Lucy from Lucy In The Sky Is...In The Sky

Lots of people think that John Lennon's Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds is about acid. The first letters of some of the song's title are an anagram for "LSD," for goodness sakes!

But this was debunked right off the bat by Lennon who said the title was something four year old Julian Lennon named a drawing he brought home from school. Lennon thought it was a beautiful title and used it for the Beatles song.

I have known that story for years but didn't know until today that Lucy was a real person. Makes sense. Little kids draw pictures of their friends at school all the time.

And the sad caveat is how I found out. Lucy Vodden passed away of Lupus at age 46 in London. She was visited by Julian Lennon, who reignited his childhood friendship with her once her illness became serious. Turns out she was not a big fan of the song!

She told BBC Radio in 2007:

"I remember Julian and I both doing pictures on a double-sided easel, throwing paint at each other, much to the horror of the classroom attendant. Julian had painted a picture and on that particular day his father turned up with the chauffeur to pick him up from school."

Full details here and here.