Formal structure of [178] "Maxwell's Silver Hammer": Verse 1 0:00-0:29 Bridge 0:29-0:37 Chorus 0:37-0:51 Tag 0:51-0:59 Verse 2 0:59-1:28 Bridge 1:28-1:35 Chorus 1:35-1:50 Solo 1 (v) 1:50-2:04 Tag 2:04-2:12 Verse 3 2:12-2:41 Bridge 2:41-2:48 Chorus 2:48-3:03 Solo 2 (v) 3:03-3:17 Coda (tag) 3:17-3:27 Comments: With the exception of the lack of introduction, this is pretty standard. The verses, bridges, choruses, and tags all function in textbook manner. The only thing slightly unusual is the use of multiple solos - something the Beatles had done just 9 times previously in [29b] "Long Tall Sally", [38] "I'm a Loser", [46b] "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby", [46e] "Honey Don't", [58] "I'm Down", [119] "The Fool on the Hill", [160] "Get Back", [163] "For You Blue", and [169] "Old Brown Shoe" - both of which employ the verses' music, sans vocals. The macro-scale formal design of the song can be broken down quite neatly into three nearly identical parts (indicated in the graphic below with black brackets), each of which can be further broken down into two parts (the red and green squares). Notice that the second and third black brackets are structurally identical, but that the first is "missing" a solo.
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Formal structure of [177] "Here Comes The Sun":
Intro 0:00-0:14 guitar 0:00-0:07 + keyboard 0:07-0:14 Chorus 0:14-0:27 Verse 1 0:27-0:43 Chorus 0:43-0:55 Instrumental ext. 0:55-0:59 Verse 2 0:59-1:14 Chorus 1:14-1:27 Trans. 1:27-1:31 Middle 8 1:31-2:12 Verse 3 2:12-2:27 Chorus 2:27-2:39 Ext. 2:39-2:52 Ext. 2:52-2:59 Coda (M8) 2:59-3:05 Comments: "Here Comes the Sun" is the first in a while to use a 2-part intro, with the solo guitar being heard first, followed by the keyboard. This was a very common tactic in early Beatles recordings, but has become less common in the later recordings. The band used 2-part introductions previously in [6b] "A Taste Of Honey", [11] "Thank You Girl", [17] "Little Child", [14b] "Roll Over Beethoven", [24] "You Can't Do That", [31b] "Matchbox", [37] "Baby's in Black", [38b] "Mr. Moonlight", [45] "I Feel Fine", [46e] "Honey Don't", [47] "Ticket to Ride", [62] "Run For Your Life", [63] "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)", [66] "If I Needed Someone", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", [79] "Love You To", [81] "Paperback Writer", [89] "I Want to Tell You", [92] "She Said She Said", [102] "Lovely Rita", [104] "Getting Better", [105] "Within You Without You", [110] "Baby, You're a Rich Man", [114] "All You Need Is Love", [125] "Revolution 1", [126] "Don't Pass Me By", [130] "Good Night", [131] "Ob-la-di Ob-la-da", [134] "Helter Skelter", [138] "Mother Nature's Son", and [172] "Octopus's Garden". The middle 8 consists of the same six-measure phrase repeated 5 times (i.e. heard a total of 6 times, the first of which omits the vocals) followed by a transition that both climaxes the song and leads back to the third verse. One thing I have occasionally noticed about the formal structure of Beatles songs is the way they climax about two thirds of the way through, followed by a return to the verse. I have often wondered about a connection between that and the climax of classical Sonata Form, which similarly climaxes about two thirds of the way through when the development section segues to the recapitulation. There's more to be written on this notion, but that will be an entire blog on its own rather than part of this one. Lastly, the final chorus features not one, but two extensions that help propel the song to it's conclusion. Music can very loosely be broken down into two primary constituents: pitch (which is to say how high or low any given sound is), and rhythm (how short or long any given sound is). As I wrote in my 2013.01.26 and 2013.01.31 blogs, "Something" illustrates how George Harrison's compositional maturity encompassed pitch through the music of motivic unity and tonal structure. And where "Something" shows Harrison's developed sense of pitch, "Here Comes the Sun" shows his developed sense of rhythm. Most music is written in quadruple meter, meaning four beats to every measure. In fact, that meter is so often used that it has earned the nickname "common time". "Here Comes the Sun" is mostly in common time, however at the end of each verse and especially in the middle 8, the meter changes. This is illustrated in the score example below. A string of 3/8 bars helps conclude each verse, and reappear in the middle 8 along with a 5/8 bar. It is no coincidence that the climax of the song occurs immediately after the middle 8, with its constantly changing meters, as it transitions to the third and final verse. These changing time signatures help create tension, propelling the song to its climax.
Perhaps inspired by Cilla Black's jazzy rendition of "It's For You", Paul McCartney gave the song "Catcall" to The Chris Barber [Jazz] Band, whose recording was released on 20 October 1967. The only recording of the Beatles performing the song (called "Catswalk"?) is from the Cavern Club. I have to admit some degree of skepticism over this recording, however. It may well be authentic, but I have my suspicions. Formal structure of [176] "Carry That Weight":
Anacrusis 0:00-0:01 Chorus 0:01-0:24 Reprise of "You Never Give Me Your Money" 0:24-0:35 [brass] 0:35-0:44 [guitar solo] 0:44-1:07 "You never give me your money..." Chorus 1:07-1:27 Coda/Trans. 1:27-1:36 Comments: A drum fill very similar to the one that introduces [182] "Mean Mr. Mustard" launches "Carry That Weight" into its anthem-like chorus, which consists of a 4-bar phrase that is immediately repeated. Upon the repetition, it segues into the reprise of "You Never Give Me Your Money", first with brass, then a guitar solo, and finally with the lyrics. The coda functions both as a further reprise of "You Never Give Me Your Money" (the guitar arpeggios having been used to conclude that track are heard again), and as a transition into [180] "The End". In response to criticism that the overwhelming popularity of Lennon/McCartney songs was the product of their names instead of their songwriting abilities, Paul McCartney wrote the tune "Woman" under the name Bernard Webb (A. Smith in the United States), and gave the song to Peter and Gordon, whose recording was released 10 January 1966. The test failed, however, as the author's true identity was discovered shortly after the song's release. The Beatles never recorded the song in any form.
Formal structure of [175] "Golden Slumbers":
Intro (v) 0:00-0:03 Verse 1 0:03-0:34 Chorus 0:34-1:02 Verse 2 1:02-1:31 Comments: The A-B-A formal design is rather similar to [96] "A Day in the Life", albeit in miniature. The verses and chorus all end with the same musical material ("Sleep pretty darling do not cry..."). The second verse segues without pause into [176] "Carry That Weight". Originally planned to be included on the Beatles' album Help!, "That Means a Lot" was instead given to P.J. Proby, whose recording was released 17 September 1965 or 7 April 1965 (I'm uncertain which is the correct date). The Beatles' attempt to record the song was included in The Beatles Anthology (Anthology 2, Disc 1, Track 6). Formal structure of [174] "Her Majesty":
Chord 0:00-0:01 Verse 0:01-0:26 Comments: One of the shortest Beatles songs ever released, "Her Majesty" consists only of two structural components: the brief opening chord, and a single verse. Interestingly enough, despite its brevity, that single verse does follow the "third quarter is different" pattern that the Beatles used previously in [6] “I Saw Her Standing There”, [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [35] "Things We Said Today", [40] "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", [42] "No Reply", [43] "Eight Days a Week", [49] "I Need You", [51] "The Night Before", [70] "I'm Looking Through You", [74] "Wait", [75] "You Won't See Me", and [172] "Octopus's Garden". Formal structure of [173] "You Never Give Me Your Money":
Part A A minor 0:00-0:23 [instrumental] 0:23-0:46 "You never give me your money..." 0:46-1:10 "I never give you my number..." Part B C major 1:10-1:32 "Out of college, money spent..." 1:32-2:10 "But oh that magic feeling..." 2:10-2:28 [instrumental] Part C A major 2:28-2:39 "One sweet dream...." 2:39-2:48 "Soon we'll be away from here..." 2:48-3:09 "Came true today..." 3:09-4:03 "One, two, three, four, five, six seven..." Comments: Much like [148] "Happiness is a Warm Gun", "You Never Give Me Your Money" is a series of fragments that bear little musical similarities. Instead, they rely more on immediate repetition to establish formal autonomy within each section. All three sections of Part A last 8 measures and employ the same chord progression. The first section of Part B can be broken down into two iterations of a 4 measure phrase that employ an identical chord progression. The second section can also be broken down into 5 iterations of a 3 measure phrase that employ an identical chord progression, the last of which is truncated by an overlap with... The third section is instrumental and transitional in nature as it bridges Part B with Part C. Part C, then, consists of four sections, the first of which repeats the chord progression heard at the start of Part B section 3, but now in A major instead of C major. That first section lasts just 4 measures before we hear section 2, which also lasts just 4 measures (although the fourth of these is a 2/4 bar whereas the first three were all 4/4, so it's more like three and a half measures in duration). The first two measures of section 2 use independent chords, but the last two (or one and a half) borrow the first two chords of section 1. Sections 3 and 4 repeat the same 2-measure chord progression over and over. The difference between the two sections, then, are less musical than lyrical, with McCartney alone singing the former, and multiple voices in harmony singing the latter. And if you've read this far and have followed any of the above, I've done my job :-) |
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