Julian Lennon once vowed never to perform his late father John Lennon\u2019s song \u201cImagine,\u201d but the war in Ukraine led him to make an exception to that promise.<\/p>\n
The 59-year-old singer sang a stunning rendition of the song as part of Global Citizen\u2019s social media rally,\u00a0Stand Up For Ukraine, which is working to raise money for the embattled country amid\u00a0Russia\u2019s brutal war. Nuno Bettencourt accompanied Lennon on guitar as they performed in a dark room illuminated by dozens of candles. In the video\u2019s description, Lennon penned a message where he explained why he decided to perform a song he had never planned to sing publicly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe War on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy. As a human and an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could,\u201d Lennon wrote. \u201cSo today, for the first time ever, I publicly performed my Dad\u2019s song, IMAGINE. Why now, after all these years? \u2014 I had always said that the only time I would ever consider singing \u2018IMAGINE\u2019 would be if it was the \u2018End of the World\u2019\u2026But also because his lyrics reflect our collective desire for peace worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lennon continued, \u201cBecause, within this song, we\u2019re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time. The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel that we are all hoping for.\u201d<\/p>\n