Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
Elton John; John Lennon Lyrics
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With tangerine trees and marmalade skies
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes
Cellophane flowers of yellow and green
Towering over your head
Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain
Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies
Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers
That grow so incredibly high
Newspaper taxis appear on the shore
Waiting to take you away
Climb in the back with your head in the clouds
And you're gone
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Picture yourself on a train in a station
With plasticine porters with looking glass ties
Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile
The girl with kaleidoscope eyes
The opening of this song transports the listener into a dreamlike state, with vivid imagery of a surreal landscape. It's as if the singer is inviting the listener to join him/her on a journey through a trippy world with "tangerine trees and marmalade skies." The imagery creates a sense of whimsy and childlike wonder, with exotic and fantastical scenery, and a girl with "kaleidoscope eyes" seems almost otherworldly.
The song progresses with the singer following the girl, Lucy, through more surreal situations, encountering "rocking horse people" who eat "marshmallow pies." There's a sense of fun and adventure in these descriptions, as the singer floats past towering flowers and sees newspaper taxis waiting on the shore. It's a journey that feels almost magical and mystical, and the lyrics are full of wonder and imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Picture yourself in a boat on a river
Visualize yourself in a peaceful state on a stream
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies
The horizon is painted with the imagination of sweet colors
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly
When you hear an external voice, you react with a calm response
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes
The female with ever-changing and colorful eyes
Cellophane flowers of yellow and green
Transparent plant life in shades of yellow and green
Towering over your head
Growing to significant heights above the plainer things
Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes
Search for the female with radiance in her sight
And she's gone
And she has disappeared
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
The female named Lucy is flying high with gems as bright as stars
Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain
Tag along with her to a graceful path by the water source
Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies
Horses on a child's toy rock as humans savor sweet treats
Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers
The onlookers beam as you meander near the fragrant plants
That grow so incredibly high
Whose height is so phenomenal
Newspaper taxis appear on the shore
Cabs made of the material used for distributing news arrive at the beach
Waiting to take you away
Hoping to transport you elsewhere
Climb in the back with your head in the clouds
Take a seat in the rear with a mind filled of fantasies
And you're gone
And you leave this space
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
The girl named Lucy is hovering above with jewel-toned brightness
Picture yourself on a train in a station
Imagine yourself on a locomotive stopped in a terminal
With plasticine porters with looking glass ties
Featuring staff in clay uniforms with reflective neckwear
Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile
Abruptly another individual is at the revolving gate
The girl with kaleidoscope eyes
The female with ever-changing and colorful eyes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul Mccartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sauquoit13456
Exactly forty five years ago today in 1975 {January 12th} "Mandy" by Barry Manilow peaked at #1 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
"Mandy" was the first of twelve consecutive records that reached #1 and stayed in the top spot for only one week...
Elton John's covered version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" peaked at #1 for two weeks on December 29th, 1974, then the following records peaked at #1 for only one week:
"Mandy" by Barry Manilow
"Please Mr. Postman" by The Carpenters
"Laughter in the Rain" by Neil Sedaka
"Fire" by Ohio Players
"You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt
"Pick Up the Pieces" by Average White Band
"Best of My Love" by The Eagles
"Have You Never Been Mellow" by Olivia Newton-John
"Black Water" by The Doobie Brothers
"My Eyes Adored You" by Frankie Valli
"Lady Marmalade" by Labelle
"Lovin' You" by Minnie Riperton
And then it was Elton John who broke the string when his "Philadelphia Freedom" peaked at #1 for two weeks on April 6th, 1975...
@GBETTOR
My first concert at 14. One of the best nights of my life.
@thomasponzio8345
U were so lucky I was 13 but I got was the 45rpm at Christmas
@hannahbelfield4912
you are incredibly lucky
@user-tb2wz1tr8y
Wow. You started off with a gem
@davidwhitney49
It was one of the most memorable shows of my life , I was 15
NYC in the 70s was nuts!
@thestrengthwithin4249
Fantastic 👏👏👏👏
@jasoncarpp7742
One of the best covers I've heard Elton John sing. And to have John Lennon had to have been quite an honour.
@alexsaitta4041
In his final interview John said there wasn't a Beatles song that he recorded that he would not have recorded again. This is a good Beatles song, but Elton John truly gives the song its mystic feel that is deserves. John's studio version is the best. A true improvement on the original. I love that you can hear Lennon singing in the chorus. Lennon wrote most of it, Paul contributed. A lyrical masterpiece.
@theapacentauriaudiosandrar5377
John Lennon wrote the lyrics and Paul McCartney wrote the chorus. Elton John covered the song with touches from Lennon - a reggae chorus, backing vocals, and guitar. This was the period when all Elton did was drop gold! Elton's version blew everyone's mind and was a major number one hit single in the United States! It freaked me out when I first heard the Beatles version later!
@maddog3902
The bassline on this is outrageously good