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SongsMagical Mystery TourAll You Need Is Love
Magical Mystery Tour album cover

All You Need Is Love

1967 · Magical Mystery Tour

“There's nothing you can do that can't be done”

Lennon's commissioned anthem for Our World - the first live global satellite TV broadcast, June 25, 1967. Written deliberately as a simple universal message, performed live at Abbey Road Studio 1 to an estimated 400 million viewers across 25 countries, with a studio audience of pop-aristocracy guests singing the outro. The orchestral arrangement collages quotations from the Marseillaise, Bach, Greensleeves, Glenn Miller's 'In the Mood', and the Beatles' own 'She Loves You'.
VinylCD

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Year1967
AlbumMagical Mystery Tour
Track11 · Side 2 · Side closer · Album closer
Duration3:52
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedJune 14, 19, 23–26, 1967
ReleasedJuly 7, 1967 (Single)November 27, 1967 (Magical Mystery Tour)

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Text182 tags

Motif

LoveTimePhilosophical

Title

Pronoun in titleLove in titleTitle in chorus

Vocabulary

Positive toneDense lyricsLimited vocabulary

Narrative

Second personImperative

Lyrical device

Beatles referenceAnaphoraAnadiplosisChiasmus

Rhyme type

Half rhymePerfect rhymeFeminine rhymeInternal rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Has bridgeHas introHas refrainHas outroStandard verses (2-4)Standard choruses (1-3)

Section links

Outro based on chorusIntro based on bridge

Repetition

Consecutive lineRecurring lineConsecutive verses

Recurring words

easyeverybodygameknownnowheresavedsingtogetheryesterdayall togetherall yoube thatbe youcan becan docan makecan saycan singcan't bedo thathow toin timeis allit's easylove everybodylove loveno oneoh yesterdaysay butsee thatthe gamethere's nothingwhere you'reyou inyou needyou yeahall together nowcan see thatlove is allmeant to beplay the gamethat can't beyou can beyou can doyou can knowyou can makeyou need isshe loves you yeah yeah yeah

Cover-shared words

allknowlearnlovelovesmademakeneednothingnowohoneplaysavesayseeshetimeyeahyoubut youcan seeis loveknow thatlove alllove isloves youoh yeahplay theshe lovesto beto playyeah yeahyou canbut you canyeah yeah yeahyou can see

Lyric shape

[VERB] there'sis [WORD]there's [NOUN][ADV] you can[VERB] [NOUN] you[VERB] is [VERB][VERB] is [WORD][VERB] no one[VERB] there's [NOUN]can [VERB] thatcan't be [VERB]how to [VERB]is [VERB] [NOUN]is [VERB] [VERB]is [VERB] [WORD]to [VERB] theyou [VERB] isyou're [VERB] to[NOUN] you can [VERB][VERB] is [VERB] [WORD][VERB] that can't beto [VERB] the [NOUN]where you're [VERB] toshe [VERB] you [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[ADV] you[NOUN] you[VERB] but[VERB] how[VERB] is[VERB] no[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] you[WORD] yoube [VERB]can [VERB]in [NOUN]is [VERB]it's [ADJ]she [VERB]the [NOUN]to [VERB]you [VERB]you [WORD]you're [VERB][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to be[VERB] you [WORD][WORD] [VERB] is[WORD] you [VERB]she [VERB] youyou [VERB] [VERB]you [WORD] [WORD]you can [VERB][VERB] you [WORD] [WORD][WORD] you [VERB] [VERB]but you can [VERB]you [WORD] [WORD] [WORD][VERB] you [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]

Rhyme scheme

AABBAAABAAAAABC

Line length

3-3-3Unique line length

Distinctive word

irrushownsungwoohooyehey
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Music244 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarBass guitarPianoHarpsichordDrumsPercussionTambourineHandclapsViolinCelloDouble bassTrumpetPiccolo trumpetTromboneSaxophoneBanjoSpoken wordAccordionTenor saxophone

Instrument group

GuitarsWoodwindBrassOrchestralStringKeyboardsPercussion

Guitar work

Guitar solo

Bass work

Stepwise bass line

Music genre

PopBaroque popRockPsychedelic

Influence

Classical music influenceBaroque influence

Vocal work

Ooh vocalsGroup vocalsTwo-part harmonyVocal harmoniesSpoken melody

Solo / Riff

Guitar soloSolo on verse

Melody

Call and responseMusical quotationAppoggiatura

Tempo

Moderate

Key

G major

Time signature

4/47/43+ time signaturesUnusual time signature

Song form

Verse-chorusUnique structure

Sections

Has bridgeHas introHas refrainHas outroStandard verses (2-4)Standard choruses (1-3)Has solo

Section links

Outro based on chorusIntro based on bridgeSolo on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to II to I

Harmony

Three-chord trickJazz cadenceDeceptive cadenceHalf cadenceCircle of fifthsPerfect cadenceBorrowed chordSecondary dominant

Composition

Tonic openingTonic endingBridge in IVerse in IChorus in ITonic verseTonic chorusTonic bridge

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7slash chord

Scale degree

IiiIII7IVVV7vi7vi

Chord degree

V–IVIV–VI–V–viI–V–IVIV–V–II–IV–VV–I–IVI–IVii–IIII–vivi–ii–V–IV–V–IV–I–Vii–V–IV–VV–Iii–Vvi–iiV–viI–VI–IIII–V–I–IVvi–Ivi–ii–VIII–vi–iiI–III–viI–V–VV–IV–VI–V–I–IV–VIII–vi–IV–vi–iiii–I–VV–vi–Ivi–I–Vii–V–I–VI–V–IV–VI–III–vi–iiV–vi–ii–V–IV–vi–ii–Vvi–I–V–IVvi–ii–I

Chord shape

C → DC → D7C → G → AmC → G → FC → B♭ → CC → D → GC → F → G7C → F → GC7 → F → B♭C → F → B♭Am → G → DC → G7Am → GC7 → FmC → FmC → EAm → Dm → G → CC → C → FC → F → CAm → D → GC → CC7 → FC → FAm → D7Am → DAm → DmC → DmAm → CC → B♭C → GC → G/BAm → C → GC → G → C → FC → Fm → B♭mC → E → AmC → E7 → AmC → Dm → FAm → Dm → GC → G → GC → E7C → D7 → GAm → D7 → GC → Fm → A♭C → G → F → GC7 → Fm → B♭mC/G → GC → G7 → C → FAm → Dm → G7C7 → Fm → A♭C → G → C → F → GAm → D → G → DC → Dm → GmAm → Dm → CC → G7 → C → F → G7C → E → Am → DmAm → C → G → FC → Dm → Gm → C → FC7 → Fm → B♭m → A♭C → E7 → Am → DmC → Dm → Gm → CAm → G → D → GC → G/B → Am7C/E → Dm

Chord literal

C → DC → D7D → C → DG → C → DC → D → GD → G → CG → CD → GG → DAm → DD → DD → EmAm → GEm → AmG → D7C → D7 → GD → D → GG → D → DD → CD7 → GB → EmB7 → EmG → BAm → D → GG → D → CD7 → G → CG → D → EmG → B7G → C → D7B7 → Em → AmB → Em → AmG → B → EmAm → D7Em → GG → D7 → G → C → D7G → D → G → C → DG → B7 → EmD → G → DG → B7 → Em → AmG → B → Em → AmAm → D7 → GEm → Am → GAm → G → D
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Sources & references

Tags on this page are original analysis, transcribed and cross-checked against the fine work of others: Alan W. Pollack's “Notes on…” series, the Beatles Complete Scores (Hal Leonard), Mark Lewisohn's session histories, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Dave Rybaczewski's Beatles Music History and Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear for the instruments and studio equipment, and others besides - then verified by ear against the recordings. Full bibliography: Sources & thanks.

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