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SongsPast MastersI Want to Hold Your Hand
Past Masters album cover

I Want to Hold Your Hand

1963 · Past Masters

“And when I touch you, I feel happy inside”

Lennon and McCartney wrote it 'eyeball-to-eyeball' at Jane Asher's home, designed as their first single aimed squarely at the American market. The record broke the band in the US, reaching #1 for seven weeks and igniting Beatlemania stateside.
See also: Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand (German version, 1964)
VinylCD

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Year1963
AlbumPast Masters
Track6
Duration2:24
Songwriter(s)Lennon, McCartney
Lead VocalJohn, Paul
RecordedOctober 17, 1963
ReleasedNovember 29, 1963 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)
Song familyLove songReferenced in songby If I FellTwin songsTwin of She Loves You: early hits with similar chords.

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Text175 tags

Motif

LoveChildhoodSelf reflectionCommunicationHappinessPleaAnatomyRelationship

Title

Pronoun in titleLong title

Vocabulary

Limited vocabularyCasual languagePositive tone

Narrative

First personImperativeSecond personConversational

Rhyme type

Extrametrical rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhymeIdentical rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA form

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has introStandard choruses (1-3)Has refrain

Section links

Intro based on bridgeCoda based on verseVerse variationRefrain variationIntro based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive versesConsecutive lineRecurring lineRecurring verse
Word cloud

Recurring words

feelinginsiderefrainsomethingtouchunderstandfeel thati'll sayoh pleasesay thatthat myto holdyou iyou'll understanda feeling thatand when ihold your handi can't hideit's such anow let mesay to melet me be your man

Cover-shared words

feelgothandhappyhideholdletlovemanmemynowohpleasesaysuchtellthinkwantyeahyouyourand whenbe yourgot thati can'ti feeli thinki wannai wantlet meme holdmy loveoh yeahsuch atell youto mewant towhen iyeah youi want tolet me belet me be your

Lyric shape

[ADJ] a [NOUN][VERB] [VERB] tothat my [NOUN][VERB] [VERB] to me[VERB] me [VERB] your[VERB] that my [NOUN][WORD] i'll [VERB] youand when i [VERB]i [VERB] you ii'll [VERB] you [NOUN]it's [ADJ] a [NOUN]wanna [VERB] your [NOUN][VERB] me [VERB] your [NOUN][VERB] me be your [NOUN]and when i [VERB] youi [VERB] you i [VERB]

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] a[VERB] me[VERB] that[VERB] to[VERB] you[VERB] you'll[VERB] your[WORD] i'll[WORD] youa [NOUN]and [VERB]can't [VERB]i [VERB]i'll [VERB]it's [ADJ]me [VERB]my [NOUN]that [NOUN]to [VERB]wanna [VERB]you [NOUN]you'll [VERB]your [NOUN][ADV] [VERB] me[VERB] me [VERB][VERB] me be[VERB] that [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] to me[VERB] you [NOUN][VERB] you'll [VERB][VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] [WORD] i'll[WORD] i'll [VERB]a [NOUN] thatand [VERB] [VERB]i [VERB] [ADJ]i [VERB] toi [VERB] youi [VERB] you'lli can't [VERB]i wanna [VERB]i'll [VERB] thati'll [VERB] youwhen i [VERB][VERB] me be your[WORD] [WORD] i'll [VERB]i [VERB] to [VERB]i [VERB] you'll [VERB]to [VERB] your [NOUN]when i [VERB] you[VERB] to [VERB] your [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

AAABCDBCABABUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

6-6Unique line length
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Music212 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarDrumsPercussionHandclapsOther percussion

Instrument group

GuitarsPercussion

Bass work

Stepwise bass lineMelodic bass

Drum work

Heavy hi-hat

Music genre

RockPopMerseybeat

Vocal work

Vocal harmoniesYeah vocalsTwin lead vocals

Tempo

Fast

Key

G majorC majorKey change

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusAABABAAABA form

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has introStandard choruses (1-3)Has refrain

Section links

Intro based on bridgeCoda based on verseVerse variationRefrain variationIntro based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to II to vIII to I

Harmony

Deceptive cadenceCircle of fifthsPerfect cadenceBorrowed chordHalf cadencePlagal cadenceJazz cadenceRock/Mixolydian cadenceIce cream changes50s variantRhythm changes (partial)Royal road (partial)Royal roadChromatic mediantModal mixture

Composition

Tonic endingNon-tonic openingVerse in IChorus in vTonic verseNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7

Scale degree

IIIii7iiIII7IIIiiiIVV7VviVIIVII7

Chord degree

I–vi–IV–VIV–V–II–viii–V–Iii–VI–vi–ii–Vii–V–I–viV–viI–vi–IVvi–iiV–I–viI–V–vivi–ii–V–IIV–VV–IV–IVvi–IVI–Vvi–IV–VI–IIvi–IV–V–II–II–Viii–III–VI–ii–VV–IIV–I–vi–IVV–I–iiIV–V–IV–V–IV–V–IV–I–vi–iiI–iivi–ii–VI–vi–iiIV–V–I–viV–IV–V–Ivi–IIII–VIIIII–IVV–IV–V–IV–V–IIII–IV–VV–vi–IIIV–I–VIIII–iiiVII–IV–iiiI–V–vi–IIIIII–IV–V–I

Chord shape

Am → Dm → G → CAm → DC → Am → Dm → GC → Am → F → GC → AmC → A♭ → E♭C → DC → FC → D♭C → Dm → AAm → F → G → CC → F → DmC → Am → FC → G → AmC → A♭C → GC → B♭Am → D → G → EmC → D → GAm → FAm → EC → DmAm → F → GAm → DmAm → D → GC → F → AC → EC → BC → B♭ → C → FC → F → Dm → B♭C → F → Dm → GmC → F → GmC → B7Am → Dm → GC → Dm → GC → Am → DmC → D → G → EmC → D♭ → E♭C → F → EC → B♭ → C → B♭ → C → FC → D → C → D → C → D → GC → F → E7C → D♭ → E♭ → A♭C → G → Am → EC → E → FC → E → F → G

Chord literal

Am → Dm → G → CC → AmG → DC → D → GDm → GEm → CDm → G → CAm → DmG → Em → C → DD → G → EmG → C → AmEm → BB → CD → GC → DG → CG → EmD → EmD → CC → BC → DmG → BEm → C → DG → D → EmC → D → G → EmC → B7D → G → Em → CEm → C → D → GD → C → D → GB → GD → C → D → C → D → GDm → G → C → AmG → D → Em → BC → Dm → GG → C → DmB → C → DG → B → C → D
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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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