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SongsThe Beatles (The White Album)Glass Onion
The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

“The walrus was Paul”

A Lennon composition for The White Album, lead vocal by Lennon. The lyric strings together references to five earlier Beatles songs as a tease aimed at fans who over-interpreted the band's lyrics.
VinylCD

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Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track3 · Side 1
Duration2:17
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedSeptember 11 – October 10, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song familyPaul is dead'The Walrus was Paul' taken as a death clue

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Text234 tags

Motif

SurrealismPlace namesWomenNatureContainersFood and drinksAnimalsCultural snapshotSelf reflection

Vocabulary

Positive toneCasual language

Narrative

Second personConversationalFirst person

Lyrical device

Beatles referenceDouble meaningWordplayAnaphora

Rhyme type

Extrametrical rhymeFeminine rhymeInternal rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

AABA formNo verse-chorus

Sections

No chorusStandard verses (2-4)Has bridgeHas refrain

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive wordConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

clueflowsliveslivinglookingmeetoceanonionotherplaceshorestandingwalrusa holeabout theand mecan behow thei toldknow thelady madonnalisten tolooking throughme manplace yousee howstrawberry fieldsthe foolthe oceanthe otherthe placethe walrusthrough athrough theto seetold youyeah ohyou aboutas can befixing a holei told youlisten to menothing is realto make ayou can beyou know thea hole in theoh yeah oh yeahto make ends meetthe fool on the hilloh yeah oh yeah oh yeah

Cover-shared words

aboutallanotherbackcloseeverythingfoolgohalfhillholeknowlistenmakemanmenothingohrealseetelltheretoldtryingwellyeahyoucan gofor youhole inis realknow thatmake aoh yeahtell youto maketo metrying toyou allyou canyou knowi tell youyou can goyou know that

Lyric shape

[NOUN] he's[NOUN] is[NOUN] was[VERB] wherebe [NOUN]he's [VERB]was [WORD][NOUN] for you[NOUN] he's [VERB][NOUN] in the[NOUN] is [ADJ][NOUN] was [WORD][VERB] [ADV] still[VERB] on the[VERB] through the[VERB] you canfor you [WORD]on the [WORD]the [NOUN] wasthe [NOUN] wherethe [WORD] [ADV]to [VERB] ayou [WORD] [NOUN][NOUN] [WORD] [VERB] to[NOUN] in the [NOUN][VERB] on the [NOUN][VERB] on the [WORD][VERB] to [VERB] a[WORD] [VERB] to [VERB]a [NOUN] in thea [WORD] [NOUN] [WORD]on the [WORD] [NOUN]the [WORD] [ADV] [WORD]the [WORD] [NOUN] [WORD]the [WORD] [WORD] [VERB]to [VERB] a [WORD][VERB] on the [WORD] [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB] [WORD] [VERB][VERB] you [WORD] the [NOUN]a [NOUN] in the [NOUN]the [NOUN] on the [NOUN][VERB] you [WORD] the [NOUN] and

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] and[NOUN] for[NOUN] in[VERB] a[VERB] as[VERB] how[VERB] on[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] through[VERB] to[VERB] you[WORD] thea [NOUN]a [WORD]as [VERB]can [WORD]i [VERB]is [ADJ]me [NOUN]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]you [NOUN]you [VERB]you [WORD][VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] a [WORD][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] to me[VERB] you [NOUN][VERB] you [WORD][WORD] [NOUN] for[WORD] [NOUN] you[WORD] [VERB] to[WORD] the [NOUN]a [NOUN] [WORD]a [NOUN] ina [WORD] [NOUN]as [VERB] asi [VERB] youin the [NOUN]on the [NOUN]the [NOUN] andthe [WORD] [NOUN]the [WORD] [WORD]to [VERB] [WORD]you [VERB] thatyou [VERB] theyou [WORD] theyou can [WORD][VERB] a [WORD] [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB] [WORD][VERB] you [WORD] thei [VERB] you [NOUN]i [VERB] you [WORD]you [VERB] the [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

ABAABAABABCAABB

Line length

8-8-7Unique line length

Distinctive word

bentcastdovetailglassironjointpaultulips
You might also like:Revolution in the HeadAll the Songs

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Music146 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarLead guitarBass guitarPianoDrumsPercussionTambourineViolinViolaCelloRecorder

Instrument group

GuitarsWoodwindOrchestralStringKeyboardsPercussion

Bass work

Chromatic bass lineStepwise bass line

Drum work

Drum intro

Music genre

RockPsychedelic

Vocal work

Ooh vocals

Solo / Riff

Defining riff

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

A minor

Time signature

4/4

Song form

AABA formNo verse-chorus

Sections

No chorusStandard verses (2-4)Has bridgeHas refrainHas instrumental

Section traits

Unique outroDrum intro

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

♭VII to i

Harmony

Pedal pointModal mixtureBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsSecondary dominantParallel harmonyPicardy third

Composition

No dominantTonic openingNon-tonic endingBridge in iVerse in iTonic verseTonic bridge

Mode

LocrianDorianAeolian

Chord type

minordom7min7dim7slash chord

Scale degree

ii7♭III7IV7♭VI7vidim7♭VII7♭vii7Unique scale degree

Chord degree

i–ii–♭VIIV–♭VI♭III–♭VI♭VI–i♭VI–♭VIIi–i–♭VIi–i–i–♭VI♭VI–IVIV–♭VI–♭VIIi–i–i–i–♭VIi–♭VI–♭VIIi–i–i–♭VI–♭VII♭III–♭VI–IV

Chord shape

C → E♭C → DAm → D → GC → F → DAm → AmAm → F → GAm → FC → AC → GmC → FC7 → F7C → EmAm → GmAm → DAm7 → D7Am → Am → Am → Am → FC → Gm → C → FC → E♭ → FAm → D → G → EAm → Gm → CAm → Am → FC7 → D7Am → Am7Am → D → Am → D → GAm → Am → Am → FAm7 → D7 → G7C7 → E♭7C7 → EmC → Em → Dm → GC7 → Gm7Am → Gm7C7 → A7C → F → D → FC7 → F7 → D7Am → F7Adim → A♭dim → Gdim → F♯dimAm → Am → Am → F → GC → F → D → F → DAm → Gm7 → C7

Chord literal

C → FF → GGm → C → FAm → AmAm → FD → FF → DGm → CD → F → GC7 → F7F → AmC → F → DC → GmGm → C → F → DAm → F → GGm7 → C7F7 → AmD7 → F7Gm7 → C7 → F7Am → Am7Am → F7Am → Gm
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.

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