Those paying attention to the ongoing feud among the ex-Beatles can’t help but notice that this album, with its peace-loving title track, fires some vicious shots in the direction of John’s former musical partner. John would claim that Paul started it with his album Ram, which was released in May of 1971 and opens with a track that complains of “Too many people preaching practices”—widely interpreted (correctly, as Paul would later confirm) as criticism of John and Yoko’s activism. The cover art, aside from showing Paul grabbing a ram by the horns, includes a not-so-subtle photo of one beetle screwing another.

Lo and behold, the Imagine album comes with a postcard depicting John parodying Paul’s cover pose by clutching a pig’s ears. That’s child’s play compared to the brutal assault of “How Do You Sleep?,” which namechecks several of Paul’s songs (“The only thing you done was yesterday…”) while declaring, “Those freaks was right when they said you was dead” and “The sound you make is Muzak to my ears.” Adding further injuries to the insults is that John’s musical accomplice is George Harrison, who serves up some wicked slide-guitar solos.

Melody Maker isn’t shy about proclaiming a victor: “Lennon’s won, hands down.” In a piece titled “John Sings Long Track About Paul,” a New Musical Express writer states, “Listening to this LP [Imagine] is like hearing McCartney ballads, and McCartney rockers, the way McCartney should be doing them.”

Paul presents a musical olive branch a couple of months later with the December 7 release of Wild Life, the hastily recorded debut of his new band, Wings (which features his wife, Linda, on keyboards). Although its concluding song, “Dear Friend,” apparently was recorded before the release of Imagine, Paul intends it as a peace offering to his longtime musical soul mate, singing, “I’m in love with a friend of mine.”

Rolling Stone makes the distinction that while John seems eager “to represent himself as the spokesman for the politically conscious avant-garde,” Paul appears “content to make straightforward pop music, to entertain,” and that in answer to John’s musical query, Paul “apparently sleeps soundly.”

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December 7, 1980

Mark puts on a bright, happy face as he approaches the doorman at Lennon’s building.

“Is John Lennon around?” Mark asks casually.

“Don’t really know; I think he may be outta town.”

The doorman says the words by rote.

They probably told him to say that.

Mark feels certain that Lennon is home right now. His hand on the gun, he contemplates shooting the doorman and rushing inside. He knows exactly where Lennon lives, can reach the apartment easily.

But what if Lennon isn’t home? What if Lennon’s door is locked? There are a dozen things that could go wrong. Best to be patient, wait for the man to show up outside—and Lennon will come outside at some point.