One of the best songwriting duos in music history, John Lennon and Paul McCartney teamed up for the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.” The final track off the Fab Four’s 1697 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is considered one of their more experimental songs. It is also considered among their finest. And 15 years ago this month, one fan paid a pretty penny for a piece of Beatles history.
Videos by American Songwriter
Original John Lennon Manuscript Exceeded Bidding Expectations
On June 18, 2010, an unnamed collector bought John Lennon’s handwritten manuscript of the lyrics to the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” from Sotheby’s for a cool $1.2 million.
Once belonging to the band’s assistant, Mal Evans, auctioneers expected the item to fetch between $500,000 and $800,000.
The single sheet of paper contained Lennon’s rough draft, including various revisions, written in felt marker and ball point pen.
[RELATED: Behind The Song: The Beatles, “A Day In The Life”]
Lennon penned the medley and most of the lyrics to the verses of “A Day in the Life.” Then, he passed it along to McCartney. The bassist contributed a middle-eight section, drawing on his own childhood memories. McCartney’s verse stood in stark contrast to Lennon’s headline-inspired contributions (I read the news today, oh boy…)
Discussing the collaboration during a 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon said, “The way we wrote a lot of the time: you’d write the good bit, the part that was easy, like ‘I read the news today’ or whatever it was. Then when you got stuck or whenever it got hard, instead of carrying on, you just drop it. Then we would meet each other, and I would sing half, and he would be inspired to write the next bit and vice versa.”
The BBC Once Banned “A Day in the Life”
John Lennon’s rough draft did not include the controversial lyric, “I’d love to turn you on.” Claiming that line advocated drug use, the BBC refused to broadcast “A Day in the Life.”
Accusing the corporation of misinterpreting the lyric, McCartney said, “It has nothing to do with drug taking. It’s only about a dream.”
Added Lennon, The laugh is that Paul and I wrote this song from a headline in a newspaper. It’s about a crash and its victim. How can anyone read drugs into it is beyond me. Everyone seems to be falling overboard to see the word drug in the most innocent of phrases.”
Featured image by Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.