John Lennon’s "Imagine" is basically the secular Bible of the modern world. It’s a song people sing at the Olympics while wearing white linen, usually bathed in soft, hopeful lighting. It’s meant to be a warm hug for humanity. But when Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel got their hands on it for the 2004 album eMOTIVe, they didn’t want to give you a hug. They wanted to give you a cold shower in the middle of a fever dream.
If you’ve heard Imagine by A Perfect Circle, you know exactly what I mean. It’s haunting. It’s gloomy. It’s almost... menacing.
Most covers try to replicate the "peace and love" vibe of the original 1971 track. A Perfect Circle did the opposite. They took the lyrics at face value but swapped the major-key optimism for a minor-key dirge that sounds like it was recorded in an abandoned bunker. Honestly, it’s one of the most polarizing covers in rock history because it forces you to actually listen to what the words say, rather than just feeling the fuzzy warmth of the melody.
The Political Cauldron of 2004
Context matters. You can't talk about Imagine by A Perfect Circle without talking about the Iraq War and the re-election of George W. Bush. The album eMOTIVe was released on Election Day, November 2, 2004. It wasn't a coincidence. The band was trying to make a statement about the state of the world, and "Imagine" served as the centerpiece of that frustration.
At the time, the United States was deeply divided. Sound familiar? The band took a collection of "peace" songs—including tracks by Marvin Gaye and Black Sabbath—and stripped them of their original arrangements.
While Lennon's version feels like a dream of what could be, Keenan’s delivery feels like a eulogy for what isn't. There is a palpable sense of irony in his voice. When he sings "nothing to kill or die for," he isn't suggesting it as a beautiful possibility. He's pointing out that, in the real world of 2004, people were very much killing and dying for "religion" and "possessions."
The piano is sparse. The atmosphere is thick with reverb. It’s a slow burn.
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Why the Arrangement Change Matters
Musically, the shift from C Major to a dark, brooding minor key changes everything.
In the original, the piano melody rises. It feels aspirational. In the A Perfect Circle version, the instrumentation stays low and heavy. Billy Howerdel, the band’s primary composer and guitarist, has a knack for creating textures that feel cinematic but deeply unsettling. He used a lot of ambient noise and digital distortion that makes the track feel "broken."
It’s a masterclass in reinterpretation. If you cover a song exactly like the original, why bother? A Perfect Circle understood that the only way to make "Imagine" relevant in a post-9/11 world was to strip away the idealism. They made it sound like a ghost story.
Some critics at the time, like those at Rolling Stone or Pitchfork, were split. Some felt it was too cynical. Others thought it was the most honest thing the band had ever done. Maynard James Keenan is known for his work in Tool and Puscifer, and he’s never been one to play it safe or "happy." His vocal performance here is hushed, almost whispered, which makes the lyrics "Imagine there's no heaven" sound like a dangerous secret rather than a hopeful invitation.
The Visuals: A Grim Reality Check
The music video for Imagine by A Perfect Circle is arguably just as famous as the audio. Directed by Gerald Casale of Devo, it’s a montage of horrific world events, political unrest, and environmental decay.
It doesn't show people holding hands.
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Instead, you see famine. You see explosions. You see the cold reality of the "possessions" Lennon told us to imagine away. The juxtaposition of the soft, dark music with the violent imagery is jarring. It’s designed to make you feel "kinda" sick. It’s a protest song in the truest sense—not by shouting, but by showing you the gap between the lyrics and reality.
Breaking Down the "Atheist Anthem" Tag
A lot of people call "Imagine" an atheist anthem. Lennon himself called it "virtually the Communist Manifesto," even though he wasn't a communist. He just liked the idea of a world without borders or divisions.
When A Perfect Circle covers it, the "no religion" line hits differently. In the early 2000s, religious tension was at an all-time high globally. By singing these lines in such a somber tone, Keenan isn't necessarily advocating for atheism; he’s highlighting how far we are from that lack of conflict. It’s a critique of human nature more than a critique of God.
The Lasting Legacy of eMOTIVe
eMOTIVe as an album was a bit of a curveball for fans. People wanted another Mer de Noms. They wanted "Judith" part two. Instead, they got a collection of covers that felt more like an art installation than a rock record.
But Imagine by A Perfect Circle has outlasted many of their original tracks in terms of cultural discussion. It gets played in movies and TV shows when a director wants to signal that things have gone horribly wrong. It’s become the go-to "dystopian" version of the song.
Think about the Gal Gadot "Imagine" video from the 2020 lockdowns. It was widely mocked for being tone-deaf and overly "sunny" during a global crisis. If those celebrities had sung the A Perfect Circle version, it might have actually worked. It would have matched the mood of the world.
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Expert Nuance: Is it Too Bleak?
There is a valid argument that this cover is too cynical. Some music historians argue that Lennon wrote the song to give people hope, and stripping that hope away destroys the purpose of the art.
However, art isn't just about making people feel good. It’s about reflection. A Perfect Circle reflected the anger and exhaustion of a generation that felt lied to by politicians. They took a sacred cow of pop music and slaughtered it to make a point. That takes guts.
The song doesn't have a big climax. It doesn't end with a soaring guitar solo or a scream. It just fades out.
It leaves you in the silence.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Fans
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this specific era of rock or if you’re a musician looking to learn from this arrangement, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Listen to the full album eMOTIVe. Don't just stop at "Imagine." Their cover of "Passive" (originally a Tapeworm track) and "What's Going On" provide necessary context for the "Imagine" arrangement.
- Analyze the Key Change. If you play piano or guitar, try playing "Imagine" in a minor key yourself. Notice how the emotional weight of the lyrics shifts instantly. It’s a great lesson in how melody dictates meaning.
- Watch the Gerald Casale Video. It’s on YouTube. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s essential to understanding the band’s intent. It turns the song from a lullaby into a news report.
- Compare with the original. Listen to Lennon's version, then A Perfect Circle's version, then maybe the Chris Cornell live version. See where you fall on the spectrum of "hope vs. reality."
The beauty of Imagine by A Perfect Circle is that it doesn't ask for your permission to be sad. It just is. It remains a stark reminder that sometimes the most powerful way to honor a classic is to completely reinvent what it means for a new, more complicated generation.
Whatever you think of Maynard’s politics or his vocal style, you can't deny that this version sticks in your brain. It haunts the hallways of 21st-century rock. It forces a conversation. And really, isn't that what John Lennon would have wanted anyway? To start a conversation? Even if the tone is a lot darker than he imagined.
For those trying to capture this sound in their own productions, focus on the "space" between the notes. Use heavy delay and let the bass carry the melodic weight. Don't over-sing. The power of this track is in the restraint. It's in the things they chose not to play. Keep it cold. Keep it honest. Keep it uncomfortable. That's the A Perfect Circle way.