Julian Lennon performed a cover of his father’s famous song “Imagine” for the very first time this week in support of fundraising efforts for Ukraine.
A video of Julian performing the song was posted to his YouTube channel on Friday. In the video, he sings the song in a room surrounded by candles, while another musician plays guitar beside him.
Julian is the son of the late musician John Lennon, who originally came to fame as a member of the Beatles. His song “Imagine” came out in 1971.
Although Julian followed in his father’s footsteps to become a musician, this is the first time he has covered what is arguably his father’s most well-known song as a solo artist.
In the description, Julian noted that he has always maintained that he would only “ever consider singing ‘IMAGINE’ […] if it was the ‘End of the World.’”
But he decided to perform the song for the first time to support Ukraine “because his lyrics reflect our collective desire for peace worldwide.
“Because within this song, we’re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time,” he wrote. “The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel, that we are all hoping for…”
The performance was to support Global Citizen’s Stand Up For Ukraine, a social media movement centred around raising awareness for the plight of Ukrainians under attack from Russian forces, as well as to spur fundraising efforts and prompt action from global leaders.
“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,” Julian added. “I’m calling on world leaders and everyone who believes in the sentiment of IMAGINE, to stand up for refugees everywhere!”
Julian did not expand on why he had previously vowed not to perform the song, but has spoken in the past about his strained relationship with his father, who died when he was 17. In a piece for the Guardian in 2020 which interviewed the children of famous parents, Julian said there was around a 10-year stretch where he barely spoke to his father, who had left his mother and started dating Yoko Ono when he was five years old.
Julian entered the musical world in 1984 with his debut album Valotte. Since then, he has released five other albums. His latest album, Jude, is set to come out later this year, his first album in a decade.
