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SongsThe Beatles (The White Album)Helter Skelter
The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

“When I get to the bottom I go back to the top.”

Paul McCartney's deliberate attempt to make the loudest, most chaotic Beatles recording - inspired by a review of a Who single that he found disappointingly tame. Recorded across two completely different sets of sessions (a long bluesy jam version on July 18, 1968, then a remade frantic version on September 9-10, 1968), it is widely cited as a proto-heavy-metal landmark. The final take ends with Ringo's shouted "I got blisters on my fingers!" - preserved only on the stereo mix.
VinylCD

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Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track23 · Side 3
Duration4:29
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedJuly 18; September 9–10, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968

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Text276 tags

Motif

QuestionDanceViolenceSexAngerMadnessAnatomyCommunicationFreedom

Vocabulary

Dark lyricsCasual languageMixed tone

Narrative

Second personFirst personConversationalImperative

Lyrical device

AnaphoraAntithesis

Rhyme type

Identical rhymeExtrametrical rhymeFeminine rhymeMulti-syllabic rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has outroHas bridgeMany choruses (4+)Has introHas interlude

Section links

Chorus variationIntro based on bridgeVerse variationOutro based on verseInterlude based on verse

Repetition

Recurring verseConsecutive wordConsecutive lineRecurring line
Word cloud

Recurring words

answerdancerfingersheh-hehmilesrideturna lovera rideain't noback tobut i'mdo yougo backi geti seei turni'm mileslook outmake youmay beme theme yoursee youstop andthe answerthe toptill iwant mewell dowhere iwill youyes sheyou ain'tyou mayand i seeback to thedon't let mei see youme your answerstop and ito make youwhen i getyou may beyou want mego for a ridethe top of theyou want me to

Cover-shared words

ahhbackbreakcausecomecomescomingfastgetgogothereletlooklovelovermakememynowohoohseeshestoptelltilltopwantwellyeahyouyourabove youand ibe abut youcome ondon't youget togo fori goi gotlet melove youme tellme toon myshe istell meto loveto makewell youwhen iwon't youyeah yeahyou don'tyou wantyou won'tget to thei go forto love youyeah yeah yeah

Lyric shape

[ADV] do[NOUN] but[VERB] outdown [ADV][ADV] she [VERB][ADV] to the[NOUN] but you[VERB] and i[VERB] me the[VERB] out [NOUN][WORD] on my[WORD] will yoube a [NOUN]don't you [VERB]i [WORD] [ADV]i'm [VERB] downme to [VERB]on the [WORD]to the [NOUN]where i [VERB][VERB] and i [VERB][VERB] and i [WORD][VERB] me [VERB] on[VERB] me the [NOUN][VERB] me to [VERB][VERB] me your [NOUN][VERB] to the [NOUN][WORD] for a [NOUN][WORD] on my [NOUN]and i [VERB] toand i [VERB] youdon't [VERB] me [VERB]don't you [VERB] methe [NOUN] i [WORD]to the [WORD] ofwhen i [VERB] towon't you [VERB] meyou [VERB] me to[VERB] me [VERB] you [WORD]i [VERB] [WORD] on myi [VERB] and i [VERB]the [NOUN] and i [VERB]

Cover-shared shape

[ADV] but[ADV] she[ADV] to[ADV] you[NOUN] and[NOUN] i[VERB] and[VERB] down[VERB] me[VERB] on[VERB] to[VERB] you[WORD] for[WORD] of[WORD] on[WORD] willa [NOUN]don't [VERB]i [VERB]i [WORD]i'm [VERB]i'm [WORD]me [VERB]my [NOUN]no [WORD]on [VERB]out [NOUN]out [WORD]she [VERB]she's [VERB]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]you [VERB]you [WORD]your [NOUN][NOUN] i [VERB][NOUN] i [WORD][VERB] me [VERB][VERB] me to[VERB] on [VERB][VERB] to the[VERB] you [WORD][WORD] [ADV] to[WORD] of theand i [VERB]don't [VERB] mefor a [NOUN]i [VERB] [WORD]i [VERB] andi [VERB] toi [VERB] youi [WORD] forme [VERB] meno [WORD] [WORD]of the [NOUN]on my [NOUN]the [NOUN] [WORD]the [NOUN] andthe [NOUN] ithe [WORD] ofto [VERB] youto the [WORD]when i [VERB]won't you [VERB]you [VERB] me[NOUN] i [VERB] to[VERB] me [VERB] me[VERB] me [VERB] you[VERB] on [VERB] me[WORD] of the [NOUN]me [VERB] me [VERB]the [WORD] of theto [VERB] you [WORD]the [WORD] of the [NOUN][VERB] me [VERB] me [VERB] meme [VERB] me [VERB] me [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

AAABCAAABAABBAABCAAAUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

blistersbottomdancer-dancer-dancer-dancer-dancer-dancer-dancer-dancer-dancer-dancerhelter-skelterslide
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Music120 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitar6-string bassPianoDrumsTrumpetSaxophoneSpoken wordTenor saxophone

Instrument group

GuitarsWoodwindKeyboardsBrass

Guitar work

Heavy guitarsGuitar solo

Bass work

Chromatic bass lineStepwise bass line

Drum work

Heavy drums

Music genre

Proto-metalHard rockRockBlues rock

Influence

Blues influenceThe Who influence

Vocal work

Belted vocalsScreamVocal ad-libOoh vocalsYeah vocalsAah vocalsVocals on outroShouted vocalsVocal harmonies

Solo / Riff

Defining riffGuitar soloSolo on verse

Melody

AppoggiaturaDefining riff

Tempo

Fast

Key

E major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABAB

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has outroHas bridgeHas introHas soloHas interludeStandard choruses (1-3)

Section traits

Unique outroExtended outro/codaUnique intro

Section links

Chorus variationIntro based on bridgeVerse variationOutro based on verseSolo on verseInterlude based on verse

Section transition

I to IVI to I

Harmony

Chromatic mediantModal mixtureBorrowed chordSecondary dominantPlagal cadence

Composition

All major chordsNo dominantTonic openingTonic endingChorus in IVVerse in ITonic verseNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majordom7power chordslash chord

Scale degree

II7♭IIIIV♭VI

Chord degree

I–♭III♭III–IV♭VI–♭IIIIV–♭VII–IVIV–I♭III–II–IV–♭VI–♭IIII–IV–♭VI♭III–IV–II–♭III–IV

Chord shape

C → D → AC → DC → GC → E♭C → FC → AC → E♭ → B♭C → E♭ → FC/E → E♭C → F → A♭ → E♭C → G → EC → F → A♭

Chord literal

A → EG → AC → GA → CE → AA → C → GE → A → CE → G → AE → GG → E
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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: MusicBrainz recording · MusicBrainz work · Wikidata

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