John Lennon vs. A Perfect Circle
“Imagine” by John Lennon and “Imagine” by A Perfect Circle are both powerful songs with powerful videos. However, even though they are the same song I feel as though the two contradict each other in many ways. I feel as though in Lennon’s song, he is trying to convey a message of peace, and say that if people want to get through dark times, if they try hard enough they can. In contrast, I feel as though A Perfect Circle’s version is conveying a message that people need to change. By showing those dark images, I feel as though Leonard is trying to convince people to be better and saying that no one should want the world to be that way, so we need to change and be good people to avoid reliving the dark past that our country has had. John Lennon’s “Imagine” and “Imagine” by The Perfect Circle have the exact same lyrics, but because of the imagery, tone, and its heaven vs. hell themes, they can be viewed as completely different songs. One of the main differences between these two songs is the imagery. I feel as though in “Imagine,” by John Lennon, the imagery is positive. They are coming out of the darkness into light, and to me it represents coming out of depression and the transition between a depressing life and a happy one. The whiteness of the house that Lennon and Yoko Ono are in also gives off a peaceful feeling. Throughout the video, Ono is opening up all of the windows and letting the light in, and that itself gives off a positive message. To me it’s saying that if one wants to be happier with their life, it’s up to them whether they want to be happy or “let the light in.” In A Perfect Circle’s version of “Imagine,” the imagery is dark and frightening. It’s showing dead people/people dying and warfare. It also shows an image of the Pope sitting behind bulletproof glass which itself gives off a depressing vibe. Throughout the video, the bottom of the screen is showing different news headlines,