How John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Imagine” Became the Chorus at Jimmy Carter’s Funeral

No American president or subsequent presidents thought more deeply about the causes of war and the prospects for peace than Jimmy Carter. So it’s no surprise that the most striking musical performance at Thursday’s funeral for the 39th president was a quiet presentation of militarism, nationalism, capitalism and the radical challenge of exploiting religious differences for political ends.

Lyrics to John Lennon and Yoko No. 1’s “Imagine” were recited Thursday as country stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood sang at the National Cathedral to national and international leaders who gathered to honor Carter. Touched on hope for the future.

The funeral’s rich devotional and secular music and soaring words underscored Carter’s prophetic legacy as a uniquely dedicated leader who, in the words of former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young’s moving homily, sought “peace on earth.” ” of public service and kindness to all men, especially women and children. “It celebrates the former president’s dedication to diplomacy – from his work in the White House as an architect of the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, to his final years as an outspoken advocate for justice for the Palestinian people — and his belief in justice for the Palestinian people, Lennon shared this desire and expressed it on the title track of his second solo album. Can a world then torn apart by conflicts stretching from Vietnam and Cambodia to India and Pakistan to southern Africa, Northern Ireland and the Middle East “imagine all its peoples living in peace?

Carter spoke of his passion for the song on more than one occasion. He’s delighted that “Imagine” has become a truly international anthem. “[I]In many countries around the world — my wife and I have visited about 125 countries — you hear John Lennon’s song “Imagine” used almost as much as the national anthem,” the former president told NPR in 2006 Shi said. “So John Lennon had a major impact on some developing countries around the world.”

When he attended the premiere of Jonathan Demme’s documentary at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, he was asked by the Associated Press what his favorite Beatles song was, jimmy carter man from the plainsat the premiere Travel across the universeIn a film framed by the music of Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, Carter again references Lennon’s majestic solo songs.

“My favorite thing is ‘imagination’. When I go to a strange country, Cuba and other places, in some of these countries ‘imagination’ has become [an unofficial] National anthem. For example, if you go to Havana, you will see a statue of John Lennon,” he said, referring to the monument in Havana’s John Lennon Park. “When we go to folk shows or symphony concerts or modern American music, they always play “Imagine,” which is one of my personal favorites. If you listen carefully to the lyrics, you’ll see that it’s anti-religious , it is anti-national, it is anti-nationalist, it is anti-chauvinistic, but its impact on people is profound.

Carter wasn’t the only one with a nuanced understanding of the song, as Lennon said the song was inspired and influenced by his wife and musical partner Ono. (In 2017, Ono received co-writer credit on the song, according to an interview the former Beatle gave before his death in 1980.) rolling stones “Imagine” was once described as Lennon’s “greatest musical gift to the world,” while David Frick, one of the magazine’s most insightful writers, commented, “Imagine is a subtle and powerful song. The Controversial Song is Lennon’s greatest combined achievement as a folk singer and provocateur.

The song’s political overtones have sparked controversy over the years, especially the lyrics that invite listeners: “Imagine there’s no heaven/It’s easy if you try/There’s no hell below us/There’s just sky above us/Imagine all the people/For today Live” and “Imagine there is no country / It’s not hard to do / There’s nothing to kill or die for / And there’s no religion.

Despite the song’s global resonance for years, social media posts on Thursday criticized the inclusion of “Imagine” at Carter’s funeral. Critics said it was inappropriate to choose such a way to celebrate the life of such a passionate evangelical Christian. As Beatles author and historian Kenneth Womack pointed out, when the Library of Congress added “Imagine” to its National Recording Registry in 2023, Lennon was These concerns are recognized. In June 1969, comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory gave him the book. As Lennon later explained [interviewer David] Scheff, this book provided him with key concepts about the nature of “active prayer” that would inform the creation of “Imagination.” “If you can imagine a peaceful world without sects – not without religion, but without ‘my God is greater than your God’ – then it can become a reality.”

Carter, a progressive evangelical who spoke about how he seeks to “more regularly apply my Christian faith to my secular life,” was clear about the song’s message, as well as Lennon’s work as a musician and The influence of political activists.

The former Beatle attended Carter’s presidential inauguration celebrations with Ono in 1977. The message expressed condolences and issued an extended White House statement noting, “It is particularly poignant that John Lennon died violently, despite his longstanding commitment to the peace movement.”

Carter’s appreciation for “Imagine” in his later years is evident. When Georgia Tech students surprised Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter in 2017 by singing the song, the former president stood up and led the applause. At Rosalynn Carter’s funeral in 2023, Brooks and Yearwood, who had worked with the Carters on Habitat for Humanity projects, performed “Imagine.”

The song choices at both funerals reflected the musical tastes of the Carters and their family and the message they wished to convey.

As his grandson Jason Carter told mourners at Thursday’s memorial service, Jimmy Carter was a pragmatic idealist who “promoted peace with love and respect” and preached “the importance of human rights.” Power…not just for some, but for everyone”. He’s also a believer in the power of music, appreciating the global reach and influence of a song that ends with: “You might say I’m a dreamer/But I’m not the only one/I hope one day If you could join us/the world would become one.