What are your thoughts on Cee Lo Green changing the words of "Imagine"?

Kind of defeats one of the main purposes of the song, no? I don’t really care, exactly, but it seems like something Lennon would have cared about. I actually watched it, and didn’t even notice that at the time, though.

It shows me he doesn’t get it. Not at all.

I do feel like, as @cazzie said, he just doesn’t get it. I also think it’s terrible to make a significant change to a work of art that is beloved by so many, that doesn’t just make it your own.. but completely changes the original meaning and intent, especially to mean the very opposite. I’m not crazy about that.

I’m thinking if Mr. Green didn’t agree with the sentiment, he should have declined to sing the song.

This is not to say an artist can’t reinterpret songs to the point of satire or to send the opposite message, but a national broadcast at new years was maybe not the time and place.

@cprevite yeah, good point.

It is not true to the song, and it severely changes the meaning so I think it was not OK.

Isn’t it really just saying the same thing? Isn’t no religion pretty much the same as all religions being true, or at least the same as if all religions were considered true by everyone?

Personally, I’ve always thought the song was ridiculous. I have imagined a world where there is nothing to live or die for: awfully bleak if you ask me.

@Poser it is ‘Nothing to Kill or die for’... make more sense now?

@Poser whether or not it was what Lennon intended, “no religion” and “all religion” do not have the same meaning, to me. Not even close.

@cazzie. Ah, my mistake. But no, that still sounds bleak. You wouldn’t kill or die for your children?

@ANef_is_Enuf May I ask what your religious views are? I suspect you are anti-religious, no?

@Poser.. I would like to imagine a world where I wouldn’t have to.

I’m no Lennon/Beatles fan, but he is missing the point. I may be wrong, but isn’t Lennon saying that it doesn’t matter what religion you believe in or what country you’re from, we should put our differences aside and live in harmony? Besides, it completely contradicts the first line “Imagine there’s no heaven” (which he does sing).
It’s like taking a horror movie and just pissing all over it to make it look like a family film. Ugh.

@cazzie There is a quote that has been attributed to MLK, though I can’t find any solid evidence that he said it. “If a man isn’t willing to die for something, he doesn’t deserve to live.” I currently do live in a world where I don’t have to kill or die for my child. I’m thankful for that. I’m also thankful that I don’t live in a world where there is nothing important enough to kill or die for.

@Poser ..shakes head…. You aren’t getting the ‘Imagine’ part.

@Poser I’m an atheist, humanist… and yes, at least mildly anti-religious. So, yes, even if all of the religions of the world got along and were accepting of one another, I would still see religion, overall, as a negative thing. Do I think that would be better? Of course. But not ideal, in my personal opinion.

I’m like @Poser, I heard it as it aired and for me, it meant the same- no religion, too sung by Lennon to mean humans were interconnected and accepting enough to not need religion- Cee Lo’s version all religions true to mean humans accepting the interconnectedness of each other, different religions, all vehicles to that end.

I think Cee Lo was very brave to spin Imagine. It is what it is and I think Lennon would have applauded that.

Nothing brave about it. ‘Singers’ have been doing it for a long time. and it’s cowardly.

I saw it as him wanting to be politically correct in case the line offended religious people. Thing is, I’ve never heard anybody complain about the original lyrics of the song.

I agree it completely changed the meaning of the song, and it was not Cee Lo’s place to do that.

@cazzie I get the imagine part. I obviously don’t live in a world where there is nothing to kill or die for. Ergo, I can only “imagine” such a world. I have imagined it, and to me it would be a bleak existence. It is my passions in life, those things which mean more to me than my own life, which make my life worth living.

I hated it all. He sounded awful, looked awful, and changed the words to a classic song that completly twisted what Lennon was saying through the song.

I think this is a big drama over nuttin. Artistic license,

Maybe he didnt look into it so psychotically like the beatle’s fans, of which I am one,

But get over it….he had innocent intent.

First off, let me say I loved Cee Lo Green’s song from last year, called Fuck You.
Killer song. And I was unhappy when he changed it to Forget You, but that’s okay, it’s his song.

I am also a huge John Lennon fan. I remember Lennon was unhappy that no one covered his songs. He felt slighted.

I also remember, about 30 years ago Judy Collins recorded a song about hunting whales.
It was a beautiful song, and ended up on her greatest hits, but a lot of people were unhappy about her singing a song about killing whales. She just said “Then write a song about saving them.”

Imagine is an existencial masterpiece, and the lyric changes make no sense, since he still sings the part about “above us only sky”.

I am glad Cee Lo is checking out the Lennon songbook, but if he isn’t happy about the words, he should find another song.