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SongsAbbey RoadGolden Slumbers
Abbey Road album cover

Golden Slumbers

1969 · Abbey Road

“Once there was a way to get back homeward”

McCartney composition for the Abbey Road side-two medley, adapting Thomas Dekker's 1603 lullaby into a new melody with an added opening verse. Lead vocal by McCartney; segues into Carry That Weight.
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Year1969
AlbumAbbey Road
Track14 · Side 2
Duration1:31
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedJuly 2 – August 15, 1969
ReleasedSeptember 26, 1969
Song familyMedley songSegues into Carry That WeightPiano song

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Text102 tags

Motif

NostalgiaLoveHomeColorAnatomyMusicSadnessSoftnessSleepFound inspirationCommunicationSoundChildhoodSunshineDreams

Influence

Literary influence

Title

Color in title

Vocabulary

Poetic lyricsPositive toneMinimal lyrics

Narrative

Second personFirst personConversationalImperative

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeInternal rhyme

Song form

No verse-chorusMedley

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)No chorusHas bridgeHas refrain

Repetition

Recurring lineRecurring verse
Word cloud

Recurring words

fillgoldenlullabyoncerisesingsleepsmilesa wayfill yourget backsing ato getwill singyou whenyour eyes

Cover-shared words

backcrydarlingeyesgethomehomewardprettytherewayyouyourand iback homei willthere wasway towhen youand i will

Lyric shape

not [VERB][VERB] [VERB] you[VERB] you whena [NOUN] towas a [NOUN]will [VERB] a[WORD] [VERB] your [NOUN]a [NOUN] to [VERB]a [NOUN] to [VERB] [ADV]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] to[VERB] a[VERB] you[VERB] youra [NOUN]a [WORD]to [VERB]will [VERB]you [VERB]your [NOUN][NOUN] to [VERB][VERB] a [WORD][VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] [ADV] wasi will [VERB]to [VERB] [ADV]when you [VERB]and i will [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

ABCCAA

Line length

Consistent line lengths8-87-7Unique line length

Distinctive word

awakeslumbers
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Music158 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBass guitar6-string bassPianoDrumsTimpaniViolinViolaCelloDouble bassTrumpetTromboneFrench hornBass trombone

Instrument group

OrchestralBrassStringKeyboards

Music genre

BalladBaroque popPopChildren's song

Vocal work

Belted vocals

Tempo

Slow

Key

C majorKey change

Time signature

4/4

Song form

No verse-chorusMedleyUnique structure

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)No chorusHas bridgeHas refrain

Section transition

I to viI to I

Harmony

Plagal cadenceJazz cadenceCircle of fifthsPerfect cadenceBorrowed chordSecondary dominant

Composition

Non-tonic openingTonic endingVerse in viBridge in INon-tonic verseTonic bridge

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7min9

Scale degree

IiiIII7iiiIV7V7vi7viUnique scale degree

Chord degree

I–iii–viIII–viIV–II–IViii–vi–ii–V–IV–I–iii–viii–Vvi–ii–V–Ivi–iiV–II–iiiiii–viii–V–Iii–V–I–iiiIV–I–IIIii–V–I–iii–viI–iii–vi–ii–VIII–vi–ii–VIV–I–III–viI–III–vi–iiV–I–iiiI–IIIvi–ii–VIII–vi–iiI–III–viiii–vi–ii–V

Chord shape

Am → D → GC → Em → AmC7 → FmC → FmC → EC → GC → F → Am → DmAm → Dm → G → CAm → DAm → DmAm → D7C → FC7 → FC → EmC7 → F → Am → DmC → Fm → B♭m → E♭Am → D → G → BmC → Fm → B♭m → E♭ → A♭Am → Dm → Gm → C → FC → F → C → E → AmC → E → Am → DmAm7 → DmC → F → C → F → C → E → AmC → F → C → E → Am → DmAm → D → G → Bm → EmC → Em → Am → Dm → GC7 → Fm → B♭m9 → E♭7Am → D7 → G → BmC → E → AmC → Fm → B♭mC → F7C → E7 → AmAm → Dm → GC7 → GC → E7Am → D7 → GC → F → AmC → G → BAm → Dm → Gm → CC → G → B → EmC7 → F → Am

Chord literal

Dm → G → CE → AmF → CC → FAm → Dm → G → CAm → DmDm → GG → CC → EmC → E7 → AmC → E → AmDm → G7F7 → CF → C → EC → F7Em → Am → Dm → G → CE → Am → Dm → G → CE7 → Am → Dm9 → G7F → C → E → AmDm → G7 → CEm → AmC → EG7 → CE7 → AmC → E7E → Am → Dm
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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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