ATLANTA — There are a handful of symbols representing peace: white doves, olive branches and "Imagine" by John Lennon. The 1971 anthem, co-written by Lennon and Yoko-Ono, is no stranger to opening ceremonies. Tokyo 2020 Olympics are no different.
Following the culmination of the Parade of Nations, over 1,800 drones lit up and aligned to create a revolving world. The first chords of Lennon's song began as viewers watched how the drones assembled.
"Imagine there's no heaven," sang the children of Suginami Junior Chorus.
With the pandemic still in mind, a pre-recorded video of an array of celebrities representing different regions of the world sang and danced to Lennon's medley. John Legend and Keith Urban were among the familiar faces that belted the lyrics of peace. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is the fifth time Lennon's "Imagine" has been sung at an opening ceremony.
The moment felt very reminiscent of Gal Gadot's star-studded "Imagine' viral cover that emerged during the lockdown.
The Olympics official Twitter account shared a video showing the different iterations of the song's use: London 2012, PyeongChang 2018, Torino 2006 and even Atlanta in 1996.