THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

157-Beatles-Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

1967-It has never been released as a single in the UK.
Best Bit-At 1.49. ‘A great philosopher once wrote, naughty naughty very naughty.’

I have always been totally convinced that this song was about drugs, but the more I have read about it the more I am beginning to think it might not be, but then again I am a very gullible person.

‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ first appeared as track 3 on side 1 on the Beatles (see also best songs 599-319-238-218-141-80-51-10 and 5) eighth studio Album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ released in May 1967, the Album is the best selling British studio Album worldwide of all time with sales in excess of 32 million copies. ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ songwriting was as always credited to Lennon/McCartney regardless of whom had the major input, with this one being mainly John Lennon (1940-1980) (see also best songs 927-473-473-456-168 and 20.) Paul McCartney (see also best songs 646 and 107) has claimed that he contributed the ‘newspaper taxis,’ and ‘cellophane flowers’ lyrics, to which Lennon in a 1968 interview confirmed.

John Lennon has said on many occasions that his inspiration for ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ came about when his three year old son Julian showed him a nursery school drawing that he called ‘Lucy-in the sky with diamonds,’ depicting his classmate Lucy O’Donnell. Julian later recalled.’I don’t know why I called it that, or why it stood out from all my other drawings, but I obviously had an affection for Lucy at that age.’ Lucy O’Donnell who married and became Lucy Vodden died in 2009, Julian Lennon had been informed she was ill, and renewed their friendship before her death of complications of lupus.

John Lennon has said that the songs lyrics were largely derived from the literary style of Lewis Carroll’s (1832-1898) novel ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (1865) (see also best songs 512.) Rumours of the connection between the songs title and the initialism for the drug ‘LSD’ (Lysergig acid diethylamide) began circulating shortly after the release of the ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ Album. Lennon has always maintained that the song wasn’t about drugs, and that the ‘LSD’ connection is a complete coincidence, he has said,’I didn’t even see it on the label. I didn’t look at the initials. I don’t look, I mean I never play things backwards. I listened to it as I made it. It’s like there will be things on this one, if you fiddle about with it. I don’t know what they are. Every time after that though I would look at the titles to see what it said, and usually they never said anything.’ In 1971 Lennon was interviewed on the American television programme ‘The Dick Cavett Show,’ where he said, ‘My son came home with a drawing of a strange looking woman flying around. He said, ‘It’s Lucy in the sky with diamonds.’ I thought, ‘That’s beautiful.’ I immediately wrote the song about it.’

‘Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly a girl with kaleidoscope eyes.’