| "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" | |
|---|---|
 Cover of the US sheet music for the song | |
| Song by the Beatles | |
| from the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | |
| Released | 26 May 1967[1] |
| Recorded | 28 February, 1–2 March 1967 |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:28 |
| Label | Parlophone |
| Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney |
| Producer(s) | George Martin |
| Audio sample | |
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was written primarily by John Lennon with assistance from Paul McCartney, and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership.[2] Lennon's son Julian inspired the song with a nursery school drawing that he called "Lucy – in the sky with diamonds". Shortly before the album's release, speculation arose that the first letter of each of the nouns in the title intentionally spelled "LSD", the initialism commonly used for the hallucinogenic drug lysergic acid diethylamide.[3] Lennon repeatedly denied that he had intended it as a drug song,[3][4] and attributed the song's fantastical imagery to his reading of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland books.[3]
The Beatles recorded "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" in March 1967. Adding to the song's ethereal qualities, the musical arrangement includes a Lowrey organ part heavily treated with studio effects, and a drone provided by an Indian tambura. The song has been recognised as a key work in the psychedelic genre. Among its many cover versions, a 1974 recording by Elton John – with a guest appearance by Lennon – was a number 1 hit in the US and Canada.
- ^ Everett 1999, p. 123. "In the United Kingdom, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ... was rush-released six days ahead of its official date, June 1."
- ^ Compton 2017, p. 180.
- ^ a b c Sheff 2000, p. 182.
- ^ Lennon, John (8 September 1971). "The Dick Cavett Show" (Interview). Interviewed by Dick Cavett. New York: ABC.