(Image source: Cee Lo Green)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

Grammy winner Cee Lo Green is getting a big fat ‘Forget You!’ from John Lennon fans after changing the lyrics to his classic song ‘Imagine’ for a New Year’s Eve performance in New York’s Times Square. The city’s News12 has the story.

GREEN: “Nothing to kill or die for, and all religions true.”

ANCHOR: “That line, ‘nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too,’ was changed to, ‘and all religions true.’ Fans say he changed the meaning to the song.”

And, armed with anger over the switcheroo -- naysayers found even more to criticize.

WXIN: “Music experts say ‘Imagine’ has been criticized before for that line, but it does hold its place in musical history.”

KSWB: “He also got heat for singing the song with a message that there’s no need for greed or hunger, while Cee Lo was wearing a fur coat and jewelry.”

KOMO: “He didn’t sing very well either. Ouch.”

So, how’s Green responding to this now full-blown debacle? CBS News reports that he Tweeted:

“Yo I meant no disrespect by changing the lyric guys! I was trying to say a world were u could believe what u wanted that's all."

But Green has since deleted the Tweet. LezGetReal says, as innovative as Green’s music is, he shouldn’t have touched such an era-defining tune.

“There are some songs which are, quite honestly, pretty close to sacred. … if there is one song like that, it would be ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon.”

And a writer for Inquisitr agrees -- saying, he sees Cee Lo’s point, but don’t mess with the best.

“John Lennon imagined a world without religion as a more peaceful place. Cee Lo Green thinks that the key to peace is to let everyone believe what they want. Valid points could be made for both arguments, but when singing Lennon’s ‘Imagine,’ you should probably stick to the original lyrics.”