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Fludge


Member

Posted Fri Jun 24th, 2011 12:29am Post subject: Lennon, Lucy in the Sky, and faith.

The song 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' was written by John Lennon in 1967 for the Sgt. Pepper album. People immediately noticed that the letters of the title spell out LSD. Lennon declared that this was unintentional and coincidental. The story goes that his son Julian brought a picture home that he had drawn at playgroup; Lennon asked him what it was and Julian said that it was 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds'. Lennon then immediately wrote a song about it.

This story is repeated to this day as fact; I just heard it again on a repeat of QI, stated as fact.

I don't believe it for a second.

During 1966, Lennon heavily used LSD to achieve what he described as 'death of the ego'. This may or may not have worked, but John was a very different person after that time. LSD had a major impact on his life, and this song was written just after this time.

From the lyrics:

'Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly,
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.'

The song is without doubt a description of a hallucinogenic trip.

I have no doubt that the song is intentionally about the experience of LSD usage. There is still the chance that Julian really did bring this picture home with this title, but it's a fantastic coincidence. Too much of a coincidence for me.

The part that bothers me is that this is simple, common sense. But this story is still stated as fact and not challenged. I think that John made this story up in 1967, as at that time it would not have been commercially or legally wise to admit using hallucinogenic drugs (although, by 1968 John and Paul had got fed up of these cover stories, and admitted it). John obviously didn't want to admit to the world that he had lied, so he continued to maintain the story for the rest of his life. Also, I think it amused him that people are so damned gullible.

What bothers me most is that Julian Lennon clearly believes this story, as does one of his classmates from that playgroup.

Tell a child anything, and they will believe it forever.


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Mandala


Inactive

Posted Sat Jun 25th, 2011 7:39am Post subject: Lennon, Lucy in the Sky, and faith.

Analytical thinking in free flow pop culture never ends. Leaving the analysis to tabloids seems like one of the worst options, but people who should be analyzing the country are often useful enough to have better things to do with their time. The internet both saves and destroys this assertion but the latest movie star DUI scandal or boy band fragrance launch is rarely anyone's forte for long. We just can't expect it to be.

Amid all the freelance photographer stalkings and fan-induced hysterical rumors, a problem exists that you don't mention. People get hurt in this sort of speculative fiction, often bystanders who don't have the same Q score, which creates an inability to voice an opposing and often much more reasonable viewpoint. In the post-mortem of a rumor that's been sucked to the husk, the ones carved up the longest are the living.

When I read this post, all your points made perfect sense that most likely it was a cover story, but I see no reason why it couldn't be all of the above and you make no assertions as to why this theory has to be the only case except for belief.

If you've ever had kids around, they shed lots of pictures and some have really brilliant and poetic flashes of inspiration. I don't find that unusual.

Jullian's likely dealt with many of his father's fans replacing him in the mythos of the Beatles to fill void of John's death.

How could we be certain about anything involving the the private life of a father and his admiration of his child's creative spirit?

Maybe the real reward of deductive research is how we use legends as examples of human condition in order to understand more about life.

Chiding Julian because the press doesn't analyze the motivations of its heroes falls below your standard of analysis.

If you had lived through those family disrupting events, perhaps you'd also answer with whatever abbreviated high points your father tactfully presented about your relationship, rather than continue to elaborate the more hurtful aspects now that he's dead. You'd probably try hard to seem as boring as possible whenever that subject came up, to focus on your own life and find support for that same creative spirit your father may or may not have appreciated. That's more fair to hypothetical Julian at any rate and more the true spirit of Sherlockian analysis.

Perception is the relationship here. The talent who seed public perception will always be placeholders for our own need to narrate them. Knowing it is the useful part. Not getting trapped in other people's narratives is the other tool of the trade.

Have you ever read Frayn's Copenhagen? That's another great deduction of famous inner lives used to unravel a greater riddle.


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Lauren


Member

Posted Sat Jul 9th, 2011 6:29am Post subject: Lennon, Lucy in the Sky, and faith.

The boys obviously took LSD. And there's no doubt this influenced their musical evolution as a band. Songs went from being about "love" in a boy-meets-girl 50's way, to "love" as an eternally linking brother and sisterhood brought about by mind altering drugs. Very 60's.

After reading the (entire) Beatles Anthology (more than 3 times), it's pretty clear that the boys in their post- Beatles lives were more than willing to discuss all things drugs and were totally open about songs that were influenced them. They mentioned the fact that "Day Tripper" was about an acid tripping girl, and 'Got to get you into my Life' was about pot. Although they regularly discuss their acid trips and George and John's "Dental Experience", all four of them to this day (well, 2 of them) insist the title of the song was influenced by Julian Lennon's picture, not the LSD experience. So why would they tell us secrets about innocent little songs like "Got to Get you into my life" and still not want to admit the title of Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds is an acronym of LSD?

Now does that mean the song doesn't have a connection to a hallucinogenic experience? Well, of course not. As does I Am the Walrus and Glass Onion. The Beatles' whole musical repertoire was being influenced by acid. But the song title, at least, was just a coincidence.

Follow me on Twitter! @Lauren1991
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palebluedot


Member

Posted Fri Jul 22nd, 2011 9:35am Post subject: Lennon, Lucy in the Sky, and faith.

Theres no reason why both versions are not true.

The story of Lucy Vodden (nee O'Donnell) being featured in Julian's school picture cannot be rejected. The picture and Lucy is here to see

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-45914.....monds.html

So thats where John and Paul said the title came from.

But that doesn't stop the obvious connection with LSD. The lyrics are commonly accepted as descriptions of an LSD trip (I wouldn't know) and they must have seen the connection.

So where's the dispute? Julian drew the picture, gave it the title. John and Paul liked it. One said to the other "Lucy Sky Diamonds - hey thats LSD" and the ran off to write the song.....


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