It's been a busy few days for Beatles memorabilia collectors. Earlier this week, an audio recording of John Lennon's infamous "bigger than Jesus" comment was put up for auction, but failed to match the minimum bid and remained unsold. However, today (June 18) Lennon's original handwritten lyrics for his classic "A Day in the Life" were purchased for $1.2 million.
We previously reported that the double-sided sheet, which features Lennon's scribbles and notes, was expected to fetch between $500,000 to $700,000. The American collector who won the auction ended up paying almost double the expected price, reports the Associated Press.
It's a steep cost, but it's not too surprising that a collector was willing to fork out for the lyrics. After all, "A Day in the Life" is frequently cited as one of the Beatles' greatest achievements, with its intimate lyricism and stunning orchestral crescendo. The song sparked controversy when it was first released as many interpreted the line "I'd love to turn you on" as referring to drugs.
Still, the song isn't one of Paul McCartney's favourites. The Daily Mail reports that former Beatle/current ballet composer identified his personal favourite Beatles songs as "Blackbird" and "Here, There and Everywhere." Not surprisingly, both of those songs were written by McCartney himself.
We suppose we can forgive Paul for this moment of self-congratulation. After all, it is his birthday today. Happy 68th!
We previously reported that the double-sided sheet, which features Lennon's scribbles and notes, was expected to fetch between $500,000 to $700,000. The American collector who won the auction ended up paying almost double the expected price, reports the Associated Press.
It's a steep cost, but it's not too surprising that a collector was willing to fork out for the lyrics. After all, "A Day in the Life" is frequently cited as one of the Beatles' greatest achievements, with its intimate lyricism and stunning orchestral crescendo. The song sparked controversy when it was first released as many interpreted the line "I'd love to turn you on" as referring to drugs.
Still, the song isn't one of Paul McCartney's favourites. The Daily Mail reports that former Beatle/current ballet composer identified his personal favourite Beatles songs as "Blackbird" and "Here, There and Everywhere." Not surprisingly, both of those songs were written by McCartney himself.
We suppose we can forgive Paul for this moment of self-congratulation. After all, it is his birthday today. Happy 68th!
