Julian Lennon never wanted to sing “Imagine” – he did it for Ukraine

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son of John Lennon
Julian Lennon vowed never to sing “Imagine” – he made an exception for Ukraine

Julian Lennon sang “Imagine” in public for the first time

© JIM RUYMEN / Picture Alliance

April 11, 2022, 1:15 p.m

2 min reading time

John Lennon’s “Imagine” has become one of the anthems of peace. Lennon’s son Julian actually never wanted to perform the song. He did it for Ukraine anyway.

“Imagine all the people, living life in peace” – these are the lines that are repeated over and over again when there is war in the world or when people are suffering. John Lennon co-wrote the song with his wife Yoko Ono in the early 1970s, calling on humanity to imagine world peace. Even these days during the war between Russia and Ukraine, the legendary song is remembered again.

Julian Lennon sings “Imagine” at fundraiser concert

One who actually never wanted to perform the song publicly is Lennon’s son Julian. On Saturday, the musician broke the promise. “Today I played my father’s song ‘Imagine’ in public for the first time,” he writes on YouTube. “The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel that we all hope for.” For his first, and possibly only, rendition of Imagine, he chose Global Citizen’s Stand Up For Ukraine event, a large-scale fundraiser.

“I’ve always said that I would only sing ‘Imagine’ if it was ‘the end of the world,'” Lennon explains under the video. But “the war in Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy,” he said. “As a person and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most meaningful way I could,” Lennon said.

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Manisha and Jasmin Singh stop at the Baoli, an ancient stepwell in a village near the city of Jaipur outside India's Thar Desert. Ami Vitale, photographer and filmmaker of the "National Geographic"magazine, has traveled to more than 100 countries, witnessing not only violence and conflict, but also surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit.

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Manisha and Jasmin Singh stop at the Baoli, an ancient stepwell in a village near the city of Jaipur outside India’s Thar Desert.

Amy Vitalephotographer and filmmaker for National Geographic magazine, has traveled to more than 100 countries, witnessing not only violence and conflict, but also surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit.

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He sounds like his father

Surrounded by candles and accompanied by the guitar, the 59-year-old performed his very own interpretation of “Imagine” and fans should quickly notice: the Briton’s voice color is very similar to that of his famous father.

Julian Lennon is the late Beatle’s elder son and his mother is Lennon’s first wife Cynthia Powell. The Beatles song “Hey Jude”, written by Paul McCartney, was written after Lennon and Powell’s divorce and had the goal of comforting Julian Lennon. McCartney originally titled the song “Hey Jules,” but then changed the lyrics to “Jude” because he found it easier to sing that way.

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