John Lennon Thought LSD Gave His Life ‘A Whole New Dimension,’ According to Cynthia Lennon
The Beatles’ later years were marked by their drug use, with Cynthnia Lennon noting her ex-husband, “took LSD regularly,” saying John Lennon was “hungry” for new experiences. Here’s what we learned from her memoir John.
John Lennon appeared as a songwriter and vocalist for the Beatles
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison make up the “Fab Four” known as the Beatles. Together, they released songs like “Day Tripper,” “With a Little Help from My Friends,” and “Got to Get You into My Life.”
They were also open about their use of marijuana and alcohol. Even before experimenting with LSD, the Beatles sometimes took drugs to stay awake. That was particularly in their early days, when they played gigs for hours at a time.
Did the Beatles take psychedelics? Here’s what Cynthia Lennon said about her first drug experience with John Lennon and George Harrison
In her memoir John, Cynthia Lennon noted her first experience with psychedelics – when a friend of George Harrison and John Lennon’s drugged their drinks. She recalled being terrified of the experience at first. However, John Lennon liked it after some reflection.
“In the following months, John took LSD regularly,” Lennon wrote. “He was hungry for new experiences and never afraid to experiment. George had found it fascinating too and he also took it again, as did Paul and Pingo, but John felt it gave his life a whole new dimension.”
“The other Beatles were much more cautious, but John threw himself into it with abandon, convinced that this was the way to greater enlightenment, creativity, and happiness,” she noted.
After the Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, was found dead of an accidental drug overdose in 1967, Cynthia Lennon noted that Lennon took a step back from LSD. At least temporarily.
‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ by the Beatles was inspired by John Lennon’s son
Some Beatles songs (and sounds) were influenced by the band’s drug consumption. On Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2022, Starr explained part of “Octopus’s Garden” was informed by a trip to Sardinia and an actual octopus that wrapped itself around his child’s nanny.
“Well, when you’re stoned, that’s the best idea,” the artist said, receiving applause from the audience. “And so, I did start because I had my guitar there, and I played three chords, so everything’s in three chords.”
In the same memoir, Cynthia Lennon noted that some believe “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is about someone taking a hallucinogenic. It was actually inspired by John Lennon’s son, Julian, who once drew a picture of his classmate described as “Lucy in the sky with diamonds.”
“The song had gone out, the whole album had been published, and somebody noticed that the letters spelt out ‘LSD,’” Lennon also noted during one interview via Far Out Magazine.
