Dave Silverman Challenges Cee Lo Green to Sing ‘Imagine’ with the Correct Lyrics

I’m still gonna have PETA throw paint on his fur coat

Click on ‘altered the lyrics’ link: He made a Twitter update saying he did it intentionally.

I don’t think “bad judgement” would be the right description because that tends to imply that what he did was in some way “wrong”. I don’t understand the anger about the change. He’s made a change to a song while covering it, that’s something artists do all the time. Personally, I prefer the original version but I don’t see why he shouldn’t adapt the music he makes to reflect his own particular viewpoint.

The problem is he turned John Lennon’s song into the exact opposite of what John Lennon wrote while singing to a general audience. If he had changed the lyrics in some other fashion, people might have thought it questionable or uncalled for. If he had been singing to a church gathering or interfaith meeting, an outsider might have thought it in poor taste. But such a flagrant disregard for the artist’s intentions at such a venue? Too much. It’s like photoshopping  Rosa Parks  onto the campaign bus of a political candidate who is against civil rights.

Here is my take on the matter:

http://shoentel.blogspot.com/2012/01/forget-em-cee-lo-lennon-wasnt-jesusnor.html 

Well said.  This isn’t just censoring out an objectionable word, even if that’s stupid.  As said in the other thread, if a line said “religion is shit” and they changed it to “religion is bad”, okay, it’s stupid censorship but at least it remains conceptually true to the intent of the song.  But if they change “religion is shit” to “religion is good”, you’ve contradicted the meaning of the song.

Seriously, if he needs to adapt the song to reflect his own pro-religious viewpoint, maybe he should find another song to sing.  One that actually reflects his viewpoint and requires no shitting on the memory of the composer to achieve this.

Religionists changing that one line in Imagine is like when religious skeptics (as in theist skeptics, not skeptics of religion) are a-okay with debunking ghosts, ESP, telekinesis, cryptozoology, aliens, UFO’s, Scientology, and any number of other ideas/cults/etc. they agree are not true, but feel their own religion should have a special exemption from any critical scrutiny, and get pissed when atheistic skeptics give their beliefs no special treatment.  Sure, no countries, no possessions, none of those things are all that important to me, but when you attack my imaginary friend that’s going too far!

I watched for a while that night, however he was so grossly out of tune I changed channels and missed the lyrics change.  My comment at the time was “You should have noticed in rehearsal that you could not sing that high”  I would instead challenge him to hit all the notes, and then get all the words. Otherwise you disrespect Carlson at WKRP whose only moment of spine revolved around these lyrics.

Conversely, David Silverman is one of the reasons that I personally DO support American Atheists. I find him to be right on target and he is not shy about moving the bar forwards for atheism in America. The “You know it’s a myth” billboard campaign that you think was pointless brought in MANY new atheist members and donors, and also it gained many many thousands of dollars worth of publicity on news stations nationwide. Regardless, everyone has different preferences, and if American Atheists does not hit the right tone that you prefer, then there are plenty of other secular groups that you can join and/or support (FFRF, Americans United, Secular Student Alliance, etc.). Peace.

Nope, let’s not waste fund-raining money to fly a poor-quality singer why disrepects us and music (Lennon’s artistic integrity). 
Seems like an expensive way to get a little, not interesting publicity.  Not worth it and not good use of our money. 
Use it for sponsoring secular artists or students or whoever else.

A Christian poser such as Cee Lo should have no problem with singing “no religion.” After all, aren’t his ilk always claiming that “it’s not a religion; it’s a ree-lay-shun-ship”?

“(Lennon’s artistic integrity).”

*snerk* I love John Lennon to death but such hagiography is likely unworthy of a man who frequently admitted to his imperfections (as well as plagiarism).

Nah, she’d just split the payment up and it wouldn’t have the impact it would have had if it had stayed whole.

I agree on the “you know it’s a myth” – a stroke of brilliance. I also love how he’s become his own meme of looking at someone that just said something really stupid.

But Cee Lo? really? it’s a silly singer who flirts with every single girl, and dresses in big ride spiky suits. Don’t forget, singers change lyrics in songs ALL the freaking time, this wasn’t a fuck you to religion so much as it was a “whatever” moment. And because it was such a non-issue in his mind at the time, there is no way he’s ever going to sing at a freaking atheist convention.

Here’s mine:

http://clickonthislinktogetmelotsofmoney.notatld