Julian Lennon, John Lennon’s son, has promised never to play his father’s renowned peace ballad “Imagine.” He would only perform it if the world ended, but the musician realized the world needed to hear his father’s message.
But, given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the 59-year-old felt obligated to publicly perform the song as part of the 2022 Global Citizen’s Stand Up for Ukraine campaign.
Julian’s interpretation was simple but powerful, similar to his father’s 1971 release.
Julian stated that the “unimaginable tragedy” in Ukraine motivated him to “respond in the most significant way I could.”
“The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel, that we are all hoping for…” according to his words. “As a result of the ongoing murderous violence, millions of innocent families, have been forced to leave the comfort of their homes, to seek asylum elsewhere.”
Governments, companies, and individuals from around the world accounted for half of the donations while grants and loans from public European financial institutions made up the remaining half.
Julian, the son of John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia Lennon, urged people all across the world to aid not only Ukrainian refugees, but also anyone seeking a better life wherever in the world.
