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SongsBeatles For SaleI Don't Want to Spoil the Party
Beatles For Sale album cover

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party

1964 · Beatles For Sale

“I've had a drink or two, and I don't care”

Lennon's resigned country-tinged confessional, written in the autumn 1964 push to fill out Beatles For Sale. The narrator slips quietly out of a party rather than show his disappointment that the girl never arrived - prefiguring his later country-rock leanings.
VinylCD

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Year1964
AlbumBeatles For Sale
Track12 · Side 2
Duration2:33
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedSeptember 29, 1964
ReleasedDecember 4, 1964
Song familyFragile LennonQuiet admission of hurt rather than anger

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Text233 tags

Motif

LonelinessSadnessRelationshipSelf reflectionPleaNumbersFood and drinksHappinessAngerLove

Influence

Country influenceBob Dylan influence

Title

Long titlePronoun in titleNegation in title

Vocabulary

Casual languageNegative tone

Narrative

First personConfessional

Lyrical device

Anaphora

Rhyme type

Extrametrical rhymeTriple rhymeInternal rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA form

Sections

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

Section links

Solo based on bridgeOutro based on verseIntro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring verseRecurring lineConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

disappearfindgladhatepartyshowspoilturnswhilewondera drinkbe gladfar toofind herfor herhate myi findi wonderi wouldi'll bei'll goif iif sheif she'slook forlove hermade menot thereor twoshe turnsshe's notso i'llthere's nothere's nothingto showtoo longwhen she'swhile i'mand i don'ti don't carei think i'lltake a walki don't want tothere's no fun in

Cover-shared words

carefarfungogoneherhereknowletlonglooklovemadememynothingpleasesadshetaketherethinkthoughtonighttwowalkwantwentwrongand idon't caredon't wantfor mehad ai doi don'ti stilli thinki willi'll takei'm gonelet meme hereme sadso itake awant towhat idon't want toi do wheni don't wanti still lovelet me knowso i will

Lyric shape

[ADV] so[VERB] i'll[VERB] or[WORD] i'm[WORD] i'vei'll [WORD]not [ADV]or [WORD]there's [NOUN]too [VERB]up [WORD]what [WORD][ADV] she's [VERB][NOUN] i've [VERB][VERB] what [WORD][WORD] i'm [VERB]a [NOUN] andhad a [NOUN]i [VERB] i'lli [VERB] whati would [VERB]i'll be [ADJ]i'm [VERB] [VERB]if i [VERB]she [VERB] upshe's [VERB] me[VERB] [VERB] [VERB] me[VERB] a [NOUN] and[VERB] and [VERB] for[VERB] my [NOUN] toa [NOUN] and [VERB]a [NOUN] or [WORD]and i don't [VERB]i [VERB] i'll [VERB]i don't [VERB] toi'll [VERB] a [NOUN]there's no [WORD] inhad a [NOUN] or [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[ADV] too[NOUN] for[NOUN] i've[NOUN] so[NOUN] to[VERB] a[VERB] and[VERB] for[VERB] her[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] to[VERB] up[VERB] what[WORD] and[WORD] in[WORD] thea [NOUN]and [VERB]be [ADJ]don't [VERB]i [VERB]i'll [VERB]i'm [VERB]i've [VERB]me [ADJ]me [ADV]me [VERB]my [NOUN]no [WORD]she [VERB]she's [VERB]still [VERB]the [NOUN]to [VERB]to [WORD]will [VERB]would [VERB][NOUN] for me[NOUN] to [VERB][VERB] [VERB] me[VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] and [VERB][VERB] me [ADJ][VERB] me [VERB][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] to [WORD][WORD] [NOUN] i've[WORD] and i[WORD] the [NOUN]a [NOUN] ordon't [VERB] toi [VERB] heri don't [VERB]i still [VERB]i will [VERB][VERB] [VERB] me [VERB]don't [VERB] to [WORD]so i will [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

ABABAABA

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

disappointmentwaited
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Music172 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarLead guitarBass guitarDrumsPercussionTambourine

Instrument group

GuitarsPercussion

Guitar work

Guitar solo

Music genre

RockCountryCountry rockPop

Vocal work

Vocal harmoniesTwo-part harmony

Solo / Riff

Guitar soloSolo based on bridgeSolo on verse

Tempo

Moderate

Key

G major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusAABAABAAABA form

Sections

Standard choruses (1-3)Has introHas soloMany verses (5+)

Section links

Solo based on bridgeOutro based on verseSolo on verseIntro based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to II to I

Harmony

Modal mixturePerfect cadenceBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsDeceptive cadenceBackdoor cadenceHalf cadenceJazz cadence

Composition

All natural rootsTonic openingTonic endingVerse in ITonic verseChorus in ITonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom77sus4

Scale degree

III7iiIII7IVV7Vvi♭VIIV7sus4

Chord degree

IV–VI–vi–IIvi–II–IVIV–V–IV–I–viI–VV–VV–IV–V–IV–viii–VI–♭VII♭VII–II–V–viii–V–II–vivi–IIII–IVV–I–♭VIIIV–V–I–vivi–IIII–V–VV–vi–IIIII–IV–Vvi–II–IV–VI–V–vi–IIIV–I–vi–IIii–V–I–♭VIIV–I–♭VII–I

Chord shape

C7 → E♭C → Am → DAm → D → FC → D → GC → F → DmC → GC → CC → FC7 → FC → C → FC → G7C → DmC7 → DmAm → EAm → DAm → D7C → B♭C → DC → G → AmC → Dm → AAm → D → GC → AmC → E♭C → F → E♭ → FAm → E7C → G → GC → F → E♭C → D → G → EmAm → D7 → GC → E♭ → FC → F → Dm → GC7sus4 → C7Am → D → F → GC → Am → D7C → G7 → AmAm → D7 → FAm → D → G → FC → G → Am → EC → G7sus4C → E♭ → F → B♭C → G7sus4 → G7Am → D7 → F → GAm → E7 → Dm

Chord literal

A7 → CC → DC → D → GA → CD → G → EmG → DD → GEm → BG → FF → GEm → AAm → DD → DD → EmG → EmG → D7D → D → GG → D → DD7 → GAm → D → GG → D → EmEm → A7C → D → G → EmA → C → DAm → D7Em → A → C → DG → D → Em → BD7sus4 → D7G → Em → AEm → B7Em → A7 → C → DAm → D7 → GD → G → FD7 → Em
You might also like:Harmony & Voice LeadingJohn Legend – Teaches Songwriting

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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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