"Let It Be" by the Beatles and "Imagine" by John Lennon are both songs that carry a strong message that global audiences can relate to, despite the different messages, and unique lyrics. "Let It Be" was primarily written by Paul McCartney, a member of the Beatles along with John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The song "Let it Be" speaks of letting go of all bad, either meaning loss of a loved one, or things that are simply out of your control. McCartney gives the listener a reason to "Let it Be", allowing them to listen and think of peace. "Imagine" was written by John Lennon after the Beatles split up and pursued individual careers. "Imagine" (Lennon) speaks of a worldwide problem, a problem of peace despite religion, race, and "nothing to kill for". Similar to "Let it Be", "Imagine" by John Lennon can be summed up into one word that Lennon wants for everyone, and the world, which is "peace". The two messages in the lyrics of "Let it Be" and "Imagine" give two different versions of strength, in a soft rock melody, which plays on its tone and the instruments used, giving the audience a clearer overall view of the meanings.

The Beatles are a clearly recognized band in not only American history, but English history as well. During the time period, from 1960-1970, the Beatles were at the peak in their career, there were many anti-war protest, protesting the Vietnam War. The band was involved in drinking, doing drugs, staying up all night, and clubbing. This wasn't different from what many others were doing at the time. During this time period, it was and still is recognized as "the British Invasion", these bands, such as the Beatles, and others like the Rolling Stones, were highly influential, and had huge fan bases. The Beatles fan base was huge, primarily due to the fact that the Beatles didn't just play one genre of music, "the Beatles later experimented with several genres, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements in innovative ways", this allowed them to sell millions of albums and please millions of fans, causing "Beatlesmania" ("The Beatles").

Paul McCartney's and John Lennon's songs are in the same genre of soft rock with calming rhythms, which allow for comparison. Both of the songs writers originated from Liverpool, England and lost their mothers at young ages, which quickly bonded the two, which eventually helped them form the band the Beatles. The two writers enjoyed listening to the same music, which is clearly shown in their lyrics and the music that the two played, the artists always incorporated a deeper meaning to their songs, whether as a band, or individuals. In "Imagine" (Lennon), John Lennon sings of what he dreams the world to be, "Imagine there's no heaven

it's easy if you try, no hell below us, above us only sky, imagine all the people, living for today...", these lyrics speak about a peaceful world, a world without hate, a world without worries. Lennon's message in "Imagine" is clear, although political, Lennon just wants peace between everyone regardless of their countless differences. In "Let it Be" (McCartney), "When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be, and in my hour of darkness she is standing, right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be", by mentioning "Mother Mary" McCartney furthers his message that things are out of our control, and to let it go of the bad. "Mother Mary" although could be seen as the Virgin Mary, McCartney's mothers name was Mary, too. Using this can be seen as very specific, but because of the religious figure, the Virgin Mary, many people simply think he is referring to her, and allows the audience to relate to the song and its message. 

 McCartney and Lennon have different messages but they can be related, the song, "Let it Be" contains an allusion to McCartney's mother passing, "And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be", it can be related to "Imagine" (Lennon), in the first stanza where Lennon speaks of no heaven, it can be said that Lennon is saying to just "let it be", and forget about all the negativity in the world, and imagine peace, a message very similar to McCartney's. 

In relation to the similar messages, the vocals of the two songs are both soft, allowing the listener to pay closer attention to the lyrics, and although McCartney is repetitive in getting his message across, so is Lennon. Both messages are easily comprehended by the listener, and the tones in the singers' voices, allow the songs to be taken seriously, and to be understood. Along with the serious tone, "The rhythms of both of the songs were very much alike being that they are very mellow. The songs both have the piano as a main instrument, allowing the melody to be very soft and calming", again allowing the listener to key into the messages more clearly than if the songs were more upbeat, or had a faster tempo ("Compare and Contrast of the Songs Imagine by John Lennon and Let It Be by Paul McCartney").

However, there are clear differences within the two songs. While McCartney's message can be seen as social through the use of examples and emotion, Lennon's song "Imagine" has a clear political statement. "Imagine" has been claimed to be a song about the Vietnam War, trying to end war, by "imagining" no differences between the two sides. Although "Imagine" (Lennon) has no direct references, "Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do, nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too, imagine all the people, living life in peace...", can be concluded to be referenced to the boundary limits between North and South Korea during the Vietnam War. There are other lyrics that could be used to reference the war, but the meaning still prevails, peace. 

The inspiration for the two songs are different, where Lennon's came from wanting peace for the world because of a war, McCartney's inspiration came from a dream he had about his mother, "So in this dream twelve years later, my mother appeared, and there was her face, completely clear, particularly her eyes, and she said to me very gently, very reassuringly: 'Let it be.'", a clear and direct link to the song "Let it Be" ("The Story Behind Paul McCartney's Song: "Let It Be"). Again, the messages, although can be linked, are different, and carry different meanings. "Let it Be" by the Beatles is clearly personal, but the lyrics McCartney used are general and most, if not all be can related to its overall meaning. In contrast to "Imagine" by John Lennon, which has a political, anti-war message, hidden with soft vocals, and dreams of peace.

In conclusion, John Lennon's "Imagine" and "Let it Be" by the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney, have different meanings that can be related through their general lyrics. Although these two songs were written in time where rock & roll was emerging, the two songs are still enjoyed by many different listeners today worldwide. And although the inspirations for the two songs are clearly different, they both reveal a soft melody, with a serious tone allowing the listener of each song to clearly understand the message and relate to it.

