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SongsSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandBeing for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

1967 · Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

“A splendid time is guaranteed for all”

Lennon composition for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, lead vocal by Lennon. Most lyrics lifted almost verbatim from an 1843 Victorian circus poster Lennon bought in a Sevenoaks antiques shop. The BBC banned it, reading 'Henry the Horse' as two slang terms for heroin.
Year1967
AlbumSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Track7 · Side 1 · Side closer
Duration2:36
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedFebruary 17 – March 31, 1967
ReleasedMay 26, 1967

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Text218 tags

Motif

Real peopleFound inspirationTime referenceAnimalsNumbersCharacterFireCultural snapshotDanceMusicPlace namesStorytellingNostalgiaSurrealismSoundTime

Influence

Music hall influence

Title

Exclamation in titleLong titleTitle not in lyricsPerson in title

Vocabulary

Rich vocabularyPoetic lyricsPositive tone

Narrative

Third personList songObservationalPersona

Lyrical device

Pastiche

Rhyme type

Internal rhymeFeminine rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

StrophicNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has introNo chorusStandard verses (2-4)Multiple instrumentals (2+)Has interlude

Section links

Intro based on verseInterlude based on verseVerse variation
Word cloud

Recurring words

beginsbillfairfirefliesgroundguaranteedhorsemenproductionsecondshowsingtheirwithouta showand singbe latebe theredays indon't befor allin thisthe bandthe billthis waythrough athrough thewill bewithout athe band beginsthere will bewill be a

Cover-shared words

allbanddancedayshe'llhislatemrrealringsaturdayscenesixsomesoundtentheretimetonightwayworldbe athe worldwhat a

Lyric shape

[NOUN] is[VERB] at[WORD] beas [WORD]be [ADV]be [NOUN]his [WORD]of [ADJ]over [WORD]the [VERB]their [NOUN]when [WORD][ADV] will be[NOUN] [VERB] the[NOUN] in [NOUN][NOUN] is [VERB][NOUN] of [WORD][NOUN] will be[VERB] at [WORD][VERB] for [WORD][VERB] his [WORD][VERB] through the[WORD] [VERB] his[WORD] [WORD] is[WORD] be [ADV]a [NOUN] [ADV]and [WORD] [VERB]and [WORD] [WORD]be a [NOUN]been [WORD] [NOUN]in this [NOUN]of [WORD] [WORD]the [NOUN] ofthe [VERB] [WORD]this [NOUN] [WORD]through the [NOUN]what a [NOUN]will [VERB] thewill [WORD] be[NOUN] [VERB] the [WORD][NOUN] [WORD] the [NOUN][NOUN] is [VERB] for[VERB] through the [NOUN][WORD] [VERB] his [NOUN][WORD] [WORD] [VERB] his[WORD] and [WORD] [VERB][WORD] the [NOUN] [VERB]and [ADV] [WORD] [WORD]the [NOUN] [VERB] thethe [NOUN] of [WORD]the [WORD] will [VERB]when [WORD] [WORD] [VERB]will [VERB] the [NOUN]the [NOUN] [VERB] the [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] in[NOUN] of[NOUN] to[NOUN] will[VERB] and[VERB] for[VERB] his[VERB] the[VERB] through[WORD] a[WORD] and[WORD] is[WORD] of[WORD] on[WORD] the[WORD] to[WORD] willa [ADJ]a [NOUN]a [WORD]and [ADV]and [VERB]and [WORD]at [WORD]been [WORD]for [WORD]his [NOUN]in [NOUN]is [VERB]of [NOUN]of [WORD]on [ADJ]on [WORD]the [ADJ]the [NOUN]the [WORD]this [NOUN]to [WORD]will [VERB]will [WORD][NOUN] to [WORD][VERB] and [VERB][VERB] his [NOUN][VERB] the [ADJ][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] the [WORD][WORD] [NOUN] in[WORD] [VERB] the[WORD] [WORD] and[WORD] a [NOUN][WORD] and [WORD][WORD] is [VERB][WORD] on [WORD][WORD] the [NOUN]a [ADJ] [NOUN]a [WORD] offor the [NOUN]of [NOUN] [WORD]on [ADJ] [NOUN]the [NOUN] [VERB][WORD] [VERB] the [ADJ][WORD] [WORD] and [WORD]

Rhyme scheme

Unique rhyme scheme

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

assurebenefitbishopsgatecelebratedchallengecoursedancesdemonstratefanque'sfeatgartershendersonshenryhogsheadhoopshorseskitelastlymessrsnonepabloperformspreparationpublicsolidsomersetssplendidtoppingtrampolinetricksundertakewaltz
You might also like:All the SongsThe Beatles Illustrated Lyrics

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Music187 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarBass guitarPianoOrganHarmoniumMellotronDrumsPercussionTambourineHarmonicaTape loopsGlockenspielNoisesBass harmonicaSound effects

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Guitar work

Guitar solo

Bass work

Stepwise bass lineChromatic bass lineDescending bassBass ignores harmony

Keyboard work

Organ soloKeyboard solo

Music genre

Music hallNovelty songVaudevilleRockPsychedelic

Influence

Avant-garde influenceClassical music influence

Vocal work

Vocal harmonies

Solo / Riff

Organ soloGuitar soloKeyboard soloSolo on verse

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

C minor3+ keysKey change

Time signature

3/44/4Time signature change

Song form

StrophicAAANo verse-chorus

Sections

Has introHas instrumentalNo chorusStandard verses (2-4)Multiple instrumentals (2+)Has interlude

Section traits

Unique codaUnique interludeUnique outro

Section links

Solo on codaSolo on verseInstrumental on verseIntro based on verseInterlude based on verseVerse variation

Harmony

Chromatic mediantBorrowed chordPerfect cadenceHalf cadenceModal mixtureCircle of fifthsSecondary dominant

Composition

Non-tonic openingNon-tonic endingSectional modulationAll natural rootsVerse in iTonic verse

Mode

DorianAeolian

Chord type

majorminordom7augslash chord

Scale degree

iii♭IIIIVVV7v♭VIVIVI7♭VIIV+

Chord degree

ii–Vii–VI♭VII–VIV–ii–V♭III–♭VIIi–♭IIIii–♭VII–VIi–♭III–♭VIIi–V–♭VII♭VII–V–iV–i–♭IIIVI–iiVI–ii–VVI–ii–v–VI–ii–Vv–VI♭VII–Vii–♭VIIV–♭VII

Chord shape

Am → DAm → FC → FmC → BC → Fm → D♭C → B → EmC → EmAm → EC → Fm → B♭C → B7 → EmC7 → FmC7 → Fm → D♭C → E♭Am → DmAm → BAm → D → GmAm → CC → GC → AAm → Dm → E7C → G → EC → Fm → A♭ → E♭C → G → E → AmC7 → Fm → B♭Am → B → EmAm → E → GC → G → F♯C → E♭ → GmAm → F → E7C → Fm → D♭ → CAm → F♯C → Fm → B♭mAm → C → GC → B7Am → E → Am → FC → Em → B → EmC → Fm → B♭m → C → Fm → B♭Am → F → E → Am → F → E → Am → DmC → A → DmAm → B7C → Fm → A♭C → Em → AAm → F → EAm → Dm → E

Chord literal

B♭ → AB♭ → DmDm → GEm → CA → DmDm → B♭Dm → AA7 → Dm → B♭A → Dm → B♭A → Dm → GG → B♭Cm → GDm → GmF → CC → ADm → F → CA → Dm → GmGm → AEm → C → BB♭ → Dm → GDm → FC → BA → Dm → F → CB♭ → A7C → A → DmG → CmB → EmA7 → Dm
You might also like:The Musician's Guide to TheoryHarmony & Voice Leading

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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.

External entity links: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz recording · MusicBrainz work · Wikidata

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