FIFTY years after the release of one of the most important rock albums of all time, a retired York sociology professor will tomorrow seek to answer three questions about Sgt Pepper. How did four mop-tops from Liverpool write such a masterpiece? What makes the lyrics so good? And which army had Sgt Pepper joined?

The answer to the first is that the Beatles were very different to many other rock ‘n rollers from the early 60s, says Prof Colin Campbell. They passed their 11 Plus, they did A-Levels, John Lennon even went to Art College. They were educated and intellectual, in other words. By the time Sgt Pepper came out in 1967, they were so famous they could do what they liked, so the album is a true expression of their intellectual artistry. And what about those lyrics? They’re wonderful examples of word-play, Prof Campbell says. You see that in the group’s name It’s a pun: a reference to the music of the Beat generation, but also a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Crickets.

York Press:

The words in the Sgt Pepper songs often have multiple meanings - but sometimes they have no meaning at all, and are there for other reasons. The 211 ‘naah-na-naahs’ at the end of Hey Jude have no obvious meaning - but they’re an important part of the song. As to the lyrics of Sgt Pepper itself: there’s a lot of subtle alliteration there, Prof Campbell says: the ‘p’s in Sgt Pepper; the repeated ‘w’s, ‘’ls and ‘t’s of ‘We’d like to take... We’d love to take...”

And that army? That would be telling. If you want to know the answer, you’ll have to go along to Prof Campbell’s illustrated talk at the University of York tomorrow night...

BLOB Sergeant Pepper: Playing With Words, Ron Cooke Hub, 7.40pm tomorrow (June 15).

Tickets free from 01904 324119 as part of the York festival of Ideas.