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It takes a lot of nerve (Jimmy Kimmel nerve, probably) for a singer to ask us if we can imagine giving up our possessions when he's banging the song out on a piano made from decorative cocaine or whatever the hell that might be. I ... imagine it set him back quite a bit of cash. Wouldn't downgrading to playing that song on a normal person's piano (those don't actually exist, by the way) and doing away with the finery have been a nice example to set for the rest of us? Also, the apartment building he was living in at the time was expensive as fuck. Look, I'm a fan of the Beatles and of a lot of Lennon's solo work, so don't come down on me like I'm questioning every single thing the band ever stood for. I'm just saying John Lennon was a hypocrite, is all. Is that really so bad?

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Also, I'm not the only who noticed this. Check out Neil Young covering the song during a 9/11 tribute.

If you cut to around the 1:54 mark, you'll hear Neil sing it as "Imagine no possessions/I wonder if I can." It's a minor change, but it makes a huge difference. "I wonder if you can" is a lecture. "I wonder if I can" is someone expressing internal doubt and all that fun stuff that music is supposed to be.

I know we're supposed to treasure this song, but to me, it's just more proof that the longstanding rumor that John Lennon was a massive asshole may actually be true.

Adam hosts a podcast called Unpopular Opinion that you should listen to on Soundcloud and a live stand-up comedy show of the same name that you should come see sometime if you're in the Los Angeles area. You should also be his friend on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.