On New Year's Eve, recording artist and reality TV star, Cee Lo Green performed in Manhattan's Times Square. Naturally, this is a great honor. And for his part, Green treated the sublime honor with aplomb. He chose to sing John Lennon's "Imagine," a timeless piece about unity, peace and harmony. The piece, "Imagine" while timeless, advances some fairly timely messages in the American and global political environment.
What Green most certainly meant as a tribute, offended both Lennon fans and fundamentalist Christians alike. In Green's rendition of "Imagine," he sang,“Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too,” Green sang, “Nothing to kill or die for, and all religion’s true.”
Beatles' and Lennon loyalists are angered with Green because he tampered with Lennon's lyrics (any tampering with Beatles' lyrics are not just frowned upon, it's downright wrong.)
Fundamentalists have taken umbrage with Green's rendition because they believe there is only one true God and if "all religion's true," it directly contradicts their beliefs.
Now, the outrage from either side is expected and not unreasonable. Beatles and Lennon fans have a reasonable desire to keep Beatles lyrics pure and intact. And fundamentalists have a right to believe that their God is the one true God and anything--lyrics, television shows, popular trends or other religions--serve as a threat to their faith.
However, Green appears to have meant no harm, and debating a song in which paradoxes are juxtaposed (almost to the absurd) to make a point about unity, it should go without saying that Green deserves a little leeway.
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