Beatlesongs.wiki
SongsPlease Please MeDo You Want to Know a Secret
Please Please Me album cover

Do You Want to Know a Secret

1963 · Please Please Me

“Do you promise not to tell?”

Lennon's first composition handed to Harrison as lead vocalist, inspired by 'I'm Wishing' from Disney's Snow White that his mother sang to him. The song reached US #2 and gave Harrison his first top-ten American hit as lead singer.
VinylCD

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Year1963
AlbumPlease Please Me
Track11 · Side 2
Duration1:56
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalGeorge
RecordedFebruary 11, 1963
ReleasedMarch 22, 1963

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Text185 tags

Motif

LoveRelationshipQuestionCommunicationAnatomySoftnessPleaNumbersSoundMagic

Influence

Buddy Holly influence

Title

Long titlePronoun in title

Vocabulary

Casual languagePositive tone

Narrative

First personConversationalConfessionalSecond personImperative

Rhyme type

Identical rhymeInternal rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

AABA formNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has bridgeStandard verses (2-4)Has outroHas introNo chorus

Repetition

Recurring verseRecurring lineConsecutive wordConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

knownknowsdo youi reallyi'm inin loveknow hownot toor twoto tellyou oohyou promiseyou'll neverfor a weekhow much ii'm in lovein love withwant to knowwith you oohyou'll never knowa week or twodo you want toi'm in love within love with youwhisper in your eari'm in love with youthe words you long to hear

Cover-shared words

carecloserhearknowletlistenlonglovememuchnevernobodyohoohsaytelltwowantwewhisperwhoawordsyouyoura weekin yourlet melong tolove yousay thethe wordsto hearto knowwant towith youyou wantlong to hearsay the wordsyou want to

Lyric shape

[VERB] nothow [WORD]in [VERB]or [WORD][NOUN] for a[NOUN] or [WORD][VERB] how [WORD][VERB] with you[WORD] i reallydo you [VERB]i'm in [VERB]in [VERB] withto [VERB] awith you [WORD]you'll [WORD] [VERB]your [NOUN] [WORD][NOUN] for a [NOUN][VERB] how [WORD] i[VERB] in your [NOUN][VERB] me [VERB] in[VERB] not to [VERB][VERB] to [VERB] a[VERB] with you [WORD][WORD] a [NOUN] fora [NOUN] or [WORD]do you [VERB] toi'm in [VERB] within [VERB] with youin your [NOUN] [WORD]to [VERB] [WORD] [WORD]to [VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB] a [NOUN]i'm in [VERB] with youto [VERB] [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]i'm in [VERB] with you [WORD]the [NOUN] you [VERB] to [VERB]to [VERB] [WORD] [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]you [VERB] to [VERB] a [NOUN]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] for[NOUN] or[NOUN] you[VERB] a[VERB] how[VERB] in[VERB] just[VERB] me[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] with[VERB] you[WORD] a[WORD] ia [NOUN]i've [WORD]me [VERB]really [VERB]the [NOUN]to [VERB]we [WORD]you [VERB]you [WORD]your [NOUN][NOUN] you [VERB][VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] me [VERB][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][WORD] a [NOUN]a [NOUN] [WORD]a [NOUN] fora [NOUN] orfor a [NOUN]in your [NOUN]to [VERB] [WORD]you [VERB] to[VERB] a [NOUN] [WORD]the [NOUN] you [VERB]you [VERB] to [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

AAABUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Consistent line lengths11-101-1Unique line length

Distinctive word

do-da-dosecret
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Music185 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsAcoustic guitarBass guitarDrumsPercussionOther percussion

Instrument group

GuitarsPercussion

Bass work

Chromatic bass lineStepwise bass line

Music genre

MerseybeatPopDoo-wop

Vocal work

CounterpointOoh vocalsVocal harmoniesTwo-part harmony

Melody

Call and response

Tempo

Moderate

Key

E minorE majorA major3+ keysKey change

Time signature

4/4

Song form

AABA formNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has bridgeStandard verses (2-4)Has outroHas introNo chorus

Section traits

Unique intro

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to IV to IV

Harmony

Jazz cadenceModal mixtureBorrowed chordHalf cadenceCircle of fifthsDeceptive cadencePerfect cadenceParallel harmonyChromatic mediant

Composition

Minor to majorTonic openingTonic endingVerse in IBridge in IVTonic verseNon-tonic bridge

Mode

PhrygianIonian

Chord type

majorminordom7

Scale degree

Ii♭IIII7ii♭III♭iiiiiiIVivV7Vvi

Chord degree

i–ivvi–IIiii–iiii–II–iiiii–VV–IV–IVIV–VV–vivi–iiii–V–II–vivi–iiiIV–V–vi–ii–VIV–V–viV–I–iiivi–ii–VI–vi–iiii–♭IIIii–viiv–iV–IV–Vii–V–I–iiiii–vi–IIV–vi–iiii–V–IV♭II–II–vi–iii–iiIV–V–vi–iiii–V–IV–Viii–ii–Iiii–ii–viV–IV–V–viV–vi–ii–V♭III–♭IIii–♭II–I

Chord shape

Am → Em → DmAm → DmAm → EmAm → CC → B♭Am → GmAm → GAm → Em → GC → EmAm → DAm → D7C → FC7 → FAm → A♭C → BC7 → B♭C → DC → DmAm → D → GAm → A♭ → GC → B♭ → CC → AmC → Am → EmAm → Dm → GAm → D7 → GC → D → EmC → F → AmC → F♯Am → D → CAm → Dm → G7C7 → F → AmAm → Gm → FAm → D → G → BmAm → Em → AC → Dm → GmC → Am → Em → DmC → D → Em → AmAm → D → C → DAm → Gm → DmC7 → B♭ → CC → F♯7C → D → Em → Am → DAm → D7 → G → BmAm → Gm → F → DmAm → Em → G → FC → B♭ → C → DmC → Dm → Gm → C

Chord literal

Bm → AG → FF♯m → BF♯m → B7B → EB → AA → BC♯m → F♯mA → F♯mB7 → EEm → AmF → EAm → EmB → C♯mF♯m → B → EBm → F♯mF♯m → C♯mA → B → C♯mE → G♯mF♯m → FEm → GC♯m → F♯m → BF♯m → F → EF♯m → B → AB7 → AF♯m → B → A → BF♯m → B7 → EAm → Em → GB → E → G♯m
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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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