High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! "I Can Only Imagine" (sometimes shortened to "Imagine") is a single recorded by contemporary Christian and Christian rock band MercyMe. Written and composed by Bart Millard, the song, based around a main piano track, was inspired by the death of Millard`s father and considers what it would be like in Heaven and to be standing before God. The song was first issued as a track on MercyMe`s 1999 album The Worship Project, which was released on an independent record label. The song was re-recorded and included on their 2001 major-label debut album Almost There as the fifth song on the album.