<P> Lennon's inspiration for the song came when his son, Julian, showed him a nursery school drawing he called "Lucy--in the Sky with Diamonds", depicting his classmate Lucy O'Donnell (later Lucy Vodden). Julian Lennon said, "I don't know why I called it that or why it stood out from all my other drawings, but I obviously had an affection for Lucy at that age . I used to show Dad everything I'd built or painted at school, and this one sparked off the idea ..." </P> <P> According to both Lennon and Ringo Starr, who witnessed the moment, Julian first uttered the song's title upon returning home from nursery school . Lennon later recalled of the painting and the phrase, "I thought that (it was) beautiful . I immediately wrote a song about it ." </P> <P> Rumours of the connection between the title of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and the initialism "LSD" began circulating shortly after the release of the Sgt . Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band LP in June 1967 . Paul McCartney gave two interviews that same month admitting to having taken the drug . Lennon later said he was surprised at the idea the song title was a hidden reference to LSD, countering the song "wasn't about that at all", and it "was purely unconscious that it came out to be LSD . Until someone pointed it out, I never even thought of it . I mean, who would ever bother to look at initials of a title?...It's not an acid song ." </P> <P> Paul McCartney confirmed Lennon's claim on several occasions, the earliest in 1968: </P>

Lucy in the sky with diamonds was rumored to be a secret code for