POST SIX — Socially Conscious Music #1

My friend Jill over at Filosofa’s Word has an almost daily music post in which she plays mostly soul, rock or pop music that inspires her, or just sits in her ear–she calls this an earwig–and stays there till she gives it away to others. I would like to do something similar, though not yet on a regular basis.

I would like to present and play music that I find to be socially conscious, songs that speak to people of a better world that can be, or a problematic world that is. My hope is that these songs will inspire others the way it inspires me. There will inevitably be some overlap, Jill is a very socially conscious person, as are many of her full-time or part-time readers. But I think my musical choices will often be different enough that you, the reader, if you frequent Jill’s blog, will not find too much repitition.

But, having said that, my first presentation will be a song she has played many times. With the #1 designation I am giving in this post’s title, this #1 means to me I should be playing the song that I believe is the most socially conscious song ever recorded. This particular song was sung by its writer, John Lennon, backed by his wife Yoko Ono and other members of the Plastic Ono Band. The song, as you already have anticipated, is IMAGINE.

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too

Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace
Yoo hoo

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people
Sharin’ all the world
Yoo hoo

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one