Formal structure of "Penny Lane": Verse 1 0:00-0:18 B major Verse 2 0:18-0:35 B major Chorus 0:35-0:52 A major Verse 3 0:52-1:09 B major Solo 1:09-1:26 B major Chorus 1:26-1:43 A major Verse 4 1:43-1:59 B major Verse 5 1:59-2:17 B major Chorus 2:17-2:34 A major Coda (chorus) 2:34-3:00 B major Comments: No intro, starts right up with the first verse (as did [15] "All My Loving", [19] "Not a Second Time", [29b] "Long Tall Sally", [42] "No Reply", [46b] "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby", [58] "I'm Down", [61] "Wait", [68] “We Can Work it Out”, [76] "Girl", and [85] "I'm Only Sleeping"). Verse 1-2, and 4-5 are contiguous. Beatles songs often use the first two verses contiguously (as they are in [1] "Love Me Do", [6] “I Saw Her Standing There”, [7] "Do You Want to Know a Secret", [8] "Misery", [9b] "Anna (Go To Him)", [9c] "Boys", [9d] "Chains", [9f] Twist and Shout, [10] "From Me To You", [13e] "Till There Was You", [17] "Little Child", [19] "Not a Second Time", [23] "Can't Buy Me Love", [25] "And I Love Her", [26] "I Should Have Known Better", [28] "If I Fell'', [29] "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You", [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [31b] "Matchbox", [32] "I'll Cry Instead", [35] "Things We Said Today", [40] "I Don't Want To Spoil the Party", [41] "What You're Doing", [42] "No Reply", [43] "Eight Days a Week", [44] "She's a Woman", [44b] "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", [46d] "Words of Love", [47] "Ticket to Ride", [49] "I Need You", [50] "Yes It Is", [51] "The Night Before", [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [54] "Tell Me What You See", 56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", [56c] "Bad Boy", [57] "I've Just Seen a Face", [59] "Yesterday", [66] "If I Needed Someone", [68] "We Can Work it Out", [71] "Michelle", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", [80] "Paperback Writer", [82] "Doctor Robert", [84] "Taxman", [88] "Yellow Submarine", [89] "I Want To Tell You", and [92] "She Said She Said"), but it is quite rare to find contiguous verses other than 1-2. In fact, "Penny Lane" is just the sixth behind [19] "Not a Second Time" (in which verses 1 and 2 are contiguous, as are verses 3 and 4), [31b] "Matchbox" (in which the first three and last two verses are contiguous), [56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 4-5), [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows" (in which verses 1-3 are contiguous, as are verses 4-7), [80] "Paperback Writer" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 3-4), and [84] "Taxman" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 3-4). The famous piccolo trumpet solo replaces what would be verse 4 (the solo replace vocals, but the rhythm section continues as normal). All the verses and the solo feature completely identical chord progressions until the very last measure. In that last measure, verses 1, 3, and 4 sit on F-sharp; whereas in verse 2, the solo, and verse 5 they descend to E. This difference provides the harmonic momentum needed to launch the chorus, which is in a different key (all the verses - including the solo - are in B major while the choruses are in A major). This makes a three-part macro-scale formal plan where each section consists of two verses plus a chorus (this rather similar to how Paul structured "For No One" and "Yellow Submarine") with a coda tacked on at the end:
Coda is the chorus, but now in B major instead of A major, as it had been in every previous iteration.
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Yesterday I posted a structural analysis of "When I'm Sixty-Four" that gave me the idea of comparing how Ludwig van Beethoven treated his development sections with how the Beatles treated their middle 8 sections. I suspect that in both, observing and analyzing these specific formal components can serve as a microcosm for their development as creative artists as a whole. With that nascent notion in mind, this post will analyze the structural weight of the middle 8 in each Beatles song released prior to August 1964.
[1] "Love Me Do"The middle 8 appears just one time, lasting 8 measures and 14 seconds (10.1% of the song's duration). [2] "P. S. I Love You" The middle 8 appears twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 or 15 seconds each time. In addition, the introduction is based on the middle 8. Adding the introduction to the two iterations of the middle 8, the middle 8 comprises 35.5% (43 of 121 seconds) of the song's duration. This is significantly more formal weight than in "Love Me Do". [3] "Please Please Me" The middle 8 appears just once, lasting 10 measures (the last two of which are transitional, leading back to the verse) and 17 seconds (14.5% of the song's duration). [4] "Ask Me Why" The middle 8 appears twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 seconds both times, totaling 19.4% (28/144) of the song's duration. [5] "There's a Place" The middle 8 appears just once, lasting 10 measures (including a 2 measure transition at the end, which leads back to the verse) and 17 seconds (15.7% of the song's duration). [6] "I Saw Her Standing There" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 10 measures and 14 or 15 seconds each time, totaling 17.0% (29/171) of the song's duration. [6b] "A Taste of Honey" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 6 measures and 13 seconds the first time and 10 seconds the second time (in which it is slightly abbreviated because part way through it jumps to the coda), totaling 19.2% (23/120) of the song's duration. This is the first instance of a middle 8 changing time signatures (from triple to quadruple). It is also, however, not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [7] "Do You Want to Know a Secret" The middle 8 is used just once, lasting 6 measures, and 12 seconds (10.4% of the song's duration). [8] "Misery" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 seconds each time, totaling 26.7% (28/105) of the song's duration. [9] "Hold Me Tight" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 7 measures and 12 seconds each time, totaling 16.0% (24/150) of the song's duration. [9b] "Anna (Go To Him)" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 16 measures and 34 or 35 seconds each time, totaling 39.9% (69/173) of the song's duration. These middle 8s are given significantly more structural weight than any other Beatles track recorded so far with the exception of "P. S. I Love You". However, "Anna" is not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [9c] "Boys" This is the first instance of a Beatles song that does not use a middle 8. However, "Boys" is not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [9d] "Chains" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 15 seconds each time, totaling 21.0% (30/143) of the song's duration. However, "Chains" is not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [9e] "Baby It's You" "Baby It's You" does not use a middle 8. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [9f] "Twist and Shout" "Twist and Shout" does not use a middle 8. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [10] "From Me To You" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 seconds each time, totaling 24.1% (28/116) of the song's duration. [11] "Thank You Girl" The middle 8 is used just once, lasting 12 measures and 14 seconds, totaling 11.4% (14/123) of the song's duration. [12] "She Loves You" "She Loves You" does not use a middle 8. This is the first such instance found in a Beatles original. [13] "I'll Get You" The middle 8 is used once, lasting 8 measures and 13 seconds, totaling 10.3% (13/126) of the song's duration. [13b] "You Really Got a Hold on Me" The middle 8 appears twice, lasting 5 measures (including one measure of transition back to the verse) and 15 seconds each, totaling 16.7% (30/180) of the song's duration. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [13c] "Money (That's What I Want)" "Money" does not use a middle 8. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [13d] "Devil in her Heart" The middle 8 is used three times (the most so far), lasting 9 measures (including one measure of transition) and 18 seconds each time, totaling 37.2% (54/145) of the song's duration. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [13e] "Till There Was You" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 15 or 16 seconds each time, totaling 23.5% (31/132) of the song's duration. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [13f] "Please Mr. Postman" "Postman" does not use a middle 8. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [14] "It Won't Be Long" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 or 15 seconds each time, totaling 22.1% (29/131) of the song's duration. [14b] "Roll Over Beethoven" The middle 8 is used once, lasting 12 measures and 12 seconds, totaling 7.4% (12/163) of the song's duration. This is the least of any Beatles recording that uses a middle 8; however, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [15] "All My Loving" "All My Loving" is the second Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You"). [16] "I Wanna Be Your Man" "I Wanna Be Your Man" is the third Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You", and [15] "All My Loving"). [17] "Little Child" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 6 measures and 10 or 11 seconds each time, totaling 20.8% (21/101) of the song's duration. [18] "All I've Got To Do" The middle 8 is used twice, the first iteration lasting 9 measures (the last of which is a transition) and 17 seconds the first time, and the second iteration lasting 11 measures (including an extension, which propels the song to its coda) and 21 seconds. These total 25.0% (30/120) of the song's duration. [19] "Not a Second Time" "Not a Second Time" is the fourth Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You", [15] "All My Loving", and [16] "I Wanna Be Your Man"). [20] "Don't Bother Me" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 16 measures and 22 seconds each time, totaling 30.1% (44/146) of the song's duration. [21] "I Want to Hold Your Hand" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 11 measures and 20 or 21 seconds each time. Additionally, for the second time (behind [2] "P. S. I Love You"), the introduction is based on the middle 8, lasting 4 measures and 7 seconds. Combining the intro and two middle 8s, that music accounts for 33.1% (48/145) of the song's duration. [22] "This Boy" The middle 8 is used once, lasting 8 measures and 26 seconds, totaling 19.3% (26/135) of the song's duration. [23] "Can't Buy Me Love" "Can't Buy Me Love" is the fifth Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You", [15] "All My Loving", [16] "I Wanna Be Your Man", and [19] "Not a Second Time"). [24] "You Can't Do That" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 15 second each time, totaling 19.6% (30/153) of the song's duration. [25] "And I Love Her" The middle 8 is used once, lasting 8 measures and 18 seconds, constituting 12.2% (18/148) of the song's duration. [26] "I Should Have Known Better" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 16 measures and about 29 seconds both times, totaling 36.0% (58/161) of the song's duration. [27] "Tell Me Why" The middle 8 is used just once, lasting 10 measures and 15 seconds,constituting 11.7% (15/128) of the song's duration. [28] "If I Fell" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 5 measures and 11 seconds each, totaling 15.9% (22/138) of the song's duration. [29] "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 4 measures and 7 seconds each time, totaling 12.1% (14/116) of the song's duration. [29b] "Long Tall Sally" "Long Tall Sally" does not employ a middle 8; however, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [30] "I Call Your Name" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 16 or 15 seconds each, totaling 24.1% (31/128) of the song's duration. The middle 8 is particularly interesting in this number because it replaces the first half of verses 2 and 3. It retains its function as a harmonically contrasting section with the verse, but is always followed in both instances not by a whole verse, but only by the second half of a verse. Unusual. [31] "A Hard Day's Night" The middle 8 appears twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 seconds each time, totaling 18.3% (28/153) of the song's duration. [31b] "Matchbox" "Matchbox" does not employ a middle 8; however, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [32] "I'll Cry Instead" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 10 seconds each time, totaling 19.0% (20/105) of the song's duration. [32b] "Slow Down" "Slow Down" does not employ a middle 8; however, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions. [33] "I'll Be Back" "I'll Be Back" is the first Beatles song to date using two different middle 8s. They both serve the same basic function of contrasting with the verses (which is why I classify them both as middle 8s), but they are distinctly different from each other, with only the endings bearing any resemblance. The first middle 8 is used twice, lasting 6.5 measures (the seventh is a 2/4 bar, while the rest of the song is in common time) and 12 or 13 seconds. The second middle 8 is used once, lasting 9.5 measures (again, the final bar is a 2/4) and 18 seconds. Combine the two middle 8s together, and they total 30.5% (43/141) of the song's duration. While 30.5% is not the greatest proportion so far, the fact that two different middle 8s are used in "I'll Be Back" illustrates a significant increase in structural weight given to the middle 8. [34] "Any Time At All" "Any Time At All" is the sixth Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You", [15] "All My Loving", [16] "I Wanna Be Your Man", [19] "Not a Second Time", and [23] "Can't Buy Me Love"). [35] "Things We Said Today" The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 16 seconds both times, totaling 20.8% (32/154) of the song's duration. Furthermore, the song is in A minor, however in both iterations of the middle 8, that switches to the parallel major. In other words, the middle 8s are emphasized (i.e. given more structural weight) by changing the tonality from A minor to A major. [36] "When I Get Home" The middle 8 is used once, lasting 10 measures and 21 seconds, constituting 15.6% (21/135) of the song's duration. Conclusions All of this data might be more easily observable in this chart. Of the Beatles first 36 original songs, 30 employ at least one middle 8. Clearly, the Beatles as composers value the structural benefits of a section that contrasts harmonically with the verses. That being said, at this early stage in their career, the middle 8 comprises only about 20% of the song (give or take 10%). Every song, of course, needs something to contrast the verses, otherwise the song would be quite monotonous. The six tunes that do not employ a middle 8 feature a chorus that serves this contrasting function. Of these six, two ([15] "All My Loving" and [19] "Not a Second Time") blur the line between middle 8 and chorus - they could be interpreted either way. The next step is to do a similar analysis of the middle 8s in subsequent Beatles songs and then compare and contrast with the ones analyzed above. Formal structure of [94] "When I'm Sixty-Four":
Intro (verse) 0:00-0:10 Verse 1 0:10-0:38 Middle 8 0:38-1:07* Verse 2 1:07-1:34 Middle 8 1:34-2:03* Verse 3 2:03-2:30 Coda (verse) 2:30-2:37 Comments: "Sixty-Four" is only the third Beatles track so far to feature a palindromic structure (the other two being [33] "I'll Be Back" and [93] "Strawberry Fields Forever"). The middle 8s both incorporate two distinct subsections - the first section featuring the lyrics, "Every summer we could rent a cottage..."; the second, "Grandchildren on your knee...". This division of the middle 8 is indicative of the increased emphasis on the middle 8 as a structural component observable over the Beatles' development: The middle 8, which originally served as a simple contrast to the verses, has grown in importance. By the time of "When I'm Sixty-Four", then, the middle 8 has developed to the point where it actually contains two separate sub-sections within the larger framework of the middle 8. In fact, the middle 8 is so called because its length is typically 8 measures long. In "When I'm Sixty-Four", however, it is 17 measures long. This makes me wonder about a parallel between the Beatles and Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven's chops as a composer shine most clearly in the development sections. I wonder about similarities between the Beatles' Middle 8s and Beethoven's developments. . . There is something to that idea, and I will definitely be coming back to it! Formal structure of "Strawberry Fields Forever":
Intro (verse) 0:00-0:10 Chorus 0:10-0:34 Verse 1 0:34-0:55 Chorus 0:55-1:21 Verse 2 1:21-1:41 Chorus 1:41-2:04 Verse 3 2:04-2:26 Chorus 2:26-3:00* Coda (ind.) 3:00-4:07* Comments: Given my extensive analyses of this song in previous blog posts, I will refrain from redundancy and comment only on those aspects not previously discussed. The last chorus is extended by repeating the title lyrics two additional times. "Strawberry" is just the second Beatles track so far to use a palindromic formal structure. (The other being [33] "I'll Be Back".) At 67 seconds in duration, "Strawberry Fields" features the longest coda of any Beatles song to date. (The next longest are [13f] "Please Mister Postman" at 49 seconds, and [13c] "Money (That's What I Want)" at 48 seconds.) Formal structure of "She Said She Said":
Intro (2 parts) 0:00-0:07 Verse 1 0:07-0:29 Verse 2 0:29-0:52 Middle 8 0:52-1:11 Verse 3 1:11-1:33 Middle 8 1:33-1:54 Verse 4 1:54-2:16 Coda (verse) 2:16-2:36 Comments: Another two-part intro (similar to [6b] "A Taste Of Honey", [11] "Thank You Girl", [17] "Little Child", [14b] "Roll Over Beethoven", [24] "You Can't Do That", and [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)", [65] "Day Tripper", and [66] "If I Needed Someone", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", and [79] "Love You To", [81] "Paperback Writer", [82] "Rain, and [84] "Taxman", and [89] "I Want to Tell You"). In this case, a guitar lick is heard first, then the rest of the rhythm section enters prior to verse 1. Verses 1 and 2 are contiguous (as they were in [1] "Love Me Do", [6] “I Saw Her Standing There”, [7] "Do You Want to Know a Secret", [8] "Misery", [9b] "Anna (Go To Him)", [9c] "Boys", [9d] "Chains", [9f] Twist and Shout, [10] "From Me To You", [13e] "Till There Was You", [17] "Little Child", [19] "Not a Second Time", [23] "Can't Buy Me Love", [25] "And I Love Her", [26] "I Should Have Known Better", [28] "If I Fell'', [29] "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You", [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [31b] "Matchbox", [32] "I'll Cry Instead", [35] "Things We Said Today", [40] "I Don't Want To Spoil the Party", [41] "What You're Doing", [42] "No Reply", [43] "Eight Days a Week", [44] "She's a Woman", [44b] "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", [46d] "Words of Love", [47] "Ticket to Ride", [49] "I Need You", [50] "Yes It Is", [51] "The Night Before", [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [54] "Tell Me What You See", [56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", [56c] "Bad Boy", [57] "I've Just Seen a Face", [59] "Yesterday", [66] "If I Needed Someone", [68] "We Can Work it Out", [71] "Michelle", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", [80] "Paperback Writer", [82] "Doctor Robert", [84] "Taxman", [88] "Yellow Submarine", [89] "I Want To Tell You", and [91] "Here There and Everywhere"). Some Beatles scholars have commented on a key change during the middle 8, but I strongly disagree. I hear the whole song in a single tonality (B-flat mixolydian), and while I definitely hear a tonal shift at the middle 8, I hear this same shift in most middle 8s. After all, the whole point of the middle 8 is to contrast the verses (and/or chorus), and oftentimes the way that is achieved is through tonal contrasts (meaning using different chords than were used in the other sections). This notion is something I want to return to in the near future. Formal structure of "Here There and Everywhere":
Intro (ind.) 0:00-0:10* G major and B-flat major Verse 1 0:10-0:33 G major Verse 2 0:33-0:56 G major Middle 8 0:56-1:08 B-flat major Verse 3 1:08-1:31 G major Middle 8 1:31-1:43 B-flat major Verse 4 1:43-2:06 G major Coda (verse) 2:06-2:24 G major Comments: Verses 1 and 2 are contiguous (as they were in [1] "Love Me Do", [6] “I Saw Her Standing There”, [7] "Do You Want to Know a Secret", [8] "Misery", [9b] "Anna (Go To Him)", [9c] "Boys", [9d] "Chains", [9f] Twist and Shout, [10] "From Me To You", [13e] "Till There Was You", [17] "Little Child", [19] "Not a Second Time", [23] "Can't Buy Me Love", [25] "And I Love Her", [26] "I Should Have Known Better", [28] "If I Fell'', [29] "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You", [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [31b] "Matchbox", [32] "I'll Cry Instead", [35] "Things We Said Today", [40] "I Don't Want To Spoil the Party", [41] "What You're Doing", [42] "No Reply", [43] "Eight Days a Week", [44] "She's a Woman", [44b] "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", [46d] "Words of Love", [47] "Ticket to Ride", [49] "I Need You", [50] "Yes It Is", [51] "The Night Before", [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [54] "Tell Me What You See", [56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", [56c] "Bad Boy", [57] "I've Just Seen a Face", [59] "Yesterday", [66] "If I Needed Someone", [68] "We Can Work it Out", [71] "Michelle", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", and [80] "Paperback Writer", [82] "Doctor Robert", [84] "Taxman", [88] "Yellow Submarine", and [89] "I Want To Tell You"). Formally, this tune is pretty clear. What makes it interesting, however, is the tonal relationships that help delineate this formal structure. In just a few measures, the introduction encapsulates the tonal structure of the entire song by using both G major and B-flat major. After that intro, the verses are always in G major, while the middle 8s are always in B-flat major. Formal structure of "Good Day Sunshine":
Intro 0:00-0:08 uncertain (E?) Chorus 0:08-0:20 B major Verse 1 0:20-0:37 A major Chorus 0:37-0:49 B major Verse 2 0:49-0:57 * A major Solo 0:57-1:06* D major Chorus 1:06-1:18 B major Verse 3 1:18-1:34 A major Chorus 1:34-1:46 B major Chorus 1:46-1:58 B major Coda (chorus) 1:58-2:08 ambiguous (F major? C major?)* Comments: Tonally, this is the most sophisticated of Beatles tunes so far: 3 explicitly clear tonalities (B major, A major, D major) and two sections with ambiguous tonal orientation (the intro and coda). The coda is an extension of the chorus, taking the last two measures of the chorus and jacking them up a half step. This is the same modulation (up a minor second) that was used in [25] "And I Love Her". The solo replaces the vocals for the second half of verse 2 (also found in [10] From Me To You, [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [51] "The Night Before", [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [67] "In My Life", [84] "Taxman", [85] "I'm Only Sleeping", and [87] "For No One"). Lastly, "Good Day Sunshine" is just the third Beatles song to date to use contiguous choruses (the three precedents being [44b] "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", [58] "I'm Down", and [73] "Think For Yourself"). Formal structure of "I Want To Tell You":
Intro 0:00-0:15* Verse 1 0:15-0:36* Verse 2 0:36-0:57* Middle 8 0:57-1:12 Verse 3 1:12-1:33 Middle 8 1:33-1:48 Verse 4 1:48-2:12* Coda 2:12-2:27 Comments: "I Want to Tell You" is the second Beatles song to use a fade in - the first being [43] "Eight Days a Week". Verses 1 and 2 are contiguous (as are [1] "Love Me Do", [6] “I Saw Her Standing There”, [7] "Do You Want to Know a Secret", [8] "Misery", [9b] "Anna (Go To Him)", [9c] "Boys", [9d] "Chains", [9f] Twist and Shout, [10] "From Me To You", [13e] "Till There Was You", [17] "Little Child", [19] "Not a Second Time", [23] "Can't Buy Me Love", [25] "And I Love Her", [26] "I Should Have Known Better", [28] "If I Fell'', [29] "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You", [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [31b] "Matchbox", [32] "I'll Cry Instead", [35] "Things We Said Today", [40] "I Don't Want To Spoil the Party", [41] "What You're Doing", [42] "No Reply", [43] "Eight Days a Week", [44] "She's a Woman", [44b] "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", [46d] "Words of Love", [47] "Ticket to Ride", [49] "I Need You", [50] "Yes It Is", [51] "The Night Before", [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", [56c] "Bad Boy", [57] "I've Just Seen a Face", [59] "Yesterday", [66] "If I Needed Someone", [68] "We Can Work it Out", [71] "Michelle", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", and [80] "Paperback Writer", [82] "Doctor Robert", [84] "Taxman", and [88] "Yellow Submarine"). Verse 4 is extended by using the guitar lick featured during the introduction. The intro is again in two parts (similar to [6b] "A Taste Of Honey", [11] "Thank You Girl", [17] "Little Child", [14b] "Roll Over Beethoven", [24] "You Can't Do That", and [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)", [65] "Day Tripper", and [66] "If I Needed Someone", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", and [79] "Love You To", [81] "Paperback Writer", [82] "Rain, and [84] "Taxman"): First guitar alone is heard; then the piano and percussion are added; finally, the bass joins as the first verse begins. Formal structure of "Yellow Submarine": Verse 1 0:00-0:18* Verse 2 0:18-0:36* Chorus 0:36-0:53 Verse 3 0:53-1:06 Break 1 1:06-1:10 Chorus 1:10-1:27 Break 2 1:27-1:45 Verse 4 1:45-2:02 Chorus/Coda 2:02-2:38* Comments: Verses 1 and 2 are contiguous (an aspect also found in [1] "Love Me Do", [6] “I Saw Her Standing There”, [7] "Do You Want to Know a Secret", [8] "Misery", [9b] "Anna (Go To Him)", [9c] "Boys", [9d] "Chains", [9f] Twist and Shout, [10] "From Me To You", [13e] "Till There Was You", [17] "Little Child", [19] "Not a Second Time", [23] "Can't Buy Me Love", [25] "And I Love Her", [26] "I Should Have Known Better", [28] "If I Fell'', [29] "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You", [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [31b] "Matchbox", [32] "I'll Cry Instead", [35] "Things We Said Today", [40] "I Don't Want To Spoil the Party", [41] "What You're Doing", [42] "No Reply", [43] "Eight Days a Week", [44] "She's a Woman", [44b] "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", [46d] "Words of Love", [47] "Ticket to Ride", [49] "I Need You", [50] "Yes It Is", [51] "The Night Before", [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [54] "Tell Me What You See", [56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", [56c] "Bad Boy", [57] "I've Just Seen a Face", [59] "Yesterday", [66] "If I Needed Someone", [68] "We Can Work it Out", [71] "Michelle", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", and [80] "Paperback Writer", [82] "Doctor Robert", and [84] "Taxman") In this case, the coda is simply repetitions of the chorus which are faded out. The first break may well be considered a solo, and in that regard, it functions rather like a solo that serves as part of the verse, replacing the verse vocals (just as the Beatles did in [10] From Me To You, [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [51] "The Night Before", and [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [67] "In My Life", [84] "Taxman", [85] "I'm Only Sleeping", and [87] "For No One", except that in this case the vocals lead for 75% of the verse while the solo for only 25%, whereas the previous Beatles songs to use that trick were all 50% vocals and 50% solo). Verse 1, verse 3, and break 2 all share strumming patterns (Lennon's rhythm guitar playing is the same in all three of those sections), but it's different in verses 2 and 4. In that way, rather similar to [87] "For No One", "Yellow Submarine" can be seen as three iterations of two verses plus chorus, but with the second of these three omitting one verse:
Formal structure of "For No One":
Verse 1 0:00-0:24 Middle 8 0:24-0:39 1st half of Verse 2 0:39-0:49* Solo 0:49-1:02* Middle 8 1:02-1:17 Verse 3 1:17-1:40 Middle 8 1:40-1:59 Comments: Begins with first verse instead of an introduction, as did [15] "All My Loving", [19] "Not a Second Time", [29b] "Long Tall Sally", [42] "No Reply", [46b] "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby", and [58] "I'm Down", [61] "Wait", [68] “We Can Work it Out”, [76] "Girl", and [85] "I'm Only Sleeping". Similarly, rather than conclude with a coda (as most Beatles songs do), "For No One" simply stops after the final middle 8. No other Beatles recording to date concludes with the middle 8. Lastly, verse 2 can be broken into two halves, with the first using vocals and the second using the french horn solo. Essentially, the solo replaces the vocals for half the verse, which is something the Beatles did rather frequently ([10] From Me To You, [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [51] "The Night Before", and [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [67] "In My Life", [84] "Taxman", and [85] "I'm Only Sleeping"). With that in mind, the macro-scale formal structure of "For No One" can be further abstracted to three iterations of one verse followed by a middle 8. |
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