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SongsThe Beatles (The White Album)Happiness Is a Warm Gun
The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

Happiness Is a Warm Gun

1968 · The Beatles (The White Album)

“She's well-acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand”

A Lennon composition stitched from three song fragments into a multi-section suite that shifts key, meter, and style. Recorded at EMI Studios in September 1968 with Chris Thomas producing in George Martin's absence.
VinylCD

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Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track8 · Side 1 · Side closer
Duration2:43
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedSeptember 23 – 26, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song familyMedley song

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Text282 tags

Motif

MotherAnimalsClothesAnatomyWeatherHappinessWomenFamilySunshineHardnessFound inspirationDrugsSurrealismRelationshipCharacter

Influence

Drugs influenceDoo-wop influence

Vocabulary

Mixed toneNonsense wordsDark lyrics

Narrative

First personStream of consciousness

Lyrical device

OnomatopoeiaSimileDouble meaning

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeIdentical rhymeExtrametrical rhymeHalf rhyme

Song form

Through-composedNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has codaStandard choruses (1-3)Standard verses (2-4)

Section links

Outro based on verseCoda based on chorusVerse variationCoda based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive versesConsecutive lineConsecutive wordRecurring line
Word cloud

Recurring words

armsbecausecrowdfingerfixgunhandshappinessharmleftlyingmothertouchtrustwarmwhilewifewindowworkingbang bangcan dodown tofeel mygirl whogoing downhands arehappiness ishis eyeshis handshis wifehold youi leftit isman inme nono harmnobody cannot aof hison yourshe's notthe manthe nationalthe touchwith hisyes ityou inand i feelcause i'm goingdon't you knowhold you inyes it isdon't you know thatthe man in the

Cover-shared words

causeeyesfeelgirlgoinghandhehisholditknowlikemamamanmemuchmyneednobodyohoohshootwellyeahyouyoura girland icause i'mdo medon't youi feeli knowi needi'm goingin myknow thatlike aneed aoh yeahthat iwhen iyou knowi need aooh oh yeahyou know that

Lyric shape

[ADV] don't[NOUN] can[NOUN] is[NOUN] yes[VERB] are[VERB] yes[WORD] hishis [WORD]is [NOUN]the [VERB]who [VERB][NOUN] can do[NOUN] in the[NOUN] is a[NOUN] of his[NOUN] who [VERB][NOUN] with the[VERB] of the[VERB] you in[WORD] [NOUN] of[WORD] that ia [NOUN] [NOUN]a [WORD] ondon't you [VERB]his [NOUN] [WORD]his [WORD] [NOUN]i'm [VERB] downis [NOUN] [NOUN]is [VERB] [VERB]it is [VERB]me no [NOUN]not a [NOUN]of his [NOUN]of the [WORD]that [NOUN] isthe [ADJ] [VERB]the [NOUN] inthe [NOUN] ofthe [VERB] [WORD]the [WORD] thatwho [VERB] [WORD]with the [NOUN]your [WORD] [WORD][NOUN] in the [NOUN][VERB] [NOUN] can do[VERB] a [NOUN] [NOUN][VERB] that [NOUN] is[VERB] with his [NOUN][WORD] that i [VERB]a [NOUN] who [VERB]don't you [VERB] thati [VERB] a [NOUN]i [VERB] you inin the [NOUN] withis [VERB] [VERB] [WORD]the [NOUN] in thethe [NOUN] of thethe [NOUN] with the[VERB] to the [ADJ] [VERB]i [VERB] a [NOUN] [NOUN]no [NOUN] [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]the [NOUN] in the [NOUN]you [VERB] that [NOUN] is

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] i'm[NOUN] in[NOUN] of[NOUN] on[NOUN] with[VERB] a[VERB] down[VERB] my[VERB] of[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] with[VERB] you[WORD] on[WORD] thata [NOUN]a [VERB]a [WORD]and [VERB]are [ADJ]do [WORD]he [VERB]his [NOUN]i [VERB]i'm [VERB]is [VERB]my [NOUN]no [NOUN]she's [VERB]that [NOUN]the [ADJ]the [NOUN]the [WORD]you [VERB]your [WORD][NOUN] i'm [VERB][VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] that [NOUN][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to thea [NOUN] [WORD]a [VERB] [NOUN]a [WORD] [NOUN]and [VERB] toand i [VERB]do [WORD] [WORD]i [VERB] [NOUN]i [VERB] [WORD]i [VERB] ai [VERB] myi [VERB] youin my [NOUN]in the [NOUN]like a [WORD]my [NOUN] [WORD]on a [NOUN]that i [VERB]the [WORD] [VERB]to the [WORD]when i [VERB]you [VERB] that[WORD] on a [NOUN]i [VERB] my [NOUN]my [NOUN] [WORD] [WORD]when i [VERB] youyou [VERB] that [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

ABABACAAAAAAAAAAAUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

7-79-9-9Unique line length

Distinctive word

atebitsbootsbusydonatedhobnailimpressionjumpedlizardmirrorsmissesmulticolouredovertimepanesoapsuperiortriggeruptownvelvetwell-acquainted
You might also like:The Beatles Illustrated LyricsAll the Songs

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Music211 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarPianoOrganDrumsPercussionTambourineOther percussion

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Guitar work

Guitar solo

Bass work

Stepwise bass line

Music genre

Hard rockRockProgressive rock

Influence

Avant-garde influenceBlues influence

Solo / Riff

Guitar soloSolo on verse

Melody

Call and responseHemiola

Tempo

SlowTempo change

Key

A minorC major3+ keysKey change

Time signature

2/43/44/45/46/47/49/810/8Unusual time signature3+ time signatures

Song form

Through-composedNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has soloHas codaStandard choruses (1-3)Standard verses (2-4)Through-composed

Section links

Outro based on verseSolo on verseCoda based on chorusVerse variationCoda based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

♭VII to ♭III♭VII to i♭VII to IUnique section transition

Harmony

Modal mixtureBorrowed chordPerfect cadenceHalf cadenceBackdoor cadenceParallel minor tonicChromatic mediantPicardy thirdPlagal cadence50s variantRoyal road (partial)Royal roadAeolian cadence

Composition

Rich harmonyTonic openingNon-tonic endingNo dominantNo subdominantShared chordsMinor to major

Mode

AeolianMixolydianIonian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7min6min9

Scale degree

I7Iii6i7♭IIIIViv6iv7ivVv9v♭VIvi♭VII7♭VII

Chord degree

I–viIV–V–II–vi–IV–VV–I–vii–ivIV–VV–I♭III–II–♭IIIvi–IVI–♭VIIvi–IV–VI–vi–IVi–i♭VII–Ii–♭VIv–ii–♭VIIi–♭VI–♭VIIv–iv♭VII–I–♭III♭VI–♭VII–ii–v♭III–i♭VII–ii–v–iviv–i♭VI–♭VIIi–♭III

Chord shape

C → AmC → Am → F → GC → B♭C → DC → FAm → AmC → D → GAm → GmC → A → GAm → Em → DmAm → EmAm → FAm → F → GAm → DmC → E♭C → AC → F → DmC → Am → FAm → Dm → DmC7 → E♭C → D → FC → DmAm → CAm → GAm → Dm → Am → FC7 → B♭C → D7C → Am → GC → A7C → D → EmAm → Dm7Am → Gm → DmAm → Em → AmAm → Am → EmC → Dm → FC → A7 → GAm7 → Am6Am → Em → Am → Em → Am → Em → C → DC → Am → C → Am → GAm → Gm → Dm → GmC7 → E♭ → C7 → B♭C → D → Em → GC → D7 → FAm → Em → CAm → C → Am → G

Chord literal

C → AmC → Am → F → GA7 → CAm → FAm → AmG → C → AmC → AAm → DmEm → DmF → G → CG → CF → GA → GA → CG → AG → AmA7 → GF → G → AmDm → AmAm → EmG → Am → CC → A → GEm → Dm → Am → DmEm → AmAm → CAm → C → Am → GEm → Am → AmDm → Am → FG → A7Am → F → GAm → GC → Am → FG → A → CC → A7
You might also like:Sheet Music Plus – Beatles CollectionThe Beatles: Complete Scores

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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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