To borrow (and adapt) an idea that Captain JP borrowed from the Bursledon Blogger who borrowed it from Carol Ann Duffy...
What do you want to IMAGINE for 2016?
Friday, January 01, 2016
Imagine 2016 - Happy New Year!
To borrow (and adapt) an idea that Captain JP borrowed from the Bursledon Blogger who borrowed it from Carol Ann Duffy...
14 comments:
I'd like to imagine never hearing that cover version.
I know.
I didn't stay up to see Jessie J sing Imagine last night, but I did enjoy her Bang Bang earlier in the evening.
Then, this morning, I saw your tweet about her performance of Imagine.
So I looked for it online and I liked it.
This blog post is, therefore, all your fault.
Really? I'll take full responsibility then. Maybe I'm just getting older but I don't often like cover versions of classic songs.
Yes. You are getting older. We all are.
been a fan of Imagine since I bought Lennon's Shaved Fish album in 197x, not sure Jessie has done it any favours, guess that means i'm getting older too.
Jessie may be a Londoner but she's not on my must-see gig list of 2016. Maybe I too am just getting older or Jessie needs to pop down to Greenwich as Ella did:
http://captainjpslog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/jps-trip-to-greenwich-in-video.html
Well... I never liked that song anyway. What Lennon describes is a world without passion. No politics, no love, no countries, no humanity in other words, just like animals. The only passion animals have is territory and possession of females. Take that out as well and... what a boring world !!!!
I guess songs take people different ways, Frankie. I didn't interpret Lennon's lyrics as being about no love, no humanity, no passion. Far from it.
I thought he was imagining a world without religion and nationalism. Of course it's an impossible dream but almost every day I read in the news of atrocities committed in the names of and motivated by those two ideologies so I sympathize with his sentiment.
Be that as it may, I thought it would be interesting to change the whole new years resolutions question into a different one. What would YOU ike to imagine for 2016?
Religions and nations are the products of territoriality. Along with other forms of territoriality (e.g. ethnicity, race, etc.), these things that divide us are at the heart of almost all conflict among people. It's a natural phenomenon found in animals of all types. The only defense against it in humans is integration. Although it isn't what we want (we'd prefer to live in a group of like individuals), it isn't easy to carry out (a gross understatement), and it isn't easy to undergo at first (our religions and governments tell us the other guy is evil), the alternative is deadly. Perhaps the most we can do is to work toward acknowledgement of the dangers of boundaries and support integration when it is proposed. I'd like to imagine that in 2016, more people would recognize the foolishness of "us versus them", more people would accept that the problems we face are complicated and that simple, short term solutions can't solve them, and that inflexible righteousness is very scary. (Next time, I'll try to write a funny post.)
Welcome Annie. (Is the first time you have posted a comment here?)
You make some very good points. My immediate reaction is that the United States - and to some extent the European Union - are experiments in the kind of integration you are talking about. In the US we tend to focus on expecting different religions and races to co-exist with each other within one nation; and in the EU it is all about different nationalities compromising their narrow interests for the greater good. It has not been easy in either case, neither is perfect in achieving their aims, but both have achieved a lot in those directions. It's hard to imagine France and Germany fighting another war with each other for example.
Looking forward to reading your next funny post!
You are right. The US and EU are the best examples of what we humans need. It's a constant battle to keep them healthy.
I'm a long time reader of your blog, but this may be my first response. In future, I'll try to avoid pontificating and, instead, add to the fun that makes your blog so enjoyable.
I'm really at a loss to IMAGINE something nice and fun for 2016. I only dare hope that we don't get into a world war. Passion is at the core of our existence in our DNA so to speak. The only way to curb its bad effects is to use REASON. This way of thinking is very French, I know. A bit like the accelerator and the break. We need both! By the way I bought an old sports car!!! yes, a Talbot Samba! Driving it reminds me of my twenties...
Good for you Frankie. Do you have any pictures of you and your sports car?
...in need of oil change, taking it to the mechanic tomorrow!!! it isn't a real "sports" car, just wait :-)
Post a Comment