Imagine by John Lennon is featured in Hairography, the eleventh episode of Season One. It is sung by one of the members of the Haverbrook School for the Deaf Glee Club, with the rest performing in sign language, along with the New Directions. Artie, Finn, Mercedes, and Rachel also have solos.
About halfway through, touched by the choir's performance, Mercedes joins in, followed by Artie and then the rest of the New Directions. They each stand next to a student from the choir, then begin singing along with them while copying their sign language motions of the lyrics to the song.
It is featured on Glee: The Music, Volume 2. The album version does not feature the Haverbrook School for the Deaf choir.
Lyrics[]
Mercedes:
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-hoo-hoo
Artie (and Mercedes):
You may say I'm a dreamer,
(But I'm not the only one)
I hope someday you will join us
(And the world will be as one)
Rachel:
Imagine no possessions,
I wonder if you can
Finn and Rachel (with New Directions):
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
(Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You)
Mercedes (and Rachel):
You may say I'm a dreamer (New Directions: You...)
(But I'm not the only one)
Artie and Mercedes (with New Directions):
I hope someday you will join us (New Directions: You...)
(And the world will live as one)
Haverbrook Deaf Choir:
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us, only sky
Imagine all the people
Living life for today
Mercedes and the Haverbrook Male lead:
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
Artie:
You may say I'm a dreamer,
Artie, Mercedes, and the Haverbrook Male lead:
But I'm not the only one
Artie and the Haverbrook Male lead:
I hope someday you will join us
Artie, Mercedes, and the Haverbrook Male lead:
And the world will be as one
Rachel and the Haverbrook Male lead:
Imagine no possessions,
I wonder if you can
Finn, Rachel, and the Haverbrook Male lead:
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Finn, Rachel, and the Haverbrook Male lead with New Directions and Haverbrook Deaf Choir:
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You-hoo-hoo
Mercedes and the Haverbrook Male lead:
You may say I'm a dreamer (New Directions: You...)
Mercedes, Rachel, and the Haverbrook Male lead:
But I'm not the only one
Artie, Mercedes, and the Haverbrook Male lead with New Directions and Haverbrook Deaf Choir:
I hope someday you will join us (New Directions: You...)
And the world will live as one
Trivia[]
- Yoko Ono was hesitant about allowing Glee the rights to Imagine. Series music supervisor P.J. Bloom explained: "It was very difficult to convince Yoko Ono that it was the right thing to do. She needed to truly understand how the music was going to be used. The added component of us wanting to have a deaf choir singing the song made for this incredibly poignant moment...it really took a lot of convincing to get her on board and realize that it was a great, great moment, and a tribute to John and his song".
- Although the performance by the deaf choir was well received by critics, many felt that New Directions joining in (without invitation) ruined what was shaping up to be the highlight of the episode.
- After filming this scene, Lea, Kevin, and Jenna all got tattoos saying Imagine.
- This is the first song to be sung between two show choirs, the second time not occurring for two entire seasons, being Bad between the Warblers and New Directions.
- The beginning of the song is not in the studio version for unknown reasons.
- This is one of the songs where someone's part/s in the studio version was sung by someone else in the show similar to: A House Is Not a Home, One, Time Warp, The Most Wonderful Day of the Year, You're the Top, You Get What You Give, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Drive My Car, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, Pompeii, Home, Defying Gravity, and Listen to Your Heart.
- Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Adam Lambert (Elliott), among many other international artists, were featured in the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)'s charity single "Imagine" which was originally performed by John Lennon.
- According to Glee Encore, Jenna Ushkowitz and Chris Colfer recorded background vocals for this song.
Mistakes[]
- Puck is seen wearing a vest, but it disappears and reappears during the whole performance.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Imagine - John Lennon
Glee - Imagine full performance HD
Glee- Imagine
Glee - Imagine (Acapella)