 Blaney considered the song to be " riddled with contradictions . Its hymn @-@ like setting sits uncomfortably alongside its author 's plea for us to envision a world without religion . " Urish and Bielen described Lennon 's " dream world " without a heaven or hell as a call to " make the best world we can here and now , since this is all this is or will be " . In their opinion , " because we are asked merely to imagine — to play a ' what if ' game , Lennon can escape the harshest criticisms " . Former Beatle Ringo Starr defended the song 's lyrics during a 1981 interview with Barbara Walters , stating : " [ Lennon ] said ' imagine ' , that 's all . Just imagine it . " 
 Blaney considered the song to be " riddled with contradictions . Its hymn @-@ like setting <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>sits</mark></a> uncomfortably alongside its author <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>plea for us to envision a world without religion . " Urish and Bielen described Lennon <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>" dream world " without a heaven or hell as a call to " make the best world we can here and now , since this is all this is or will be " . In their opinion , " because we are asked merely to imagine — to play a ' what if ' game , Lennon can escape the harshest criticisms " . Former Beatle Ringo Starr defended the song <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>lyrics during a 1981 interview with Barbara Walters , stating : " [ Lennon ] said ' imagine ' , that 's all . Just imagine it . " 
Blaney considered the song to be " riddled with contradictions . Its hymn @-@ like setting sit uncomfortably alongside its author  plea fir us to envision a world w/o religion . " Urish and Bielen described Lennon  " dream world " withw/oeaven or hell as a call to " make da best world we can here and now , since this is all dis is or will b " . In their opinion , " bc we r asked merely to imagine — to play a ' what if ' game , Lennon can escape the harshest criticisms " . Former Beatle Ringo Starr defended the song  lyrics during a 1981 interview wit Barbara Walters , stating : " [ Lennon ] said ' imagine ' , that 's all . jus imagine it . "