Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has released his version of John Lennon’s imagine.
He performed the track at the Super Bock Super Rock festival in Portugal in July after he was slammed for making anti-war comments at the band’s Milton Keynes gig the same month.
While Vedder didn’t mention any specific confrontation or country at the gig, his comments came as tensions between Israel and Palestine escalated.
He said: “They’re looking for a reason to go across borders and take over land that doesn’t belong to them. They should get the fuck out and mind their own fucking business.”
Now he’s released the live track to aid non-profit organisation Heartbeat: Amplifying Youth Voices – a project that brings together young Israeli and Palestinian musicians.
Vedder said in a statement: “I don’t know how to reconcile the peaceful rainbow of flags we see each night at our concerts with the daily news of a dozen global conflicts and their horrific consequences.
“I don’t know how to process the feeling of guilt and complicity when I hear about the deaths of a civilian family from a US drone strike. But I do know we can’t let the sadness turn into apathy.
“And I do know we are better off when we reach out to each other. I hope someday you’ll join us.”
