Was the Beatles song "Lucy and the Sky of Diamonds" related to the drug LSD, or is it a coincidence?

Question

I keep hearing that the Beatles didn't make that refference to LSD to this song, but some believe otherwise. Is it true or isn't it? If it isn't, then would it be a big deal if it was?

Answer 1

this might help.....................................
The lyrics of the song — which are commonly believed to be about an acid trip — feature image-laden verses which present an overtly psychedelic travelogue, describing a boat trip through a fantastic land of "rocking horse people", "newspaper taxis" and "marshmallow pies", alternating with chorus sections which simply repeat the song's title. The Beatles, however, have steadily maintained that the initials of the title forming the word "LSD" (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) is mere coincidence, as the title is taken from a drawing by a young Julian Lennon. Forty years later the phrase "plastiscine porters" inspired the name of the French female band the Plastiscines.

Session tapes from the initial March 1, 1967 recording of this song reveal that John originally sang the line "Cellophane flowers of yellow and green" as a broken phrase, but Paul suggested that he sing it more fluidly, thus improving the song.


[edit] Julian's drawing
According to the Beatles, one day in 1966 Lennon's son, Julian, came home from nursery school with a drawing he said was of his classmate, a girl named Lucy. Showing the artwork to his father, young Julian described the picture as "Lucy — in the sky with diamonds."


Lucy — in the sky with diamonds by a young Julian LennonJulian later said, "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. I used to show dad everything I'd built or painted at school, and this one sparked off the idea for a song about Lucy in the sky with diamonds."

Three year old Julian's metaphor may have originated from the popular English nursery rhyme "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" which contains the line "like a diamond in the sky."

His son's artwork appears to have inspired Lennon to draw heavily on his own childhood affection for Lewis Carroll's "Wool and Water" chapter from Through the Looking-Glass. At least one lyric was influenced by both Carroll and skits on a popular British radio comedy programme (The Goon Show) making references to "plasticine ties", which showed up in the song as "Plasticine porters with looking glass ties". A parody of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", recited by the Mad Hatter, appears in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Carroll's work has also been cited as having influenced Lennon's "I Am the Walrus" which refers to a character from Through the Looking-Glass and his two books, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works.


[edit] Who was Lucy?
The Lucy referred to in the song was probably Lucy O'Donnell, born in Weybridge in 1963 (making her the same age as John's son)[citation needed]. She sat next to Julian at Heath House School[citation needed]. 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.


[edit] Reference to drugs and the title of the song
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.[1]

In a 1971 interview Lennon recalled hearing about how the initials of the title spelled out LSD, then checking if the same thing had happened with other Beatles songs and finding "they didn't spell out anything." In that same interview, he stated the song was composed in a conscious attempt to craft poetry, and in 1980 he confirmed the images were taken from Alice in Wonderland.

In The Beatles Anthology (2000), Ringo Starr claimed he was present when Julian showed his "crazy little painting". Paul recounted the time he and John spent in John's music room, swapping suggestions for lyrics, saying, "We never noticed the LSD initial until it was pointed out later, by which point people didn't believe us."[2]

Although the Beatles say they did not name the song after LSD, the song was conceived and recorded during a time when the Beatles were experimenting with LSD frequently, and creating much of their music under the influence.

Furthermore, some LSD users report a specific type of hallucination when they look at nightly sky with stars—when watching a particular star, a "copy" of it may periodically "flash" nearby either to the left or to the right. When looking at many stars under the influence of the drug, the whole sky seems to be "sparkling" with flashing stars, so "diamond sky" may be a metaphor of this vision.

Answer 2

John Lennon had said otherwise in an interview with a reporter.
He had said his son brought home a picture of a lady in the sky with diamonds and her name was Lucy. he wrote the song right after he saw the picture.

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

Answer 3

coincidence, the name came up by Lennon's son Julian... The Beatles was influenced by drugs to compose several songs and there are other songs that make clear evidence of that like "Day tripper".. the song is not as famous as LSD that makes an scandal in that days.

Remember that the Beatles never denied they consume drugs (even LSD) so i think it was unnecessary to hide a message in a title that a little child just made up.

Answer 4

While it is possible that LSD was involved, since Lennon was an LSD user, the official story is that it was initially inspired by a drawing done by Lennon's son, Julian. When asked what it was about, he responded, "Lucy in the sky, with diamonds". So, Lennon set out to make a whimsical, child-like dream in the song that was inspired by the painting, which is a homage to a child's imagination.

Answer 5

Paul McCartney says no. It has something to do with one of their kids drawing a picture and saying " look Daddy, It's Lucy in the sky with diamonds." So believe it or not, it was a great song.

Answer 6

Not only references, but L S D
Lucy SKY Diamonds

Answer 7

they wrote that song when they started experimenting with drugs so some think that it is to do with LSD but only the two remaining beatles can answer this question....

Answer 8

John's Son, Julian. Coined that phrase as a way of talking about in public. So, John put it in a song.

Answer 9

it was a reference to LSD.....Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds....

Answer 10

the beatles never admitted it.. but considering when it was written and the lyrics.. I rather think so.