Garth Brooks was criticized for his peculiar song choice at Jimmy Carter's funeral. The former president passed away at 100 years old on December 29, 2024.
The American singer Garth Brooks decided to sing John Lennon's Imagine at Carter's funeral as he's close to the family. Both Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, sang this song to pay respects, but the lyrics weren't too appropriate for the occasion.
People online were puzzled that the two artists sang a song with the opening line "Imagine there's no heaven." It's a beautiful song, but Brooks and Yearwood perhaps didn't think hard enough on the opening line.
Netizens flocked to social media to criticize the song choice. "Terrible choice of song to sing in Church," one user wrote on X.
Other people noted how Imagine being a song about communism wasn't fitting for a cathedral funeral. "Singing the communist anthem in the National Cathedral is a great disgrace," another post read.
Jimmy Carter was certainly not a communist. Especially since he became president during a time when the U.S. was trying to wipe out the Communist Party.
Despite this, many adore Lennon's song, but it may not be a good choice for a funeral. But who knows, perhaps the Carter family requested the song themselves.
As Whiskey Riff pointed out, Jimmy Carter himself said this: "In many countries around the world—my wife and I have visited about 125 countries—you hear John Lennon's song Imagine used almost equally with national anthems. There is no real Communist state in the world; you must realize that."
So it seems Carter wouldn't have opposed a song such as this one. Nevertheless, the public wasn't pleased with the song choice, and the social media backlash proves that.
Everyone who attended the funeral in person seemed to enjoy the performance. As Brooks and Yearwood sang, the camera panned to listeners from Joe Biden to Hillary Clinton and others who looked teary-eyed. Neither of the two artists has spoken up in response to the public outcry.
