 The morning after the November 2015 Paris attacks , German pianist Davide Martello brought a grand piano to the street out in front of the Bataclan , where 89 concertgoers had been shot dead the night before , and performed an instrumental version to honour the victims of the attacks ; video of his performance went viral . This led Katy Waldman of Slate to ponder why " Imagine " had become so frequently performed as a response to tragedy . In addition to its general popularity , she noted its musical simplicity , its key of C major , " the plainest and least complicated key , with no sharps or flats " aside from one passage with " a plaintive major seventh chord that allows a tiny bit of E minor into the tonic " . That piano part , " gentle as a rocking chair " , underpins lyrics that , Waldman says , " belongs to the tradition of hymns or spirituals that visualize a glorious afterlife without prophesizing any immediate end to suffering on earth " . This understanding is also compounded by the historical context of Lennon 's own violent death , " remind [ ing ] us that the universe can run ramshod over idealistic people " . Ultimately , the song " captures the fragility of our hope after a violent or destructive event ... [ bu ] t also reveals its tenacity " . 
 The morning after the November 2015 Paris attacks , German pianist Davide Martello<a href='been_done' title='1'><mark></mark></a> brought a grand piano to the street out in front of the Bataclan , where 89 concertgoers <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> been shot dead the night before , and performed an instrumental version to honour the victims of the attacks ; video of his performance went viral . This led Katy Waldman of Slate to ponder why " Imagine " <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> become so frequently performed as a response to tragedy . In addition to its general popularity , she noted its musical simplicity , its key of C major , " the plainest and <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>least</mark></a> complicated key , with no sharps or flats " aside from one passage with " a plaintive major seventh chord <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>allows</mark></a> a tiny bit of E minor into the tonic " . That piano part , " gentle as a rocking chair " , <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>underpins</mark></a> lyrics <a href='null_relcl' title='8'><mark>that</mark></a>, Waldman <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>says</mark></a> , " <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>belongs</mark></a> to the tradition of hymns or spirituals <a href='null_relcl' title='11'><mark>that</mark></a>visualize a glorious afterlife without prophesizing any immediate end to suffering on earth " . This understanding is also compounded by the historical context of Lennon <a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>'s</mark></a>own violent death , " remind [ ing ] us that the universe can run ramshod over idealistic people " . Ultimately , the song " <a href='uninflect' title='13'><mark>captures</mark></a> the fragility of our hope after a violent or destructive event ... [ bu ] t also <a href='uninflect' title='14'><mark>reveals</mark></a> its tenacity " . 
The mornin after the November 2015 Paris attacks , German pianist Davide Martello done brought a grand piano to da street outt in front of the Bataclan , where 89 concertgoers done been shot dead tdanight before , and performed an instrumental version to honour the victims of thdattacks ; video of his performance went viral . dis led Katy Waldman of Slate to ponder why " Imagine " done become soo frequently performed as a response to tragedy . In addition to its general popularity , she noted its musical simplicity , its key of C major , " the plainest and leasted complicated key , w/ no sharps or flats " aside from one passage wiwit a plaintive major seventh chord allow a tiny bit of E minor into thedanic " . That piano part , " gentle as a rocking chair " , underpin lyrics , Waldman say , " belong to the tradition of hymns or spirituals visualize a glorious afterlife without prophesizing any immediate end to suffering on earth " . This understanding is also compounded by the historical context of Lennon  own violent death , " remind [ ing ] us that the universe can run ramshod over idealistic people " . Ultimately , the dag " capture the fragility of our hope after a violent or destructive event ... [ bu ] t also reveal its tenacity " .