John Lennon "Imagine" & "Oh Yoko!" (First Time Reaction)

[@L33Reacts]

This is sort of a companion video to the "Ballad of John & Yoko" video, as we get a double DOUBLE dose of John Lennon today... and I doubt anyone will complain about that. This man was a treasure. I can't help but think of the "Yoko" songs we never got :( She was his muse, like her or dislike her. I hope y'all enjoy..

[@L33Reacts]

Imagine all the people...

[@Asymmatrix]

@@L33Reacts Wearing earplugs :)

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Man, I forgot how much insane back-beat there is in this thing between the bass guitar and the kick drum. Also, Chris Cornell does an amazing live acoustic cover of this in an arena with kind of purple light. It's easy to find.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

The secret to catching up to the fleeting moment that we call the present, is to do something immersive that you can have flow state with, whether its athletics or whatever, it's a lot of things for me but far and away it's music. If I play music, time stops. I mean there's the local time if I'm playing something really rhythmic and all that, but it just feels like your sense of the present isn't there, so there's nothing coming in and there's nothing slipping away. It's timeless. And of course we all know this, but then again John Lennon's lyrics are the kind of things that get cool people talking about this shit, laugh.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Enjoyed your ramblings afterwards.

[@dawntucker5052]

Imagine is one of the greatest songs ever written 😊 we miss you, John😢

[@Bekka_Noyb]

One of the most important & beautiful songs ever made! dbl ♥

[@ritagryphon222]

One of the best peace songs... beautiful

[@mevdinc]

Imagine is probably the most beautiful and important song ever written. Such simple yet timeless words, lovely melody and gorgeous singing. A true legend. RIP John. 🙏

[@robotronrichard]

One of the greatest songs of all time.... ☮❤🎶

[@corawheeler9355]

Imagine is my favorite Lennon song ... if only people would listen

[@dawnschneider187]

Imagine was John's most iconic solo song, it's so perfect. Great reaction Lee.

[@leighloutreedore8926]

We were so young we BELIEVED it would work!!!

[@philowens7680]

Indeed we did.

[@shiannesmith6877]

Imagine ❤

[@freda1182]

I'm a lifelong Beatles fan, but Imagine is on another plane. Not sure humans are capable of the message, but what great ideas to aspire to. Yoko's inspiration/contribution makes her OK in my book (performance singing aside 😉). Thanks for playing and I had not heard Oh Yoko! in a while.

[@Steve-gx9ot]

Don't you mean PLAIN = NOT plane as in flying machine. Geezus

[@DavidBreslow]

You can't "catch" it BUT youre ALWAYS IN IT!!! Inescapable.

[@akadros310]

Oh nice, I suggested "Oh Yoko" last week. I always thought it was a great song. It really stuck with me after hearing it in the movie Rushmore. And of course Imagine is a wonderful song. It has such a great message. Sure, it is completely idealistic and will likely never happen, but still a wonderful thought. I remember some radio stations had banned playing it after 9/11 which was crazy to me since, it had the perfect message for the time.

[@johndrx165]

My 2 favorite songs on the album.

[@shemanic1]

LOVE IT! A song everyone needs in their heart. "Imagine ALL the people sharing ALL the World"

[@dougsusie2319]

That's John on harmonica. He played a fair amount of harp on early Beatles records between 63-64.

[@samuelmregister]

None other than Nicky Hopkins on piano- go-to pianist to the stars.

[@3CatAlfie]

Imagine is of course an absolute classic. I have to say Oh Yoko and Ballad of John and Yoko have been favourites of mine for years. I always have to sing along to both.

[@WilliamWiest1959]

I was fortunate to visit the Beatles Museum in Liverpool this last September and one the the most emotional moments for me was seeing a photo of John plus his real his white piano and also his signature glasses that he wore while recording the album Imagine on display while the song Imagine was playing in the background. It was quite the moment to say the least.

[@bradjenkins1475]

Hey man, with this past week with you doing the white album and now John, is so much more appreciated, by me at least, listening to you, do the deep dive and expressive descriptions after playing these albums is what really makes it worth it to me. The fact is that us followers of yours. Don't only know all these songs, but have heard them easily thousands of times since they were recorded make your comments the difference between just hearing them with your really good interpretation, along with informing us as to who is on each album and what instruments they played etc. Basically, I'm saying we don't tune in to hear the specific songs that you're playing, but rather do hear all of your outros. Let's face it. I'm guessing all of us essentially. Have this music at our disposal. But it's hearing the information rather than just the song. At least that's why I love your shows so much.

[@shirleybhs9zd6li5i]

"Imagine" is a beautiful song that reflected the "hippie" movement of the early 70's. Our hopes of love and peace became more and more an unachievable dream. Then John wrote this anthem of hope and promise. It still stirs my soul. Thanks, L33 for both tracks and your insightful comments so needed at this time. Blessings all.

[@PeterWalsh-k7n]

Lennon was a really clever and perceptive person. He had a screwed up childhood, that he sang about it. He made mistakes and did bad things, and he sang about that too. And with Imagine he is inviting you to share his dream. He isn't saying it will come true, but he dreams that it might. Someone once asked him about what would have happened if in World War Two, the only thing people had confronted the evil of Adolf Hitler with had been peace and love. But he flipped that around and asked, what would have happened if, as a young child, Hitler had been taught peace and love. A World War might have been avoided.

[@strongdecaf3729]

Also check out "Dear Yoko" from their last album Double Fantasy. A whole decade of songs devoted to his love for his wife. ☮️💜

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

Oh Yoko! is the perfect drinking song🤘

[@L33Reacts]

Hahaha I agree!

[@Moz1011]

Miss John. Wonder what he would say about the goings on of today.

[@newms69]

He would not be happy.

[@stephanieo2509]

So glad that you really appreciate his vocals. There's just something about his voice that just really hits you. It's strange, but I always find them so comforting.

[@jpirard]

ALAN WHITE on drums. I got to ask him about this and he said it was amazing to do this album.

[@hoppers13]

So many glorious songs on that album. When it first came out I wore out my vinyl copy within months and had to buy it again (followed by the cassette version and the CD).

[@cynthiaschultheis1660]

In Central Park outside the Dakota where he lived and died, is a round mosaic with IMAGINE on it. People put flowers on it daily. ✌✌✌✌❤❤❤

[@Coquinagirl]

…and Beatles in Between… Nice thoughts, Lee, thank you!

[@WendyDarling1974]

It’s hard for me to fathom that someone hasn’t heard the original recording of “Imagine,” possibly even more than it’s hard for me to believe someone hasn’t heard all the Beatles’ songs, even “just” the hits. That said, love your reactions to the Beatles and their solo careers. I don’t know how you hold off from listening to everything all in one week.

[@WendyDarling1974]

P.S. The video for “Imagine” with John and Yoko at home is stunning.

[@L33Reacts]

I honestly don’t have the time. Raising kids and then running this channel basically accounts for my entire day. And I like to be honest and give my actual first reaction to things. I guess that’s why I make so many mistakes, it’s honestly my first time hearing it 🤣

[@L33Reacts]

Like I said, I’ve heard a few lines from it and I knew the words. I’ve seen them a million times , I’ve just never actually heard the full song.

[@michaelzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Imagine, one of the best songs off all time.

[@meditationlifeskills]

And the world will live as one... To be continued.

[@wpreite]

Oh Yoko! is soooo Indie Pop!

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Man, I forgot how much insane back-beat there is in this thing between the bass guitar and the kick drum. Also, Chris Cornell does an amazing live acoustic cover of this in an arena with kind of purple light. It's easy to find.

[@polittek]

Several poems from Yoko Ono's 1964 book Grapefruit inspired Lennon to write the lyrics for "Imagine." In June 2017, the US National Music Publishers Association recognized Lennon's desire to add Yoko Ono as a co-author of the song.

[@gettinhungrig8806]

That was so much bullshit to do that after he died. He might have said what he said but he never did anything about it, nor intended to. She never wrote jackshit of that song. She should have knocked back the offer. Another reason I can't stand her.

[@jstock2317]

thanks Yoko!

[@davidcopson5800]

Great song, lovely reaction. (Imagine)

[@Dr3amtime]

The first album I bought for myself. $1 used in about '75 or '76? The album and song remain my sentimental favorites. Gave my first child Lennon as a middle name, because of this song as much as anything.

[@Kerazen123]

I wish people would have listened.

[@hongfang2348]

Imagine is the single greatest post Beatle song. Does anyone disagree? Personally, I think it's the greatest song, pre and post breakup. Years after its release, John credited Yoko for the song's idea. In a 1980 BBC interview, Lennon said that he should have credited Ono as a songwriter because she contributed a lot to the song's lyrics and concept. He said he was "selfish" and "macho" at the time and didn't mention her contribution.

[@charlotex1]

My favorite is My Sweet Lord. Then Imagine. Hey Jude is the best song of all time, all genres, all artists IMO.

[@gettinhungrig8806]

He never said she contributed to the lyrics, only to the concept years before in her book Grapefruit. It was BS, John wrote it period.

[@kweile4339]

Double double! Thanks!

[@futuregenerationz]

On these songs you have the magical Nicky Hopkins adding the perfect piano parts.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

The secret to catching up to the fleeting moment that we call the present, is to do something immersive that you can have flow state with, whether its athletics or whatever, it's a lot of things for me but far and away it's music. If I play music, time stops. I mean there's the local time if I'm playing something really rhythmic and all that, but it just feels like your sense of the present isn't there, so there's nothing coming in and there's nothing slipping away. It's timeless. And of course we all know this, but then again John Lennon's lyrics are the kind of things that get cool people talking about this shit, laugh.

[@ricardodinapoli21]

December 8th , one of the darkest dates for Rock :(

[@Straydogger]

FYI. Imagine tempo 71 bpm. Revolution 1 tempo 100 bpm. 🙂 "Imagine" was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2023.

[@alrivers2297]

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

[@doughaviland1729]

PENTATONIX does a MAGICAL cover of this in Acapella!❤😂

[@omercormier3849]

This was banned in some countries for the lyrics but if you look at today's mess all around the world, the lyrics makes a lot of sense - peace to all

[@felipeh3146]

You've heard "How Do You Sleep," now you have to hear the song "I Know (I Know)." It's an John's apology song that sounds a lot like it was for Paul. John never actually admitted it, but the song has several references to the Beatles and especially Paul's songs, and being from 1973, it coincides with they reconciliation

[@36karpatoruski]

Normally it’s Yoko Ono. But if Yoko “sings”, it’s Yoko Oh No!

[@reneestewart9425]

👏🏼

[@pcoleman1971]

If you want to continue on the Yoko theme, you can jump to the Barenaked Ladies, "Be My Yoko Ono".

[@Linda-y9h]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@rickriekert866]

Lennon dabbled in radical politics in the early seventies. He described “Imagine” as “virtually the Communist Manifesto. But because it is sugarcoated, it is accepted."

[@mysterymac38]

Exactly. Everyone needs possessions to be happy. Can you imagine not having a heater, air conditioning, transportation, a family. etc...

[@mrsnookdeb]

Love John Lennon, love the Beatles, I was 16 when Imagine came out, I believed it wholeheartedly like a lot of us did, but looking back on it now, it was atheistic, cumunistic , hypocritical tripe, sorry John

[@rickriekert866]

@@mysterymac38 Or multiple luxury apartments at the Dakota and $800 million in assets.

[@georgepitts1057]

A couple hours after I went to bed, I was awakened by a pounding on my bedroom window....it was my friend from down the street weeping and saying "Someone SHOT him!...shot John Lennon!"....that was the end of sleep THAT night!....We sat outside, sometimes crying, sometimes just staring at the stars....I STILL cannot grasp exactly why it hit so hard!

[@newodkin]

My mother used to really dislike Lennon...until she heard this song, which she loved. A few years later, she would be the one to tell me the news that he had been assassinated.

[@dougj7295]

Howard Cosell told me and most of the world towards the end of the Monday Night football game. TV history for sure.

[@2407paul]

I also getting a chill cause its Alan!

[@lyna4873]

The original version of Imagine of course is the best but I really like the VIDEO for the Pentatonix cover--it really embodies John's vision.

[@dalemcmillan7231]

❤ 👍

[@poptart4260]

Imagine a world we ll never know because evil walks hand in hand with goodness

[@gettinhungrig8806]

John's harmonica (or harp, never know which) was a feature of early Beatles songs especially their early singles. John later called it a gimmick. It wasn't then thought of as Dylanesque but Beatlesque. Dylan was just becoming popular at the same time. Suggest you check out 'I Should Have Known Better' or 'I'm A Loser' both great songs...also his harmonica was the hook on their very first single 'Love Me Do'. Have you done?

[@quantanglement]

Nicky Hopkins on piano I think - (Oh, Yoko) The album overall was really good. Of course Imagine the big one. The strings in the back (flux fiddlers?) awesome. Some would say it was a little bit hypocritical of him singing about no possessions when watching the vid of him singing this at Tittenhurst - which was enormous . Quite a big possession to say the least. It's kind of like someone extremely obese singing you a song they wrote about a healthy world from eating right with a 99 in one hand and a snickers in the other. And before you call anyone out for saying something like this - John, at times , was the king of calling people out. (Crippled Inside anyone?) (Sexie Sadie? ) And we don't know if any of that was true about misbehavior in India anyhow. But anyway, the song Imagine had really simple instrument stuff going on but put together so it really had a 'pull' to it - even many years later. And who knew just a few short years after this song first played JL wouldn't be recording any more songs. Hit so many hard.

[@AirDOGGe]

What a terrible time that was when John was murdered while this album was fresh in our minds. So sad then to also realize that the Beatles reunion we all hoped for would never happen. Mark David Chapman killed much more than a man that day (I've never forgotten that f_ckers name after all these decades). Peace always L33.

[@hopeklemann1]

🌸 so , my friend, December 8th is quickly arriving..... the anniversary of John Lennon's death.... you might already have things to reacts to that day but I would suggest Elton John's empty garden which is extremely touching for me personally the video that has him live in New York is my favorite one

[@cynthiaschultheis1660]

NEXT ALBUM TO REACT TO "A DAY IN THE LIFE" AND WHOLE "SGT. PEPPERS LIVE NELY HEARST CLUB" ALBUM!!👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼❤❤❤❤✌✌✌

[@TangoEliott]

Paul brought the avante garde to the others when he lived in London, and they lived in suburbs. Paul introduced John to the London scene. Of the 4 Beatles John grew up in a much more middle class surroundings. Ringo, George and Paul, financially, were living in more humble circumstances.

[@MJ1]

Allan White on drums…

[@lucianoteixeira7993]

Double Fantasy! Or Double Double Fantasy?

[@blitztim6416]

You should watch Bjork’s video of her song ‘Human Behavior’ About Yoko. John loved her. End of discussion.

[@edwardmclaughlin719]

John admits he stole it. kzbin.infoTTfe9-PbFQM

[@avarandado]

The harmonica doesn't make it Dylan! John played it before he ever touched a guitar and a lot of the early Beatles tracks featured it prominently. Take it back!

[@P.Galore]

I have to disagree with Lee re: Yoko's influence. She emasculated John. By 1973 his creative edge was gone. She enabled his heroine addiction. Her presence ended the The Beatles prematurely. We likely would have gotten two or three more albums from them if not for her meddling. The Beatles could have continued as a band along side their solo projects but she was so polarizing it made that impossible. From 1974 thru 1980 John produced pablum. The final album was so bad it would have gone directly to the $1.99 cut-out bins if the name " John Lennon" wasn't on the cover. Yoko smothered John as the artist he once was. Hold her responsible for this great loss to the world.

[@glass2467]

You are so wrong. You are entitled to your opinion, but you are objectively wrong. He produced some great music in that time frame. Yes, some of it was bland, but mixed with great stuff. His last album was actually really good. It didn't have the fire from his youth, but it had the maturity of his age. If he wouldn't have been taken from us, he would have produced some great music. He himself was responsible for his choices. Don't blame Yoko. The Beatles were self destructing all on their own. The surviving members even say that.

[@John-et9yl]

The reasons for The Beatles break-up are far more complex than just Yoko's "meddling". Besides, they split at exactly the right time with Abbey Road, still one of the greatest albums to this day, as their final hurrah. It was a messy and public split but we have come to know years later that it was the right time.

[@ChitwoodMitwood]

So, you know she enabled his heroin addiction!! No, you do not. As to the rest of what you claim you know; you have done next to no research which would disprove your bias. Why was Paul the only one to never play and record with the others as did John, Ringo, and George ?

[@leighloutreedore8926]

WE LIVED THREW IT!!! How was she supposed to stop him??? They got clean together then kicked him out until he got his crap together. Don't blame Yoko for John.