Who was Lucy in the Sky?

Question

You know, she had diamonds, and Kaleidescope eyes, etc... but did the Beatles ever say if Lucy was modelled on a real person? Was she perhaps 'Lucy in disguise'?

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Answer 1

I haven't looked at anyone elses answers, so I am probably repeating much of what has already been contributed. Lucy in the sky with diamonds refers to the drug LSD.

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the major drugs making up the hallucinogen class of drugs. Hallucinogens cause hallucinations—profound distortions in a person’s perception of reality. Hallucinogens cause their effects by disrupting the interaction of nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin. Distributed throughout the brain and spinal cord, the serotonin system is involved in the control of behavioral, perceptual, and regulatory systems, including mood, hunger, body temperature, sexual behavior, muscle control, and sensory perception.

Under the influence of hallucinogens, people see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that seem real but do not exist. Some hallucinogens also produce rapid, intense emotional swings. One of the most potent mood-changing chemicals, LSD, was discovered in 1938 and is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains.

Having read the above you may now understand the reference to 'Kaleidescope eyes' in the song.

The Lucy referred to in the song may have been Lucy O'Donnell, born in Weybridge in 1963 (making her the same age as John Lennon's son). She sat next to Julian Lennon at Heath House School. She has met up with him on a few occasions in the last few years, and occasionally appears on daytime shows for the anniversary of the "Sergeant Pepper's" album. She is featured in the book "A Hard Days Write". She now lives in Surbiton in Surrey, and owned a nanny agency for children with special needs until she was taken ill with psoriatic arthritis and lupus some years ago.

There is another candidate for the original Lucy — British comedian Peter Cook's daughter, Lucy. Lennon and Cook were seeing quite a bit of each other at the time (Lennon made a guest appearance on Cook's TV show Not Only... But Also as a doorman). According to Cook's biographer, Harry Thompson, Lennon told Cook's then wife, Wendy, that the song was inspired by Lucy Cook.

While Lennon and the Beatles were often frank about their drug use, for decades they denied that "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" had anything to do with LSD. In a 2004 interview, however, Paul McCartney spoke openly about his Beatles-era drug use, revealing that songs such as "Day Tripper" and "Got To Get You Into My Life" were written directly about LSD and marijuana. When questioned about "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," he noted that Julian's painting had inspired the song, but that it was "pretty obvious" that the song was about an acid trip.

Answer 2

The songs meaning has 2 theorys: 1. It was written about an acid trip Lucy Sky Diamonds (LSD). 2. The beatles say this is false and that John Lennons son Julian drew a picture of a classmate (Lucy) in the sky the stars like diamonds..... the real answer is anyones guess.

Answer 3

Many people believe that the initials of the words in the song title are a reference to the drug LSD (Lucy - Sky - Diamonds).

John said however the words were inspired by his 3-year old son Julian, who came back from school with a painting he had drawn of a girl in his class called Lucy.

Answer 4

It wasn't long, however, before listeners quickly discovered the "hidden" pun in the song's title, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds: The initial letters of certain words spelled out the acrostic LSD

Although none of the Beatles publicly admitted to taking LSD until two weeks after Sergeant Pepper the public "knew" that the song's title was "obviously" more than mere coincidence.

A song incorporating acid trip imagery, released on an album featuring psychedelic designs, at a time when LSD was very much in the news, couldn't possibly have been given a title like that by accident. Everyone was in on the joke.

John Lennon, while never denying that the song itself was inspired by the countless acid trips he had taken, quickly explained that the title, in fact, had been mere coincidence. It was taken, verbatim, from the name John's four-year-old son Julian had given to a drawing he made at school Lennon claimed;

Lennon himself had no idea that the title formed the abbreviation LSD until it was pointed out to him by someone else after the album's release.

Answer 5

Many people believe that the initials of the words in the song title are a reference to the drug LSD (Lucy - Sky - Diamonds).

Answer 6

Supposedly from a picture John Lennons son drew. The biggest diamond in the world is within the star "Lucy" which is over Austrailia but got its nickname from the beatles song.

Answer 7

Lucy was not an actual person, Lucy in the sky of diamonds was about LSD, As that was the drug of choice in the 60's

Answer 8

The song was based on a drawing by John Lennon's son, Julian.
When asked what the drawing was, Julian answered, 'It's Lucy, in the sky with diamonds'.
The girl in question was Julian's school friend Lucy O'Donnell.

Answer 9

John said however the words were inspired by his 3-year old son Julian, who came back from school with a painting he had drawn of a girl in his class called Lucy.

Answer 10

The answers some give about Julian drawing are right. Lucy was Julian's classmate at school and he drew her flying in the sky with diamonds. Stars were the diamonds. All this stuff about drugs, forget it!