Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - The Beatles

[sweetsweetcandy]

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Hey,

I was wandering if anyone did this text/song (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by the Beatles) for imaginative journeys and would be willing to share some notes? Or ideas?

I have a few techniques, but I can't seem to pinpoint what exactly the "imaginative journey" is in the song.

I know it may have reference to LSD, a lot of imagery is used along with the hypnotic melody etc.

Any help would be appreciated. And if anyone did this text in past years and still have their notes, could you share?

Thanks in advance. Just started Yr 12 this term -_- not pretty.

[Nullz]

im doing it too, and would also like help with analysis and techniques. PLEASE SHARE

[sweetsweetcandy]

Well I submitted my practice analysis on it and once I get it back (and if I did decently in it) I'll share

I spent so long researching it on the net as well as forming my own ideas about it X_x My God.

[Lil Clutch]

hey! so my hsc is over but i'm still on this site wanting to help people out. awwww. lol. well ok i cant exactly help you in the sense that i didnt even do LSD for my related text, but if your unsure bout connection with i.j, then you shouldnt be doing it. if you're interested i have my related text analysis for imagine by john lennon, whihc is a text in the booklet they give out to you for journeys, but my teachers were ok with me doing it (i didnt know it was in the booklet!) and for a more substantial text i also did the film amelie. so if interested, ill email them and etc. good luck.

[Emly]

share notes please!

[angrybananas]

hey,
right now im just looking at it fairly briefly. i dont think the lsd has anything to do with it, or if it does, will be irrelevant to your deconstruction of it. teachers hate that sorta shit. it was inspired by a drawing by lennon's son julian.. im gonna try this really quickly and try to put it in terms of personal growth-ish coz thats what my thesis sorta thing is i think so just bare with me ill see what i can come up with... i am just writing as i go.

the sky, an image of goodness, purity, elevation, the place where heaven lies, with diamonds in it. clearly the sky is a good place, somewhere the persona wants to be, or to be one day. perhaps a subconscious yearning to one day be with god/heaven. maybe the diamonds are god? im literally just throwing ideas down here, bare with me...

the kaleidoscope and the sun, are both seen in the girls eyes.. havent given enough thought to that yet.

from the beginning of the song we are thrust into an imaginative realm with nonsensical images prevailing- marmalade skies etc. but there is a definate theme of ordinary day-to-day objects being turned into something extraordinary, like the marmalade skies, kaleidoscope eyes, plasticine porters, rocking horse people etc. perhaps the persona wished to escape his/her ordinary life and make something special/extraordinary of their mundane life?

Lucy reappears several times in the lyrics, she appears in the sky with the diamonds- making her part of the image of the sky and its goodness, beauty of the diamonds etc. if the sky is something the persona wishes to reach then maybe lucy is someone who has been in the persona's situation and has made an example of herself? has been in that situation and grown beyond that. maybe she is an image of the great things that the persona is destined for, or that the persona will escape into the sky with her.

at the end the persona ends up at a train station where the girl with kaleidoscope eyes is (is she lucy??) it would seem from the course of the song the persona has grown and is ready to travel to his destination, perhaps the sky?

there is alot of mention to eyes, repeatedly- kaleidoscope eyes, sun in her eyes etc.... perhaps eyes is a metaphor for something? i dno just chucking ideas around right now..

on with the aural techniques- remembering that if you are going to write about a song you need to include aural techniques, otherwise study a poem... the initial sounds is cloudy, consistant with the feeling of being carried away or floating with clouds, travel, like the boat on the river, and then 'climb in the back with your head in the clouds' the vocals are soft, held back, wierd sounding. perhaps to assimilate with the wierdness of the words in the lyrics being sung. chorus sees the introduction of drums, more singers, more upbeat. then back into the initial mood, music etc. there is a kind of build up into the chorus of 'lucy in the sky....' perhaps to reinforce that this is the main point of the song, that lucy is in the sky with diamonds.
overall the music to the song is simplistic, with only vocals, backing vocals, drums (bass, perhaps tambourine too), bass, keyboard, dno if there is a guitar or not, ...thats all im picking right now. perhaps this is to combat the odd lyrics and is to allow the listener to come to terms with what they are trying to say, to allow them to come to terms with the content and not to be immediately overwhelmed.
the speed of the song varies from chorus to verses.


anyway i think thats all ive got right now. feel free to comment on what ive written, add to or correct anything, ive just jotted this down in a few minutes while listenin to it with the lyrics in front of me.
ive got a few versions of this songs and maybe important? to note that they are all conventionally the same, except maybe with some more modern techniques added such as reverb etc... basically none of them quite measure up to the original tho. no one can match the beatles... lennon was a genius.

am glad to help but would be most greatful if youd reply n write what u thought n help me out with my venture too. cheers.

[angrybananas]

but again, to reiterate what someone said previously. if u cant figure out any of that stuff then you shouldnt be doing this. that deadset took me about 10-15mins...

[tranquilspoons]

Lucy in the Sky with diamonds is apparently about a picture John Lennons son, Julian drew. When asked who the lady in the picture was Julian replied "thats lucy" although it wouldnt suprise me if there was a reference to LSD because this song was written around the time The Beatles were experimenting with drugs. But its more likely written about the imagination of a child.

[riot_girl88]

i'm doing Lucy in the sky with diamonds as well. when i first chose it i thought no was likely to do it. thanks angrybanans u helped heaps.

[Spunge12]

Originally Posted by tranquilspoons

Lucy in the Sky with diamonds is apparently about a picture John Lennons son, Julian drew. When asked who the lady in the picture was Julian replied "thats lucy" although it wouldnt suprise me if there was a reference to LSD because this song was written around the time The Beatles were experimenting with drugs. But its more likely written about the imagination of a child.

You read Cynthia Lennons book too?


I lie..i read about 2 chapters and then left Borders for a coffee.

[tranquilspoons]

No i never read the book, i havent heard of the book. I read an article in the paper once a few years back and also our English teacher gave us the lyrics to show an example of Imaginative Journey. He discussed it with us and expressed his opinions and what he had heard about it.

[Spunge12]

Originally Posted by tranquilspoons

No i never read the book, i havent heard of the book. I read an article in the paper once a few years back and also our English teacher gave us the lyrics to show an example of Imaginative Journey. He discussed it with us and expressed his opinions and what he had heard about it.

What were his feelings on the subject?

[larza_2004]

angry bananas u helped heaps! ive only been reding up on it today.. (only statred our analysis task late) and from what ive gathered it has links with both LSD, and the inamginative realm, or mind of a child. i believe LSD does come into it, as this song was written around the time tht the beatles were experimenting with the drug...its as if the beatles are taking LSD, and their mind has moved into the mind of a childs.. they are maybe thinking like a child does..?? ..they r just my thoughts..

googdluck everyone

[Blue View]

The only question that i have on this topic is, how much are we expected to write on our supplementary texts in the AOS response?

I'm doing LSD and i am a little worried that i won't be able to find enough techniques for a decent response!!

I am going to talk to my teacher about LSD tomorrow so if she can help me with some good techniques i will post them tomorrow!

[jabbie]

john lennon wrote the song after his son gave him a picture of his friend lucy from school

when lennon asked what it was his son replied its lucy in the sky with diamonds

there is a radio or tv interview where john lennon states that he didnt know tht it was interpreted as LSD


i suppose u could try to do a few beatles songs i guess

yellow submarine theres another LSD journey
magical mystery tour have a look through those songs

sbut yeah im intrested in using any beatles songs for imaginery journeys