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Post by sayne on Jan 2, 2012 21:06:08 GMT -5
Unless I missed it, I'm surprised no one has yet to comment on Cee Lo Green changing the words to Imagine when he sang it during his Time Square performance.
Seems to have quite a few people on the Internets in a tizzie.
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Post by debjorgo on Jan 2, 2012 21:28:28 GMT -5
Unless I missed it, I'm surprised no one has yet to comment on Cee Lo Green changing the words to Imagine when he sang it during his Time Square performance. Seems to have quite a few people on the Internets in a tizzie. It's on the Beatles - Let it Be page where I broke the Beiber story. (Hey, take credit where you can get it.)
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Post by John S. Damm on Jan 2, 2012 22:12:16 GMT -5
This was a lead story tonight on Inside Edition. Cee Lo explained that all religions should tolerate each other and let each practice their faith as each believes and not persecute one another. I felt better after hearing his explanation.
That might not have offended John, the plea for tolerance among religions. Some zealous Lennon fans who have attacked this guy on the web need to be careful in their attacks on his interpretation least they look like zealots in their own right.
I actually watched the guy sing this while I was on the computer in the next room but I missed that line. I did not really like his cover regardless of the changed line.
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Post by sayne on Jan 2, 2012 23:37:50 GMT -5
Unless I missed it, I'm surprised no one has yet to comment on Cee Lo Green changing the words to Imagine when he sang it during his Time Square performance. Seems to have quite a few people on the Internets in a tizzie. It's on the Beatles - Let it Be page where I broke the Beiber story. (Hey, take credit where you can get it.) My apologies. Just saw it before I came back to see if anyone commented on my post.
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Post by sayne on Jan 2, 2012 23:47:40 GMT -5
This was a lead story tonight on Inside Edition. Cee Lo explained that all religions should tolerate each other and let each practice their faith as each believes and not persecute one another. I felt better after hearing his explanation. How's this for a scenario? From now on, evangelists who had never liked the song because of the "no religion" line, will now make it part of their regular service with the new line. We used to think it was bad enough that all those American Idol-type singers would tackle the song, but now we'll get all those Anita Bryant/Tammy Faye big-hair bleached-blonde, faked lashed, bejeweled religio-bimbos singing the song. (Glad one of my resolutions was to be kinder and gentler) ;D
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Post by debjorgo on Jan 3, 2012 0:27:01 GMT -5
If you don't like the ideology in a song, don't sing it.
The song is saying that religion has been the CAUSE of much of the hostilities in the world. Imagine it's gone. It's a little more blunt than saying let's tolerate other beliefs.
Personally, I think religion is the only thing you should make fun of someone for. I'm not talking about discrimination in the workplace or housing but come on folks. Basing your whole life on a belief that could very easily be wrong? Allowing it into your government and legal system,
I think women wearing scarves, look atrocious. Saying it's because of their religion, makes it even more stupid.
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Post by scousette on Jan 3, 2012 0:44:55 GMT -5
I think the way Cee Lo changed the lyric negated John's message. Not a good thing to do.
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Post by Steve Marinucci on Jan 3, 2012 3:31:08 GMT -5
Maybe it's me, but I didn't get all worked up by it. His version was lousy to begin with. The lyric change was just dumb on top of that.
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Post by vectisfabber on Jan 3, 2012 4:21:15 GMT -5
I dunno, the song's called Imagine so maybe it's OK to sing about your Imaginary Friends.
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wooltonian
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Post by wooltonian on Jan 3, 2012 5:04:33 GMT -5
Part of me definitely goes along with the lyric of 'Imagine'. However, part of me thinks that if the 'Imagine' world ever became reality we'd all be sitting around holding hands, attending basket-weaving classes, reading Jane Austen novels, skipping through country meadows and generally dying of boredom.
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Post by mikev on Jan 3, 2012 8:15:57 GMT -5
This was a lead story tonight on Inside Edition. Cee Lo explained that all religions should tolerate each other and let each practice their faith as each believes and not persecute one another. I felt better after hearing his explanation. How's this for a scenario? From now on, evangelists who had never liked the song because of the "no religion" line, will now make it part of their regular service with the new line. We used to think it was bad enough that all those American Idol-type singers would tackle the song, but now we'll get all those Anita Bryant/Tammy Faye big-hair bleached-blonde, faked lashed, bejeweled religio-bimbos singing the song. (Glad one of my resolutions was to be kinder and gentler) ;D I don't have a problem if that was the little fat man's true interpretation- but most Christian fundamentalists won't embrace that either because THEIR version of religion is the "correct" one . It's already been done (Beatles being hijacked for religious reasons)- as a kid going to Catholic school in the late sixties-early seventies, I was treated to nuns singing Let it Be and My Sweet Lord on acoustic guitar. Fortunately , I was already exposed to the Beatles through my love of AM radio.
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Post by mikev on Jan 3, 2012 8:20:06 GMT -5
...oh, and who can forget Sister Frances Rebel's version of Lennon's God at Sunday morning mass January 17th, 1971? ;D ;D ;D
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andyb
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Post by andyb on Jan 3, 2012 13:43:23 GMT -5
Maybe he should have sang "and all faith is true".
I haven't seen it but the line he did sing doesn't detract too much from the meaning of the song in that we are asked to imagine a word in which nothing divides us.
Always gives me a chuckle when people misinterpret this song, "he's a rich rock star and he's singing about having no possessions" etc
Talk of religion always reminds me of Bill Hicks when he said - "There's a living god who will talk directly to ya. Not through the pages of a book that forgot to mention dinosaurs"
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Post by John S. Damm on Jan 3, 2012 21:37:20 GMT -5
I haven't seen it but the line he did sing doesn't detract too much from the meaning of the song in that we are asked to imagine a word in which nothing divides us. That's how I feel and why I opined above that John might not be to upset with this fellow's changed lyric based on his explanation. If all the world's religions could live in peace how could one complain? I actually liked Bieber's LIB better than Cee Lo's "Imagine." Not a stellar Beatles' cover night though. ;D
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Post by John S. Damm on Jan 3, 2012 21:39:01 GMT -5
Part of me definitely goes along with the lyric of 'Imagine'. However, part of me thinks that if the 'Imagine' world ever became reality we'd all be sitting around holding hands, attending basket-weaving classes, reading Jane Austen novels, skipping through country meadows and generally dying of boredom. Are we naked when skipping through country meadows? And can those country meadows be English Moors instead?
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Post by winstonoboogie on Jan 3, 2012 21:44:32 GMT -5
How's this for a scenario? From now on, evangelists who had never liked the song because of the "no religion" line, will now make it part of their regular service with the new line. We used to think it was bad enough that all those American Idol-type singers would tackle the song, but now we'll get all those Anita Bryant/Tammy Faye big-hair bleached-blonde, faked lashed, bejeweled religio-bimbos singing the song. (Glad one of my resolutions was to be kinder and gentler) ;D I don't have a problem if that was the little fat man's true interpretation- but most Christian fundamentalists won't embrace that either because THEIR version of religion is the "correct" one . The same with certain other religions as well, but let's not go there.... Besides, Mommy always told me never to discuss religion or politics in polite company! ;D
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Post by John S. Damm on Jan 3, 2012 22:00:51 GMT -5
This was a lead story tonight on Inside Edition. Cee Lo explained that all religions should tolerate each other and let each practice their faith as each believes and not persecute one another. I felt better after hearing his explanation. How's this for a scenario? From now on, evangelists who had never liked the song because of the "no religion" line, will now make it part of their regular service with the new line. We used to think it was bad enough that all those American Idol-type singers would tackle the song, but now we'll get all those Anita Bryant/Tammy Faye big-hair bleached-blonde, faked lashed, bejeweled religio-bimbos singing the song. (Glad one of my resolutions was to be kinder and gentler) ;D I had that very same thought after first reading about this incident. That would be a problem. I often wonder if all of those "hip" churches in the 1970's with guitar services also sang the "Hare Krishna" bits in "My Sweet Lord?" I have a taped interview with George Harrison on WLS in 1976 while plugging 33 1/3 and George gleefully admitted to sneaking that in so Christians would be singing the Hallelujah and suddenly go to the Hare Krishna.
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Post by mikev on Jan 3, 2012 23:25:02 GMT -5
I don't have a problem if that was the little fat man's true interpretation- but most Christian fundamentalists won't embrace that either because THEIR version of religion is the "correct" one . The same with certain other religions as well, but let's not go there.... Besides, Mommy always told me never to discuss religion or politics in polite company! ;D I hope you realize I was being facetious about them being "correct".
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wooltonian
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Post by wooltonian on Jan 4, 2012 4:25:36 GMT -5
Are we naked when skipping through country meadows? And can those country meadows be English Moors instead? Don't forget that the moors are cold, bleak and windswept. If you picture yourself naked skipping through them you run the risk of contracting imaginary hypothermia!
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Post by mikev on Jan 4, 2012 8:18:26 GMT -5
The same with certain other religions as well, but let's not go there.... Besides, Mommy always told me never to discuss religion or politics in polite company! ;D I hope you realize I was being facetious about them being "correct". Just to clarify what I was trying to say is that the "spirit' of what the little bald fat man was saying could be reflected upon tolerance of religious freedoms and not a extremist stance on a single religious belief like "mine is right- the rest of you are condemned..." It is different than a secular "god-less" view- but makes a similar point about historic wars because of ones beliefs, even within the same general belief factions.
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Post by John S. Damm on Jan 4, 2012 9:23:56 GMT -5
Are we naked when skipping through country meadows? And can those country meadows be English Moors instead? Don't forget that the moors are cold, bleak and windswept. If you picture yourself naked skipping through them you run the risk of contracting imaginary hypothermia! Point taken, The Mumbo Stomp remains in warm, southern climates, indoors or around roaring fires. I suppose that in the imaginary world of Imagine, The Mumbo Stomp is too raucous anyway.
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Post by sayne on Jan 4, 2012 11:09:16 GMT -5
. . . Mommy always told me never to discuss religion or politics in polite company! ;D . . . and who makes the best pizza! ;D
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Post by acebackwords on Jan 4, 2012 13:42:56 GMT -5
I never liked the song. Always found it maudlin and soporific. And I always change the channel whenever it comes on the radio. But I'm reminded of something Elliot Mintz said. He was always amused by John's litany in the song "God" where he professes to not believe in Jesus and Buddha and etc. "John believed in ALL of it," said Mintz. In truth, Lennon exstensively studied all the great world religions, and over the course of his life he would periodically become a "believer" in Maharishis, Hare Krishnas, and even evangelical Christians. So it always seemed hare-brained to me when he emotes about "no religion." Maybe he should have listened to his own message.
There's a touching scene in Seaman's book, right before he's getting ready to fly back to the States to start working on "Double Fantasy" and he stops into a local church to pray in privacy, like he was appealing for strength from the Force (or whatever you want to call It) as he steeled himself for his return to the public eye. Which takes a certain amount of courage, believe me.
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Post by acebackwords on Jan 4, 2012 14:02:00 GMT -5
P.S. I'm a firm believer in religion and in countries (and especially in the importance of preserving our national borders). And I also believe in money and possessions. In fact, far from being a liberating concept, it worries me deeply when I imagine losing all my possessions. Though I guess it would be easier for me to indulge in these kind of musings if I happened to own a hundred million dollars worth of possessions myself.
Yes, I can understand Andyb's point of not taking the lyrics too literally and just imagining a wonderful, wonderful world that wasn't divided along racial, religious or economic lines (I'm imagining pie in the sky at this very moment and its delicious). Its just that, unfortunately, thats not remotely similar to the real world that I happen to live in.
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Post by acebackwords on Jan 4, 2012 14:52:40 GMT -5
P.P.S. Yeah, how dare this low-life heretic Cee Low (whoever the hell that is) tamper with the profound and pure lyrics of Imagine, written for the spiritual uplift of all of humanity. And produced and engineered by that great spiritual being Phil Spector. Now that I think of it, perhaps John should have written an extra verse just for Phil:
"Imagine not shooting the heads off of defenseless women Its easy if you try No guns or violence or yuckky stuff Just candy and drugs and pie in the sky"
Yeah, I admit I'm a bitter old grumpy cynic. So shoot me. Or worse, renounce my citizenship in Nutopia.
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Post by andyb on Jan 4, 2012 16:53:07 GMT -5
It's just a state of mind.
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Post by vectisfabber on Jan 4, 2012 17:48:03 GMT -5
I don't hold John Lennon responsible for the actions of Phil Spector, particularly anything Spector did after Lennon died. Call me peculiar, I'm just funny that way, and I can't see that anything Spector did has any bearing on Lennon's lyrics.
As far as wotsit changing the lyrics is concerned, I'm fairly violently against it because it changes the meaning, and the meaning was pretty bloody important to the writer: it is a song where its meaning is its sole raison d'etre, and changing the lyrics (and consequently the meaning) is a mark of the greatest artistic disrespect possible: as debjorgo said above, if you don't agree with the ideology in a song don't sing it.
Unless you have permission from the writer to tweak it. And that ain't going to happen.
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Post by debjorgo on Jan 4, 2012 20:26:52 GMT -5
P.P.S. Yeah, how dare this low-life heretic Cee Low (whoever the hell that is) tamper with the profound and pure lyrics of Imagine, written for the spiritual uplift of all of humanity. Cee Lo was the lead singer in Gnarls Barkley. They did the song "Crazy". He did the song "F**k You", with the alternate version called "Fo**get You". He also does "You're So Square" on the Rave On Buddy Holly tribute.
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Post by sayne on Jan 4, 2012 21:33:45 GMT -5
P.S. I'm a firm believer in religion and in countries (and especially in the importance of preserving our national borders). And I also believe in money and possessions. In fact, far from being a liberating concept, it worries me deeply when I imagine losing all my possessions. Though I guess it would be easier for me to indulge in these kind of musings if I happened to own a hundred million dollars worth of possessions myself. Me thinks you're not going to like Heaven.
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Post by debjorgo on Jan 4, 2012 21:57:44 GMT -5
P.S. I'm a firm believer in religion and in countries (and especially in the importance of preserving our national borders). And I also believe in money and possessions. In fact, far from being a liberating concept, it worries me deeply when I imagine losing all my possessions. Though I guess it would be easier for me to indulge in these kind of musings if I happened to own a hundred million dollars worth of possessions myself. Me thinks you're not going to like Heaven. "Yeah, I think I'm going to like it here. Where can you get a pack of smokes? ....Why are you looking at me like that? What? ..."
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