John Lennon's original handwritten lyrics to THE Beatles' classic A DAY IN THE LIFE went on sale yesterday (17JAN06), on the 39th anniversary he was inspired to write the song after reading a newspaper.

The single sheet of lyrics comes with a price tag of $1 million (GBP556,000). Also included is the first two complete drafts of Lennon's ideas for the song, which was co-written with Paul McCartney.

A Day In The Life, which was included on The Beatles' SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND album, was inspired by the 17 January 1967 edition of British newspaper the Daily Mail.

The sealed-bid auction at Bonhams runs until 7 March (06). The seller is anonymous.