The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #125846 Message #2792216
Posted By: Genie
19-Dec-09 - 03:49 PM
Thread Name: Is alcohol the only drug...? (songs praising drugs
Subject: RE: Is alcohol the only drug praised in song
Yes, "Lucy" was inspired by a Julian Lennon's description of his own painting, according to his dad.
From Wikipedia (at the moment) :
"At the time of its release, the Beatles claimed that the inspiration for the song came from a drawing by John Lennon's son, Julian, which Julian called "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". The song sparked controversy when released, including being banned by the BBC because of the supposed reference to the drug LSD,[1] with the letters of the title spelling Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Lennon would later deny the reference during an interview with Rolling Stone. Although John Lennon throughout his life denied that the title and content of the song had to do with LSD,[2] on June 2, 2004, McCartney admitted to BBC that it was "pretty obvious" that the song was inspired by LSD.[3]"
So it's possible that the child's painting inspired a song with both the painting itself and Julian's title being recognized by McCartney (and maybe Lennon too) as having a strong double meaning.