December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Complain about your schedule. Apparently people like that sort of thing.
Post Reply
User avatar
Ross
Jump
Posts: 2739
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:27 pm
Instruments: Guitar, Vox, Bass, Tuned glasses, etc...
Recording Method: Logic on a Macbook.
Submitting as: Ross Durand
Location: Orange CA
Contact:

December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by Ross »

For some reason the youtube link thingy isn't working for me.



QOTD: Got any tributes?
"I don't like this song, but at least it's good." - veGetar Ianra Ge
http://www.rossdurandmusic.com
User avatar
roymond
Beat It
Posts: 5188
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:42 pm
Instruments: Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Logic
Recording Method: Logic X, MacBookPro, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Submitting as: roymond, Dangerous Croutons, Intentionally Left Bank, Moody Vermin
Pronouns: he/him
Location: brooklyn
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by roymond »

Very cute, Ross.

But why don't we celebrate his life on his birthday instead of the day he was murdered? Been wondering that since we did that big tribute a few years back.
roymond.com | songfights | covers
"Any more chromaticism and you'll have to change your last name to Wagner!" - Frankie Big Face
User avatar
Ross
Jump
Posts: 2739
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:27 pm
Instruments: Guitar, Vox, Bass, Tuned glasses, etc...
Recording Method: Logic on a Macbook.
Submitting as: Ross Durand
Location: Orange CA
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by Ross »

Well, I tend to commemorate that, too. IT so happens that a student of mine posted this yesterday and I was struck with its timeliness.
"I don't like this song, but at least it's good." - veGetar Ianra Ge
http://www.rossdurandmusic.com
User avatar
king_arthur
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1752
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2004 6:56 am
Instruments: guitar, vocals, bass, BIAB, keyboards (synth anything)
Recording Method: Tascam DP-24SD
Submitting as: King Arthur
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by king_arthur »

Maybe because for a lot of people (us older folks, anyway) it was one of those "I remember what I was doing when I heard about it..." moments. Howard Cossell on Monday Night Football... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gcdz1IRVoM

I s'pose I'm just "churchly" enough that I've always had a bit of a problem with that song "Imagine." I remember several years ago at the Democratic Convention, they put together a tribute to Jimmy Carter and used that song, and at one point they showed a close-up of him with this kinda pained look on his face like, "of all the songs they could have used... why?" On American Idol a couple seasons ago, David Archileta did a version of the song and carefully left out all the "imagine there's no God" bits. But I understand why the original is considered one of the great "inspirational" songs.

Charles
"...one does not write in dactylic hexameter purely by accident..." - poetic designs
User avatar
roymond
Beat It
Posts: 5188
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:42 pm
Instruments: Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Logic
Recording Method: Logic X, MacBookPro, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Submitting as: roymond, Dangerous Croutons, Intentionally Left Bank, Moody Vermin
Pronouns: he/him
Location: brooklyn
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by roymond »

Yeah, I get that, and it's a good way to feel better on a sad day. Being an old folk, I remember being blocks away and hearing the sirens that night.

I think it's good for everyone to imagine there's no God, regardless of your beliefs. The Jews do this regularly. It's routine to question their own beliefs. I think it's very healthy. Wise words, those.
roymond.com | songfights | covers
"Any more chromaticism and you'll have to change your last name to Wagner!" - Frankie Big Face
User avatar
fluffy
Eruption
Posts: 11029
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
Instruments: sometimes
Recording Method: Logic Pro X
Submitting as: Sockpuppet
Pronouns: she/they
Location: Seattle-ish
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by fluffy »

Of course, some of us just follow the train of thought a bit further, which I imagine a lot of people are afraid of happening to them.

If your beliefs are so fragile that you are afraid of losing them when they are questioned, are they really worth having?
User avatar
Spud
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 4770
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:25 am
Instruments: Bass, Keyboards, eHorn
Submitting as: Octothorpe
Location: Seattle
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by Spud »

It's weird. I always saw the entire song in that light. Replacing in my mind "Imagine there's no..." with "Be thankful there's a...". As in, "Imagine there's no songfight".
"I only listen to good music. And Octothorpe." - Marcus Kellis
Song Fight! The Rockening
User avatar
Ross
Jump
Posts: 2739
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:27 pm
Instruments: Guitar, Vox, Bass, Tuned glasses, etc...
Recording Method: Logic on a Macbook.
Submitting as: Ross Durand
Location: Orange CA
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by Ross »

I guess I never really thought of that song as a theological statement (God is never mentioned, by the way). Seems to me it is a song about peace and the things that get in the way; religion, nationalism, greed. I mean in one sense it is easy to think that if the suicide bombers didn't have a concept of heaven, they might very well not be doing what they do - consider the whole concept of a jihad, for instance. It's interesting that with so many things the songwriter asks us to imagine being without - the religious aspect is the only one that gets folks discussing it. There was an interesting episode of WKRP about this once.

I didn't mean to cause any offense, and I'm sure John meant well.

PS - I suspect the network that airs American Idol was responsible for those edits, seems kinda wimpy to me.
"I don't like this song, but at least it's good." - veGetar Ianra Ge
http://www.rossdurandmusic.com
User avatar
Teplin
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 288
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:21 pm
Instruments: Bowed guitar and an excess of reverb
Recording Method: Reaper
Submitting as: Howl Down the Chimney, Humboat, Make Spoons Not Knives
Location: Colorado

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by Teplin »

Ross wrote:It's interesting that with so many things the songwriter asks us to imagine being without - the religious aspect is the only one that gets folks discussing it.
This is a really good point. I'm not going to give away everything I own tomorrow, but I still think it's an awesome song, even though it asks me to imagine no possesions. If I had to agree 100% with every lyric of every song to enjoy it, I think my music collection would be quite a bit smaller. :)
User avatar
fluffy
Eruption
Posts: 11029
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
Instruments: sometimes
Recording Method: Logic Pro X
Submitting as: Sockpuppet
Pronouns: she/they
Location: Seattle-ish
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by fluffy »

I think he meant "no possessions" in the socialist/communist sense, i.e. everyone owns everything jointly.
User avatar
Teplin
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 288
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:21 pm
Instruments: Bowed guitar and an excess of reverb
Recording Method: Reaper
Submitting as: Howl Down the Chimney, Humboat, Make Spoons Not Knives
Location: Colorado

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by Teplin »

fluffy wrote:I think he meant "no possessions" in the socialist/communist sense, i.e. everyone owns everything jointly.
Yeah, I know. I'm not going to join a commune either.
User avatar
Billy's Little Trip
Odie
Posts: 12090
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
Location: Cali fucking ornia

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by Billy's Little Trip »

Awesome, Ross! You had high school girls swooooning for you!

....I don't know what swooning means. :?
User avatar
JonPorobil
Beat It
Posts: 5682
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
Pronouns: He/Him
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by JonPorobil »



"Ringo's" line at the end nails it, I think. "He said 'Imagine no possessions,' and that's something I couldn't do, because I tried and I tried... and I always end up thinking about drums."

Or how about Frank Zappa's wonderfully succinct comment on communism? "Communism doesn't work because people like owning things."
Last edited by JonPorobil on Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito

Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
User avatar
fluffy
Eruption
Posts: 11029
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
Instruments: sometimes
Recording Method: Logic Pro X
Submitting as: Sockpuppet
Pronouns: she/they
Location: Seattle-ish
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by fluffy »

You realize that's not actually Ringo, right?

I mean, I'm sure you do, but I just want to make sure of that.
User avatar
JonPorobil
Beat It
Posts: 5682
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
Pronouns: He/Him
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by JonPorobil »

:roll:

Edited. Happy now?
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito

Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
User avatar
fluffy
Eruption
Posts: 11029
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
Instruments: sometimes
Recording Method: Logic Pro X
Submitting as: Sockpuppet
Pronouns: she/they
Location: Seattle-ish
Contact:

Re: December 8, 2009 - Remembering John

Post by fluffy »

Adequate.
Post Reply