In 1971, John Lennon released what would be the number one selling single of his solo career. John Lennon was well known as a musician and an outspoken political activist; many people believed “Imagine” was a Marxist critique of religion. Marx was known as an adamant communist. “Imagine” has several similarities to the Communist Manifesto written by Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848. Karl Marx illustrates religion in a way that makes it seem like it is an illusion or fantasy.
"'Imagine', which says: 'Imagine that there was no more religion, no more country, no more politics,' is virtually the Communist manifesto, even though I'm not particularly a Communist and I do not belong to any movement," said John Lennon in interview following the release of his song. The Communist Manifesto critiqued capitalism similarly to the way John Lennon spoke of capitalists. “Imagine” commences with John Lennon saying, “Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky (John Lennon, “Imagine”).” In 1843, Karl Marx wrote in his introduction to Toward a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Law, “Man makes religion,” and “the human essence has no true reality (Pals, Introducing Religion, p. 146).” Both of these quotes denote religion as insignificant and…show more content… He views religion as a form of control over people. He writes of religion as if it is comparable to slavery. In “Imagine,” John sings of a peace among people after religion is gone. He says, “no religion too, imagine all the people living life in peace (John Lennon, “Imagine”).” This peace comes from freedom. John believes that once religion is absent from the world people will come together as one. Karl Marx spells out religion by calling it, “the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions (Pals, Introducing Religion,