Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment

Top marks for Sgt Pepper

The Beatles pictured outside the Sgt Pepper launch party in Belgravia, London, in 1967.
The Beatles pictured outside the Sgt Pepper launch party in Belgravia, London, in 1967. Photograph: David Redfern/Jan Oloffson/Redferns

The lyrics from pop songs have appeared in the classroom before those of Taylor Swift (Belgian university launches Taylor Swift-inspired literature course, 13 August). Realising, half an hour before an English class, that I hadn’t done my homework to submit a classic poem of our choosing, I hastily wrote out the words of the Beatles’ She’s Leaving Home from the recently released Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, hoping my teacher wouldn’t understand the reference.

Needless to say I was rumbled. Mr Arrowsmith’s comment as I left his class was “Mr Major. Not quite what I had in mind but thank you for at least not choosing Lovely Rita. Dreadful nonsense.” When my paper was returned, he had noted, “Inventive. I give McCartney an A”.
John Major
Shrewsbury, Shropshire

• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.