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SongsSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandLucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

1967 · Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

“Tangerine trees and marmalade skies”

Lennon song for Sgt. Pepper's, with surreal lyrics inspired by his son Julian's nursery-school drawing and by Lewis Carroll. Notable for shifting keys and meters: 3/4 verses in A, pre-chorus in B♭, 4/4 chorus in G. The BBC kept it off the air on suspicion its title spelled out LSD.
Year1967
AlbumSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Track3 · Side 1
Duration3:28
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedFebruary 28 – March 2, 1967
ReleasedMay 26, 1967

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Text240 tags

Motif

NatureSurrealismInstructionalAnimalsWeatherAnatomySunshineMediaWomenChildhoodDreamsColorFood and drinksTransportationLightCharacterJewelry

Influence

Lewis Carroll influenceDrugs influence

Title

Long titlePerson in title

Vocabulary

Positive toneRich vocabularyPoetic lyrics

Narrative

ImperativeStream of consciousnessSecond person

Lyrical device

Double meaningAlliterationAnaphora

Rhyme type

Half rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Has outroStandard verses (2-4)Has introHas pre-chorusMany choruses (4+)

Section links

Verse variationIntro based on verseOutro based on chorusPre-chorus based on chorus

Repetition

Consecutive lineRecurring lineRecurring fade line
Word cloud

Recurring words

answerappearboatcallseateveryoneflowersfollowgreenhighhorsenewspaperpeoplepicturepiesquiteshoreskiesslowlysmilessomebodysomeonestationsuddenlysuntangerinetrainyellowand she'sand you'reas youdown tofade outhead inher downlook forshe's gonesomeone istake youthe cloudsthe girlthe sunto takewaiting towith youryourself inhead in thein her eyesto take youlucy in the skyyour head in thewaiting to take you away

Cover-shared words

ahahhawaybackbridgeeyesgirlgonegrowheadherlookpastrockingskytaketherewaitingyouyouryourselfa girlher eyesin heris thereover yourthe skyyou youyour headin the sky

Lyric shape

[ADV] at[ADV] with[NOUN] by[NOUN] is[VERB] outand [NOUN]of [ADJ]the [ADV]with [NOUN]with [WORD][NOUN] [VERB] as[NOUN] [VERB] you[NOUN] and [NOUN][NOUN] in her[NOUN] is [ADV][NOUN] of [ADJ][NOUN] the [NOUN][NOUN] with the[VERB] [NOUN] the[VERB] for the[VERB] her down[VERB] in the[VERB] on the[VERB] so [ADV][WORD] [NOUN] of[WORD] with [WORD]a [NOUN] bya [NOUN] withand [NOUN] [VERB]and she's [VERB]and you're [VERB]at the [WORD]in a [NOUN]in the [ADV]on the [WORD]the [NOUN] into a [NOUN]with the [NOUN]with your [NOUN]you [VERB] [NOUN]you [VERB] [WORD]your [NOUN] in[NOUN] in her [NOUN][NOUN] of [ADJ] and[NOUN] with the [NOUN][VERB] [NOUN] the [NOUN][VERB] for the [NOUN][VERB] in a [NOUN][VERB] in the [NOUN][VERB] on the [WORD]a [NOUN] by aa [NOUN] in ain the [NOUN] withthe [NOUN] with the[NOUN] [WORD] [VERB] on the[VERB] to [VERB] you [ADV]your [NOUN] in the [NOUN]

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] and[NOUN] and[NOUN] in[NOUN] of[NOUN] on[NOUN] the[NOUN] with[VERB] as[VERB] for[VERB] her[VERB] in[VERB] on[VERB] over[VERB] so[VERB] to[VERB] you[WORD] in[WORD] witha [NOUN]a [WORD]and [ADJ]her [NOUN]is [ADV]she's [VERB]so [ADV]that [NOUN]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]you [ADV]you [VERB]you're [VERB]your [NOUN][ADJ] and [ADJ][VERB] in a[VERB] to [VERB][VERB] you [ADV][WORD] [VERB] on[WORD] in thea [NOUN] ina [NOUN] onfor the [NOUN]in her [NOUN]in the [NOUN]on a [NOUN]over your [NOUN]to [VERB] youyou you [VERB][VERB] to [VERB] you[VERB] you you [VERB][WORD] in the [NOUN]to [VERB] you [ADV]

Rhyme scheme

AAABABCDABCB

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

cellophaneclimbdiamondsdriftfountainincrediblykaleidoscopelooking-glassmarmalademarshmallowplasticineportersrivertaxistiestoweringtreesturnstile
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Music162 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarBass guitarPianoOrganDrumsPercussionMaracasTamboura

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsIndianPercussion

Bass work

Stepwise bass lineChromatic bass lineDescending bass

Music genre

Indian classicalPsychedelicRock

Influence

Indian music influencePsychedelia influence

Vocal work

Aah vocalsVocal harmonies

Melody

HemiolaOstinato

Tempo

UpbeatTempo change

Key

B♭ majorA majorG major3+ keysKey change

Time signature

3/44/4Time signature change

Song form

Verse-chorusABABAB

Sections

Has outroStandard verses (2-4)Multiple pre-choruses (2+)Has introHas pre-chorusHas instrumentalStandard choruses (1-3)

Section traits

Unique pre-chorusShort chorus

Section links

Verse variationIntro based on verseOutro based on chorusPre-chorus based on chorus

Section transition

IV to ♭VIIIV to IUnique section transition

Harmony

Half cadenceCircle of fifthsBorrowed chordModal mixtureParallel harmonyChromatic mediantPerfect cadenceDroneSecondary dominant

Composition

No dominantTonic openingVerse in IChorus in ♭VIITonic verseNon-tonic chorus

Mode

IonianLydian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7augslash chord

Scale degree

II7IIII7IIIIVivV♭VIVIvi7vi♭VI+

Chord degree

I–IV–VI–viV–I–III–I–viI–IIII–VI–II–II–Vvi–♭VIII–V–IV–IIV–VI–IVI–vi–♭VIII–VIVI–III♭VI–I♭VI–ivII–VI–III

Chord shape

C → AmC → C → AmC → FC → D → AC → GC → CC → F → GC → G → DC → DC → F → B♭C → D → GC → EAm → A♭C7 → F → B♭C → F → G7C → D7C7 → FC → Am → A♭C → D7 → GC7 → GAm7 → A♭C → C7/B♭C → D7 → AC7 → G → D

Chord literal

B♭ → C → FA → AC → F → B♭C → FC → G → DC → GD → GG → CC → DG → DG → C → DF → B♭A → F♯mC7 → FC7 → F → B♭A → F♯m → FF → AF♯m → FB♭ → C → GF → DmB♭ → C7 → FC7 → GB♭ → C7F → B♭ → CB♭ → CF♯m7 → FB♭ → C7 → GF → B♭ → C7
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Sources & references

Tags on this page are original analysis, transcribed and cross-checked against the fine work of others: Alan W. Pollack's “Notes on…” series, the Beatles Complete Scores (Hal Leonard), Mark Lewisohn's session histories, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Dave Rybaczewski's Beatles Music History and Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear for the instruments and studio equipment, and others besides - then verified by ear against the recordings. Full bibliography: Sources & thanks.

External entity links: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz recording · MusicBrainz work · Wikidata

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