Ask Me Why
“I can't believe it's happened to me”
Lennon-led B-side to 'Please Please Me', written in early 1962 in conscious emulation of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. Its harmonically complex verse – jazz-flavored parallel sevenths – disguises one of the band's earliest experiments in chord sophistication.
advertisement
Did you know?more like this →
This song is the only Beatles song with a I+ to IV section transition.
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedNovember 26, 1962
ReleasedJanuary 11, 1963 (Single)March 22, 1963 (Please Please Me)
Song familyTwin songsTwin of Tell Me Why: mirrored titles.
● hover for more info● long-press tags for more info
Text242 tags
Word cloud
Recurring words
becausegoeshappenedhappinessmakesreasonshowunderstandany morebut you'recause youhappened toi ii shouldi'll sayif iin timeit reallylove thatmakes meme cryme whymore miserynever beonly lovereally onlysay ithat i'vethat itthe onlythings ito showyou'll understandyou're theask me whyi should nevermakes me crythat i ithat i knowthe reason whyto show thatwant to knowyou tell meyou're the onlyonly goes to show
Cover-shared words
alwaysanyaskbelievebluecausecryeveritknowlovememinemiserymoremynevernowsadsaytellthingsthinkingtimetruewantyouand i'mand it'sask meever hadi can'ti cryi knowi lovei wanti'm alwaysit's notit's truelove younow you'reof youtell methat ithinking ofto knowto mewant toyou andyou tellyou're mineand it's truei can't believei love youi want toi've ever hadnever never neveri love you andi'm always thinking of you
Lyric shape
[ADJ] but[ADJ] that[NOUN] you'll[WORD] be[WORD] i'mcan't [WORD]i'm [ADJ]not [WORD]only [VERB]should [WORD][ADJ] that it[NOUN] still [VERB][NOUN] you'll [VERB][VERB] me why[VERB] that i've[WORD] [WORD] be[WORD] be [ADJ][WORD] i'm [ADJ]i can't [WORD]i should [WORD]if i [VERB]of [WORD] [WORD]only [VERB] thatonly [VERB] toshould [WORD] [WORD]still [VERB] meto [VERB] that[VERB] the [NOUN] why[VERB] to [VERB] that[WORD] i [VERB] to[WORD] of [WORD] [WORD]only [VERB] to [VERB]you'll [VERB] the [NOUN][WORD] i [VERB] to [VERB]
Cover-shared shape
[ADV] you're[NOUN] why[NOUN] you[VERB] i[VERB] it's[VERB] me[VERB] of[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] you[WORD] had[WORD] i[WORD] ofbe [ADJ]can't [VERB]i [VERB]i'll [VERB]i'm [WORD]i've [WORD]in [NOUN]it's [ADJ]it's [VERB]me [VERB]me [WORD]my [NOUN]of [WORD]still [VERB]the [NOUN]to [VERB]you [NOUN]you [VERB]you'll [VERB][NOUN] you [VERB][VERB] i [VERB][VERB] it's [VERB][VERB] me [VERB][VERB] me [WORD][VERB] of you[VERB] that i[VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] to me[VERB] you [NOUN][VERB] you and[WORD] [VERB] of[WORD] i [VERB][WORD] of [WORD]and it's [ADJ]i [VERB] toi [VERB] youi can't [VERB]i've [WORD] hadit's [VERB] tothat i [VERB]you [VERB] me[NOUN] you [VERB] me[VERB] i [VERB] you[VERB] it's [VERB] to[VERB] that i [VERB]i [VERB] to [VERB]i [VERB] you [NOUN]i [VERB] you andyou [VERB] me [WORD]i'm [WORD] [VERB] of you
Distinctive word
conceive
Music197 tags
Chord shape
C → GC → G7C → FC7 → FC → DmAm → GmAm → GC → EC → FmC7 → FmAm → FC → AC → BmC → Fm → D♭C7 → Fm → D♭C → F → B♭C → Dm → Em → FAm → EC → DC → D7C → D → GAm → B♭ → Am → GmC → Dm7 → Em7 → FC → Dm → Em → DmAm → G → B → EmC → E7 → Am → FC → F → B♭ → CmC → F → Gm → AmC → F7 → B♭C → Dm7C → F7C → A → D → GAm → BmC → D → G → DC → E7 → AmAm7 → B♭ → FC7 → F → Gm7C → E → AmC → F → GmCaug → FC → A → DAm → B♭C → E7C → D7 → GAm → B♭ → FC → Dm → EmAm → F → DC → Bm → AmAm → Gm → FAm7 → GC → D → G → D → GAm7 → Bm7C → CaugC → D7 → G → D7C → Bm → Am → GAm → F → D → GAm → G → BAm7 → Gm7Am7 → B♭C → Bm7C → D7 → G → D7 → G
People9 tags
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.
Updated
advertisement
Feedback
Got a tag idea for Ask Me Why? Or think we've got it all wrong – no, no, no? Don't let it be.