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Archive for the 'The Beatles' Category

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Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – It’s Really about a Kid’s Drawing!

Golden Slumbers – The Origin of a Beatles Song

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Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – It’s Really about a Kid’s Drawing!

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

I clearly remember being seven years old and listening to Elton John’s rendition of the Beatle’s Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds in my suburban backyard… Looking up at the sky and imagining a girl there, possibly me, floating with diamonds, a rainbow in the background (I guess due to the colorful imagery in the song), and clouds, in a jungle of tall flowers.

That’s the image I saw in my head every time I heard the song… until years later, when I became a teenager, it was dashed to the ground, and shattered upon being told that the song was about drug use. Somehow that tainted the song for me and made it less interesting… somehow mundane… not of a person’s own, pure imagination, but drug induced.

Today, my childhood image has been redeemed. I learned that the song actually came from a childhood drawing by John Lennon’s son Julian. You can see the drawing below. When John asked his son what the drawing was about, Julian said, “It’s Lucy in the sky with diamonds.” Lucy was Julian’s playmate in school.

The song “Lucy in the Song with Diamonds” was also influenced by Lewis Carroll. Paul McCartney said, “We did the whole thing like an Alice in Wonderland idea, being in a boat on the river, slowly drifting downstream with those great cellophane flowers towering over your head. Every so often it broke off and you saw Lucy with Diamonds all over the sky.”

That is a much more interesting origin of this song! What’s more, it lets me remember my original conception of it… and feel like that’s what it was really about… the feeling of the innocent, colorful, originality of childhood.

Oh happy day! To regain a childhood perspective!

Hattip: Steve Bunche’s Blog

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On a sadder note, the real Lucy Vodden (née O’Donnell), Julian’s playmate, recently passed away from Lupus at the age of 46.

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Posted in Alice in Wonderland, Authors, Books, Children's Artwork, Countries & Cultures, Crafts, Drawing, England, Learning, Lewis Carroll, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Mama Lisa, Music, Parenting, The Beatles | No Comments »

Golden Slumbers – The Origin of a Beatles Song

Tuesday, October 4th, 2005

Last night I was reading through The Oxford Book of Children’s Verse by Iona and Peter Opie, (yes, I am obsessed with my sites), when I came across the following…

Cradle Song
by Thomas Dekker (1572 – 1632)

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles awake you when you rise.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby:
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

Care is heavy, therefore sleep you,
You are care, and care must keep you;
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby,
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

Of course, I immediately thought of the Beatles song, Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight, from their album Abbey Road. Although they changed it slightly, to:

Golden slumbers fill your eyes, smiles awake you when you rise,
Sleep pretty darling do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby.

So now, I’m wondering, was Golden Slumbers a popular poem in England, before Abbey Road came out in 1969. Or was it sung as a lullaby to young children? Or did the Beatles find an obscure poem and popularize it in their song?

I’d love to know, if anyone has any more information about this, please write me.

Meanwhile, the song Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight, will be ringing through my mind!

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Monique wrote me,

…Golden Slumbers… as far as I know, it’s a traditional English lullaby. I created the Midi for Golden Slumbers.

Here’s an address where you can find the sheet music – Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, 1870-1885

Thanks Monique!
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Posted in British Children's Songs, British Lullabies, Children's Songs, English, Golden Slumbers, Golden Slumbers, Great Britain, Languages, Lullabies, Midis, Music, Poetry, Questions, Recordings of Songs, The Beatles | 7 Comments »

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