Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

[minor muppetz]

Does anybody here ever remember seeing the song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds? Has that number ever appeared on any international version of Sesame Street?

I was looking at the scans of the first season show content on the University of Maryland talk page at Muppet Central. This lists all (or most) of the first season segments, with listings of episode numbers they appear in. This song only had one episode appearance listed, and the word "dump" was written beside it. Many segments in the first season show content have "dump" written, possibly meaning that they wouldn't be shown again ("dump" is also written all over the pages on Buddy and Jim sketches). I don't know if every episode is listed for every first season sketch on there. The later Jazz cartoons don't have epsiode numbers written besides them, though Muppet Wiki does list first appearances of every Jazz Numbers cartoon.

And does anybody know why this sketch no longer appeared? I've read about a controversy about the songs initials being "LSD", and I don't know if this controversy was started around the time that the song appeared or later (or earlier).

 

[mikebennidict]

The song was off the Beatles 1967 Sergant Peppers LP so if was probably looked down upon when it was originally released though John Lennon inhis lifetime denied it.

otherwise I can't really answer the 2nd part of your question.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Yes I believe the controversy to have started when the song originally came out. (And I personally believe John when he says it didn't occur to him, lol). I doubt the song was dumped for that reason, it's probably not that big a deal. Of course, we may never know. Interesting trivia though!

 

[mikebennidict]

What's also interesting is how the SS theme originally had the verse " It's a Magic Carpet Ride, Every Door Will Open Wide etc. " with the exception of the test pilots didn't have that verse used in the the open theme for its regular run.

Now the term MCR was a popular drug tern during the 60's. I doubt and would hate to think that it would have anything to do with why the verse wasn't used. had the 1st SS album in which the verse was sung.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. That would be ironic! But I always figured that verse wasn't included because the song was just too long for a standard theme. I've actually heard a few famous theme songs that have extras verses which never made it to air.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

I'm sure the "magic carpet ride" line is no longer used just because they've shortened the theme song. That line is still included in the "Sesame Street: Platinum" album, released in 1996. But yeah, I can also understand the drug connotations as another reason why Children's Television Workshop might have wanted to drop it.
And "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" is definitely inspired by LSD. The Beatles were on drugs in the late '60s- that much is known because they've freely admitted it in interviews. And then there's "Strawberry Fields Forever"- that one's a praise of marijuana. Strawberry fields were (and probably still are) often used to hide marijuana crops.
Musically, I like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and a lot of other Beatles songs. But I can't say I agree with all of them lyrically. And I'm still kind of surprised that "Yellow Submarine" was even used on Sesame Street. I'm sure that one has no drug connections.

 

[CensoredAlso]

The "Lucy" thing is still up for debate. It's true that the Beatles were doing LSD by that time and freely admitted it. But since they did, they wouldn't have minded admitting any song connection later on (John admitted when other songs were 'drug songs' but always denied the "Lucy" story) Plus John's style was more direct than that, he wouldn't have taken the trouble to create initials like that (in my opinion anyway based on what I've observed). He even wrote a song complaining about how fans looked into his music too deeply.

 

[minor muppetz]

What's also interesting is how the SS theme originally had the verse " It's a Magic Carpet Ride, Every Door Will Open Wide etc. " with the exception of the test pilots didn't have that verse used in the the open theme for its regular run.

I thought it was originally in the theme song. I'll have to check the episodes on Old School Volume 1 again. But I thought it was just dropped in later years.

 

[mikebennidict]

I saw the SS reruns on noggin which was the 1st 20 years of SS so I know for sure the MCR wasn't used except for the pilot episodes.

 

[MuppetMarc]

Not to get too much off topic, The song Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is in the credits of the movie, Across The Universe. Good movie. You should see it if you have the chance. I've seen it twice already!