About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn’t notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They’d seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords.
I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
but I just had to look
Having read the book
I’d love to turn you on
Woke up, got out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,
and somebody spoke and I went into a dream
I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
I’d love to turn you on
Sgt. Pepper is still regarded by many as their greatest album–while others think it has dated. It does have some marvellous, inventive, reflective, disturbing, witty words and music. And a shattering ending, the sort of pop song we had never heard before.
It marked yet another massive stage in their development and Paul’s ascension to the role of dominant influence. John had as good as given up being the boss or the leader, now that he was sitting around all day at home in suburbia, relying for inspiration on mundane domestic activities such as watching TV, reading the newspapers, or lifting lyrics from circus posters.
Brian Epstein, meanwhile, had all but disappeared from their creative life. Two months after the album was released, on 27 August 1967, Brian was found dead. He was only thirty-two.
Sgt. Pepper flyer, January 1967, for the retail trade, now highly collectable.