Karma is the belief that your actions effect your future lives. Good deeds will have a positive effect while bad deeds bring negative consequences. The concept of Karma is popular in the Hindu and Buddhist religions. Lennon's idea of "Instant Karma" refers to a more immediate concept of accountability for your actions. Basically, what comes around, goes around.
John Lennon wrote and recorded this song in one day, which was either January 26 or 27, 1970, depending on the source. It was unusual in the Beatles era for a song to be written and put into tape the same day. Lennon told Rolling Stone in January 1971 about the recording of this song and its quick turnaround: "I wrote it in the morning on the piano. I went to the office and sang it many times. So I said 'Hell, let's do it,' and we booked the studio, and Phil came in, and said, 'How do you want it?' I said, 'You know, 1950's.' He said, 'right,' and boom, I did it in about three goes or something like that. I went in and he played it back and there it was. The only argument was that I said a bit more bass, that's all; and off we went."
In this song, Lennon addresses critics who are not on board with his message of unity and hope ("You better get yourself together..."). But according to Yoko Ono, the song is really an invitation, not a condemnation. "It's like, 'Let's all be together and anybody who's out there who's not in this game, why don't you join us?'" she told Uncut in 1998. "And to say that 'We all shine on,' it's a beautiful, beautiful thing, instead of saying some people are shining and some people are not. It's a really uplifting song."
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