. All he is saying is to forget the factors that are mostly responsible for all the uneasiness, wars, discrimination and instability in our world.
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…
Heaven and hell, the perfect pair ever existing since the inception of the civilization. On one side they help a man to discover the best way to lead a life by terrifying him of the results if doesn’t do it, on other hand these were the pair of words which lead to exploitation of humans in the middle ages in the name of god. These words in many forms are responsible for the most terrifying acts of this modern age, suicide bombings. People are deviated and influenced to do it as their religious mentors claim they will go to Heaven by performing this deed. Their faith and belief on the Lord, driven by a few people, so-called religious leaders, force them to do this cruel act. It’s a shameful thing that these people are using small kids, who even don’t know to change their underwear by themselves, to perform this act under the name of Lord.
Country and religion, these are the modern weapons used by a bunch of foolish people called politicians. These two words, the former mostly, lead to the two most devastating events in modern history, The World Wars. While is nothing wrong to be proud of your motherland, its inhuman to drive people in name of it to perform the deeds protested by every religion on Earth. It’s for sure if these things are abolished people will live for today, live life in peace.
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…
Not a doubt, if above two pairs become non-existent, thought in above stanza is possible. Possessions, greed and hunger are the factors that surely are causing the instability that ain’t caused by the above two pairs of words. Possessions and greed has resulted man to turn into an animal, not by living standards but through this thoughts. People show off their possessions and tease those who don’t have it, which results into greed, the most danger thing that can drive a man insane. If the brotherhood as it existed during the caveman period comes back, not a single many on earth will b hungry. People will live peacefully sharing the world.
You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will live as one
This stanza brings back us to reality, all the things implied above are just in the mind of John, they are non-existent in today’s world. Surely to imagine one day for this to happen is just like a dream. But still there a Hope in John, one day this might happen. One day this world will live as One as one family, this was the same intention for which once man had created religion, the true meaning of which was lost eventually in ego and competition.
I hope and Imagine for this to happen one day. That day will truly mark the presence of humans on the earth. That day even the lord (if exists) will smile and see towards the beautiful paradise he had created had taken a sign of relief. I am with John. I have joined him, will you?
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