John Lennon’s classic song of peace – Imagine – covered by son Julian Lennon for the first time during Stand Up For Ukraine Campaign benefit
Julian Lennon is covering one of his late father John Lennon’s most iconic songs for the first time ever.
After a longstanding vow to never perform the tune, the 59-year-old singer-songwriter delivered a haunting performance of Imagine during a benefit for Ukraine refugees on Saturday, April 9.
In a dark room full of candles, Julian Lennon did his version with only vocals and an acoustic guitar, played by Nuno Bettencourt, who would join to sing the final chorus in the arrangement.
Iconic: Julian Lennon, 59, performed his late father John Lennon’s classic song Imagine for the first time during the Stand Up For Ukraine Campaign benefit event
‘Today, for the first time ever, I publicly performed my Dad’s song, Imagine, the Liverpool, England native wrote on YouTube along with a video of his performance. ‘The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel, that we are all hoping for.’
He continued, ‘I had always said, that the only time I would ever consider singing Imagine would be if it was the end of the world.’
‘The War on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy,’ the Too Late For Goodbyes musician added. ‘As a human, and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could.’
Song of peace: ‘The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel, that we are all hoping for,’ Lennon revealed
Haunting: In a dark room full of candles, Julian Lennon performed his version with only vocals and an acoustic guitar, played by Nuno Bettencourt
Julian Lennon performed Imagine as an ode to peace during the Stand Up For Ukraine Campaign, which was broadcasted from Warsaw, Poland as a global fundraiser to raise money and awareness amid the war in Ukraine.
Imagine was originally released on John Lennon’s 1971 album of the same name.
With a powerful and emotional vocal delivery, the former Beatles’ lyrics encourage listeners to imagine a world of peace, without materialism, without borders separating nations, ‘and no religion too.’
His reasoning: ‘The War on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy,’ the musician said, adding, ‘As a human, and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could’
Making an exception: Julian Lennon had previously said he would only ever consider singing Imagine if ‘it was the end of the world’
Peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song would go on to be John Lennon’s best-selling single of his solo career.
In the years that have followed, BMI named Imagine one of the 100 most performed songs of the 20th century.
It would also be ranked number 30 on the RIAA’s list of the 365 Songs Of The Century, earn a Grammy Hall Of Fame Award, and be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Classic: Imagine was originally released on John Lennon’s 1971 album of the same name and was accompanied with a video that featured the former Beatle and his wife Yoko Ono
Thoughtful: Lennon’s lyrics encourage listeners to imagine a world of peace, without materialism, without borders separating nations, ‘and no religion too’
Lasting effect: Originally peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, BMI named Imagine one of the 100 most performed songs of the 20th century
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