Drug References in Beatles Songs

[Annalina Lennon McCartney]

Talk about how high The Beatles went in referencing drugs in their songs!

[Sadie]

John said that "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" was inspired by little Julian's drawing.

But it could also easily be seen as a drug song. Eventhough it technically dosen't abbreviate into "LSD" (It would actually be "LITSWD"), alot of people see it as the initials to "LSD", but I personally think that it relates more to acid because the lyrics describe surreal images (which is the kind of stuff you would see if you were on drugs).

The "I need a fix 'cause I'm going down" lyric in "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" could be a reference to feeling the need to take drugs.

Also that sniffing noise in the song "Girl"...

"Ahhh Girllll *SNIFF* "

LOL I believe Paul said once that it sounded as if they were inhaling pot. I'm not sure if that was done intentionally though?

I do know that John said he didn't mean for "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" to seem related to "LSD". Just like he also didn't mean for that "The Beatles are bigger than Jesus" remark to be taken so seriously and in the wrong way.

Poor John, sometimes I don't think he was even aware of how controversial and offensive he was. He was just being his usual outspoken, fearless, brave self. :-)

[BeatleBob]

"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds":

I always thought the song was about "LSD" too!! And thought the song was about it because the lyrics described surreal images too!! But, John kept insisting it was about Julian's drawing!! LOL!


Happiness Is A Warm Gun :

Featuring one of John Lennon's best vocals on the White Album, Happiness Is A Warm Gun was made up of four distinct song fragments, and took its title from a gun magazine, The American Rifleman, which John Lennon saw in the studio at Abbey Road.

George Martin showed me the cover of a magazine that said, 'Happiness is a warm gun'. I thought it was a fantastic, insane thing to say. A warm gun means you've just shot something.

John Lennon
Anthology

The second part of the song ('I need a fix 'cause I'm going down') contains Lennon's clearest reference to heroin while in The Beatles, although he later denied the line was about drugs.

Happiness Is A Warm Gun was another one which was banned on the radio - they said it was about shooting up drugs. But they were advertising guns and I thought it was so crazy that I made a song out of it. It wasn't about 'H' at all.

John Lennon
Anthology.

When I heard it I thought it was about shooting up drugs too!! LOL! ;-)

Yes, I Agree Sadie!!

"Poor John, sometimes I don't think he was even aware of how controversial and offensive he was. He was just being his usual outspoken, fearless, brave self. :-)"


How about "A Day in the Life". The line in the song "I'd love to turn you on". The line advocated the use of drugs. Also, the lines "found my way upstairs and had a smoke / and somebody spoke and I went into a dream" are believed to refer to drugs.

Check this out: “Got to Get You Into My Life,” which was written by Paul was generally believed to be a love song that McCartney wrote for a girl. But in the book Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now (by Barry Miles), McCartney disclosed that the song was actually about marijuana, an intoxicating substance when smoked.

He confirmed that drugs influenced some of the group's songs. "A song like 'Got to Get You Into My Life,' that's directly about pot, although everyone missed it at the time," McCartney said. " 'Day Tripper,' that's one about acid.

I remember John saying "Day Tripper" was a drug song. I never knew that when it was realeased! LOL And “Got to Get You Into My Life" I never thought that was about Pot!!! Until now. LOL!!! Those lines in "A Day in the Life" were obvious!! But, the others I mentioned here surprised me!! ;-)