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SongsThe Beatles (The White Album)Cry Baby Cry
The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

“The king of Marigold was in the kitchen”

A Lennon composition for the White Album in nursery-rhyme style, with verses sketching a storybook royal court. The track ends with a hidden, uncredited McCartney fragment ('Can You Take Me Back') spliced on as a coda.
VinylCD

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Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track28 · Side 4
Duration3:01
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedJuly 16 – October 18, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968

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Text244 tags

Motif

QuestionMotherFound inspirationFood and drinksFamilyChildhoodCommunicationSadnessWomenNatureLoveMusical instrumentsTime referencePlace namesSurrealismStorytellingCharacterRoyaltyNursery rhymeMagicAnimalsHomeTime

Influence

Lewis Carroll influenceMusic hall influenceDonovan influence

Title

Imperative in titleTitle in chorus

Vocabulary

Neutral toneCasual language

Narrative

ObservationalThird personVignetteFirst personSecond personConversational

Lyrical device

AnaphoraRing composition

Rhyme type

Identical rhymeExtrametrical rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Many choruses (4+)Standard verses (2-4)Has introHas outroHas coda

Section links

Chorus variationIntro based on chorus

Repetition

Recurring line
Word cloud

Recurring words

arrivingbirdchildrendarkenoughflowersfriendgardenkingmeetingmothernowhereo'clockpaintingpicturesqueenroundsightableteavoicesa friendback wherecan youenough tofor teai cameme backme whereround thetake methe childrenthe darkthe gardenthe kitchenthe localthe queenthe tablewhere iyou takeyour motherenough to knowin the darkme where iwho came to

Cover-shared words

alwaysbabybackbettercamecryknowlatelocalmakemeoldpianoplayplayingputtakeyouyourcame toout ofto knowto play

Lyric shape

[ADJ] the[ADV] where[NOUN] was[WORD] can[WORD] wasand [NOUN]for [NOUN]the [VERB]who [VERB]with [WORD][ADJ] [WORD] to[ADJ] the [NOUN][ADV] for [NOUN][NOUN] and [NOUN][NOUN] at the[NOUN] for a[NOUN] of [WORD][NOUN] who [VERB][VERB] [NOUN] for[VERB] me where[VERB] of the[WORD] [WORD] in[WORD] out ofa [NOUN] [ADJ]a [NOUN] atat [WORD] [WORD]can you [VERB]of [WORD] [WORD]she's [ADJ] [WORD]the [NOUN] ofthe [NOUN] wasthe [VERB] ofthe [WORD] wasto [VERB] [ADJ]where i [VERB]with a [NOUN]your [NOUN] [VERB][ADJ] [WORD] to [VERB][NOUN] for a [NOUN][NOUN] who [VERB] to[VERB] and [VERB] and[VERB] me where i[VERB] of the [NOUN][VERB] your [NOUN] [VERB][WORD] of [WORD] [WORD]a [NOUN] who [VERB]can you [VERB] mefor the [WORD] [NOUN]the [NOUN] of [WORD]the [WORD] of [WORD][NOUN] who [VERB] to [VERB]a [NOUN] who [VERB] tocan you [VERB] me wherethe [WORD] of [WORD] [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[ADV] for[NOUN] and[NOUN] at[NOUN] for[NOUN] of[VERB] and[VERB] for[VERB] from[VERB] me[VERB] of[VERB] on[VERB] to[VERB] your[WORD] a[WORD] for[WORD] in[WORD] of[WORD] out[WORD] toa [NOUN]a [WORD]and [VERB]at [WORD]i [VERB]me [ADV]of [WORD]she's [ADJ]so [VERB]the [ADJ]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]you [VERB]your [NOUN][ADJ] [NOUN] and[VERB] [ADV] for[VERB] and [VERB][VERB] for a[VERB] me [ADV][VERB] on [ADV][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] [WORD] a[WORD] a [NOUN][WORD] for the[WORD] in the[WORD] of [WORD][WORD] to [VERB]a [WORD] [WORD]for a [NOUN]for a [WORD]for the [NOUN]for the [WORD]i [VERB] fromin the [NOUN]in the [WORD]of the [NOUN]the [ADJ] [NOUN]the [WORD] [NOUN]the [WORD] ofyou [VERB] me[NOUN] for the [NOUN][WORD] [WORD] a [NOUN][WORD] for the [WORD][WORD] in the [NOUN]you [VERB] me [ADV]

Rhyme scheme

AABABCBABCDAABAUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

ancebeebrahmabreakfastchildren'scookingduchessdukeholidaykircaldylarkmarigoldmessageparlourpickingplayroomproblemssmilingspeciallytwelve
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Music145 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarBass guitarPianoOrganHarmoniumDrumsPercussionTambourineWhistling

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Bass work

Chromatic bass lineStepwise bass line

Music genre

Folk rockRockFolk

Vocal work

Vocal harmonies

Melody

Blue note

Tempo

Moderate

Key

G majorKey change

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABABAB

Sections

Many choruses (4+)Standard verses (2-4)Has introHas outroHas coda

Section traits

Unique coda

Section links

Chorus variationIntro based on chorus

Section transition

I to II to vi

Harmony

Modal mixtureBorrowed chordBackdoor cadencePlagal cadenceLine cliché

Composition

Rich harmonyNo dominantTonic openingNon-tonic endingChorus in IVerse in viNon-tonic verseTonic chorus

Mode

AeolianMixolydian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7slash chordmin6min(maj7)

Scale degree

IiII7iiIV7vi7vivi6♭VIIvim(M7)

Chord degree

♭VII–II–vivi–III–vi–IIvi–vivi–IVIV–Ivi–IV–IIV–I–viI–iiii–♭VII♭VII–I–viii–♭VII–Iii–♭VII–I–vi♭VII–I–vi–II♭VII–I–iivi–vi–IVvi–vi–viI–vi–viII–♭VII

Chord shape

C → DmAm → FC → DC → AmAm → DAm7 → D7C → Dm → B♭Am → F → GC → Am → DC → Am7 → D7Am → AmC → GAm → F → CC → A♭C7 → A♭C → G → EmC → Am7C7 → GC → D → EmAm → Am → AmAm → Am → FAm → Am → Am → FC → D → BmAm → Am → Am → Am → FAm → D → B♭C → A♭ → B♭Am → Am(maj7)/A♭ → Am7/GAm → Am → Am → AmAm → F → G → EmAm → D → B♭ → CC → D → Bm → EC → Am → Am

Chord literal

G → AmAm → FF → GEm → AEm7 → A7Em → EmEm → CC → GF → G → AmG → EmC7 → GA → FEm → C → GAm → F → GEm → Em → EmEm → Em → CG → Am → FG → Em → AA7 → FEm → Em → Em → Em → CEm → A → FA → F → G
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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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