Beatlesongs.wiki
SongsMagical Mystery TourHello, Goodbye
Magical Mystery Tour album cover

Hello, Goodbye

1967 · Magical Mystery Tour

“You say yes, I say no”

A McCartney composition for Magical Mystery Tour, lead vocal by McCartney. Built around a verse-refrain alternation in C major with a distinctive 45-second vocable coda over a C pedal.
VinylCD

affiliate link - supports this wiki

Year1967
AlbumMagical Mystery Tour
Track7 · Side opener · Side 2
Duration3:27
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedOctober 2 – November 2, 1967
ReleasedNovember 24, 1967

● tap a tag for its page and notes

Text138 tags

Motif

QuestionPhilosophicalGreetingsDialogueCommunication

Vocabulary

Positive toneLimited vocabularyMinimal lyricsNonsense wordsCasual language

Narrative

Second personConversationalFirst person

Lyrical device

AnadiplosisAnaphoraAntithesis

Rhyme type

Identical rhymeExtrametrical rhymeTriple rhymeInternal rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has codaHas outroMany choruses (4+)Has bridge

Section links

Verse variationOutro based on chorusCoda based on chorusChorus variation

Repetition

Recurring verseConsecutive wordConsecutive lineRecurring fade line
Word cloud

Recurring words

goodbyehighlowdo youdon't knowi mayit's timesay hellosay istop andtime towhy youand i saydo you sayi don't knowit's time tostop and iwhy do youi don't know whyit's time to goi don't know why you

Cover-shared words

byegoknowmeanohsaystaystoptilltimeyouand ibut ii cani don'ti sayoh noto goyes iyou say

Lyric shape

[ADJ] you[VERB] why[VERB] yesmay [VERB][ADJ] you [VERB][VERB] [VERB] i[VERB] [WORD] and[VERB] [WORD] i[VERB] and ido you [VERB]i [VERB] noi may [VERB]it's [NOUN] towhy you [VERB]yes i [VERB]you [VERB] [WORD][VERB] [WORD] i [VERB][VERB] and i [VERB][VERB] i don't [VERB][WORD] and i [VERB]and i [VERB] [WORD]i don't [VERB] whyit's [NOUN] to [WORD]why do you [VERB][WORD] [WORD] i don't [VERB][WORD] and i [VERB] [WORD][WORD] i [VERB] [WORD] [WORD]i don't [VERB] why you

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] it's[NOUN] to[VERB] and[VERB] i[VERB] no[WORD] and[WORD] i[WORD] nocan [VERB]don't [VERB]i [VERB]it's [NOUN]to [WORD]you [VERB][NOUN] to [WORD][VERB] [VERB] and[WORD] [WORD] i[WORD] and i[WORD] i [VERB]and i [VERB]i [VERB] [ADJ]i [VERB] [WORD]i [VERB] ii can [VERB]i don't [VERB]you [VERB] [ADJ]you [VERB] [VERB]i [VERB] [WORD] [WORD]i [VERB] [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]

Rhyme scheme

ABCBBAABAAAAAAAA

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

chahebahelahelloa
You might also like:Nas – Teaches Hip-Hop StorytellingRevolution in the Head

affiliate link - supports this wiki

Music179 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarBass guitarPianoOrganDrumsPercussionTambourineMaracasBongosHandclapsViolaOther percussionCongas

Instrument group

GuitarsStringKeyboardsPercussion

Bass work

Descending bassChromatic bass lineStepwise bass line

Music genre

PopPsychedelicRock

Vocal work

Ooh vocalsCounterpoint

Tempo

Moderate

Key

C major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABCBAB

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has codaHas outroMany choruses (4+)Has bridge

Section traits

Long chorus

Section links

Verse variationOutro based on chorusCoda based on chorusChorus variation

Section transition

I to II to ii

Harmony

Modal mixtureDeceptive cadencePerfect cadenceBorrowed chordBackdoor cadenceParallel harmonyHalf cadenceChromatic mediantMinor plagalPlagal cadenceDrone

Composition

Shared chordsNon-tonic openingTonic endingVerse in iiBridge in iiChorus in INon-tonic verseTonic chorusNon-tonic bridge

Mode

IonianMixolydian

Chord type

majorminormin7slash chord

Scale degree

Iii7IVivV♭VIvi♭VIIVII

Chord degree

iv–Iii–II–VV–vivi–VV–II–V–viI–vivi–IVIV–ivIV–♭VII♭VII–II–vi–IVIV–iv–Iiv–I–vivi–IV–♭VIIIV–♭VII–I♭VI–VI–IVIV–IIV–I–VI–IV–I–VIV–iv–I–viii–I–V–vi–VIV–♭VII–I–viIV–I–V–II–VII♭VII–I–vi♭VII–♭VI♭VII–♭VI–VVII–♭VIIii–I–Vvi–V–Ivi–IV–♭VII–II–VII–♭VIIvi–IV–iv–I

Chord shape

C → CmAm → EAm → GC → GC → DmC → FAm → G → DC → G → AmAm → G → CC → G → Am → GC → AmAm → FC → DC → Am → FC → Cm → GAm → E → D♭mAm → F → B♭C → F → GC → BC → B♭C → G → DC → F → C → GC → F → G → EmAm → F → Fm → CC → Cm → G → EmAm → G → D → Em → DC → G → D → GC → B♭ → AC → B → B♭C → D → BmC → B → AAm → F → B♭ → CC → Dm → C → F

Chord literal

C → GG → AmG → CAm → G → CC → AmAm → FF → B♭C → FF → CFm → C → AmF → C → G → CB♭ → CG → Am → G → CC → Am → FAm → F → B♭ → CDm → CB♭ → A♭F → Fm → CC → G → AmF → C → GC → BC → F → C → GF → B♭ → CFm → CF → FmA♭ → GAm → F → B♭Am → GB → B♭
You might also like:All the SongsMusicnotes – Beatles Piano/Vocal/Guitar

affiliate link - supports this wiki

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.

Updated

Feedback

Got a tag idea for Hello, Goodbye? Or think we've got it all wrong - no, no, no? Don't let it be.