Chris Cornell Puts On An Epic Performance As He Covers John Lennon's 'Imagine' For A Small Audience

Apr 23, 2020 by apost team

It’s not surprising that in times of great crisis or stress, we turn to music for outlet and relief. In an interview and performance on Howard Stern, Cornell admitted Lennon was a father figure to him.

At the young age of 8 or 9, Cornell would listen to the Beatles and John Lennon over and over. Lennon’s music became a great inspiration to the fledgling performer.

Certain songs may inspire, energize, or cheer us. Others may invoke memories. And certain songs transcend musical eras to become time-honored classics recorded and re-recorded by generations of musicians. John Lennon’s “Imagine” is one of those songs, and Chris Cornell is a very talented artist who has covered it.

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In a popular online video, Stern and Cornell discuss John Lennon’s genius and his influence on both of them before Stern asks Chris to sing ‘a bit’ of ‘Imagine,” Lennon’s best-selling solo single.

Once Chris begins the song, nobody stops him. It is clear that the emotion he pours into the song is genuinely inspired by the lyrics and his respect for the man who penned them. There is no theatricality here. Cornell covers the song with perfect pitch. His voice is slightly raspier and deeper than Lennon’s, but he carries the meaning as powerfully.

Lennon’s song encourages listeners to imagine a world without any of the things that divide us: nationality, race, religion, and more. Take away all the reasons for hate and we would be left with peace. 

In 1971 when Lennon recorded the song, inspired by Yoko Ono’s poetry, he was thinking of the Vietnam War. But the lyrics are equally compelling today.

Cornell joins a distinguished list of over 200 people who have either recorded or covered the song, including Elton John, Lada Gaga, Madonna, and Diana Ross. ‘Imagine’ has been voted into numerous ‘Best of..’ song lists, including 500 Best Songs of All Time, Best Songs of the Century, and 500 Songs that Shaped Rock n Roll.

‘Imagine’ is a song that slows down the craziness of daily life and lets us pause to reflect on a bigger, much calmer, peaceful world. Chris Cornell’s heartfelt rendition does exactly that. Experience the magic he brings to the tune.