John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band "God" (1970)

今朝、神が降りてきた。
と言っても、ただJohn Lennonの”God”をふと思っただけなのだが。
赤裸々な心情吐露を含むソロ・アルバムは名ナンバー揃い。中でも、”God”には恐れ入る。ここには世界のからくりを悟った人の、諦めの、すなわち明らかなる境地がある。

God is a concept by which we measure our pain
I’ll say it again
God is a concept by which we measure our pain, yeah
Pain, yeah

I don’t believe in magic
I don’t believe in I-Ching
I don’t believe in Bible
I don’t believe in tarot
I don’t believe in Hitler
I don’t believe in Jesus
I don’t believe in Kennedy
I don’t believe in Buddha
I don’t believe in mantra
I don’t believe in Gita
I don’t believe in yoga
I don’t believe in kings
I don’t believe in Elvis
I don’t believe in Zimmerman
I don’t believe in Beatles

I just believe in me
Yoko and me
And that’s reality

The dream is over
What can I say?
The dream is over
Yesterday
I was the dream weaver, but now I’m reborn
I was the Walrus, but now I’m John
And so dear friends, you’ll just have to carry on
The dream is over

ジョンは仮の世界と真の世界を見極めていた。
この現実はすべて仮であり、それは夢だ。
そして「神」とは、僕たちの痛みを測る物差しだと言い切る。
ここでいう痛みは、慈悲、あるいは良心と言い換えても良いと思う。

・John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)

Personnel
John Lennon (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, organ, tack piano)
Ringo Starr (drums)
Klaus Voormann (bass guitar)
Phil Spector (piano)
Billy Preston (grand piano)

その後彼は、次のアルバムで「想像してごらん」と僕たちに本来あるべき世界の姿を提示した。

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us, only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

・John Lennon：Imagine (1971)

Personnel
John Lennon (vocals, piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, whistling, harmonica)
George Harrison (dobro, slide guitar, electric guitar)
Ted Turner (acoustic guitar)
Rod Linton (acoustic guitar)
Joey Molland, Tom Evans (acoustic guitar)
Andy Davis (acoustic guitar)
Klaus Voormann (bass guitar, double bass)
Steve Brendell (double bass, maracas)
John Tout (piano)
Nicky Hopkins (tack piano, piano, electric piano)
King Curtis (saxophone)
John Barham (harmonium, vibraphone)
Mike Pinder (tambourine)
Phil Spector (harmony vocal)
The Flux Fiddlers (members of the New York Philharmonic) (orchestral strings)
Alan White (drums, vibraphone, Tibetan cymbals)
Jim Keltner (drums)
Jim Gordon (drums)