Think about a political speech that was delivered in 1971. That should be an easy task. After all, it was the year of the Watergate break-in and the ratification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution. Can you recite any of the words?
What's that? No particular oration from that year comes to mind?
What about the lyrics to John Lennon's Imagine? How many of these can you remember? I was three years old in '71 and have no great regard for the Beatles. Yet I can recite almost every line.
John Cole of Balloon Juice is one of my favorite bloggers. He's smart, funny, prolific, and almost always right on the mark. But his dismissal of the Weekly Standard's article on Lennon's "Imagine" is misguided:
If you ever wanted to know why Democrats make a lot of headway by labeling Republicans as foolish and spiteful, check out this idiotic 'fisking' of a John Lennon song that appeared in the Weekly Standard. Not some third rate blog, not the local indie rag, but a so called serious magazine.
Yes, Imagine was idiotic. But so was the Macarena. Your point, Mr. Engel?
Engel's point is that the sentiments behind the song are still presented as a viable political philosophy by a significant number of our fellow citizens. Plato understood the power of music and believed that it should be controlled by the Republic. Scottish patriot Andrew Fletcher was even more bold in his claims, "If one were permitted to make all the ballads one need not care who should make the laws of a nation."
Imagine a world where Republicans take pop music as seriously as did the conservatives of the past. Imagine how effective we might be. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I hope I'm not the only one...
Update: Apparently, I'm not. While James from Outside the Beltway agrees with Cole's criticism, at least he understands that pop music can be used to further a political viewpoint.
Update 2: As usual, the Elder from Fraters Libertas was one step ahead of me:
I've always hated the John Lennon song 'Imagine'. My hatred stems not from its insipid lyrics, but rather how the song has become a rallying cry for those "concerned" with the state of the world. I have often wondered if these people actually ever sat down for a moment and pondered what kind of world it really would be if Lennon's dreams came true. In high school I recall hearing the song at a memorial service. At a CATHOLIC high school. What part of "no religion" don't you people understand?
If only Lennon had seriously read Lewis' "Abolition of Man," then perhaps his worldview would not have been so naive.