Presenting: John Lennon, with Ronald Reagan Sitting In

So you want a revolutionary idea?

How about John Lennon sitting on the right?

The right on politics and war.

The right on culture?

The right on religion?

To the right hand of God in --uh, heaven?

Imagine.

How about this for a Heavenly Magical Mystery Tour? John Lennon cracking jokes with an old actor.

Lennon and Reagan sitting on a cloud looking down, having a pint, and one upping each other with one funny story after another, forgetting for a moment that both were shot at by madmen.

Now 27 years after John Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman, it's time to take a quick look back through some mature Strawberry Fields.

I grew up with John Lennon screaming at me. When I was young I thought he was the best of the Beatles. The others at the time I just couldn't identify with. Paul, too cutie pie. George, to solemn. Ringo... too ringo. Pete Best (Okay, I didn't know Pete, but I wouldn't have liked him either).

Yeah, Lennon you could tell had something eating away at him. He was more like me and the kids I grew up with. No silver spoons. No greased skids, most of us. He had some bitches and complaints. A lot of walls and few bridges. And some problems with the establishment (the man), organized religion and life in general.

So, as they said back then, I kind of dug the guy. Even though I more liked the Rolling Stones and Eric Burden and the Animals.

Lennon once gave an interview where he described the Beatles as being more popular than Jesus in England at the moment. The Beatles had a number of chart toppers in the UK at the time. He was probably right. Today, the Anglican Church in England is God's waiting room, pew after pew of gray hair.

He got in trouble months later in the US when the contents of that interview started to circulate.

Finally, in Chicago, my hometown, he had to offer up an apology of sorts. Lennon said he was sorry he said what they thought he said, if that will make them feel better.

I remember that interview.

My parents were not convinced.

My sister didn't care. Paul was her Beatle.

My sister was in the majority.