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SongsRubber SoulIf I Needed Someone
Rubber Soul album cover

If I Needed Someone

1965 · Rubber Soul

“Carve your number on my wall”

Harrison's jangling 12-string showcase, written in Germany on tour and modeled on the Byrds' Rickenbacker-driven adaptation of his own A Hard Day's Night sound. The folk-rock circuit closed: Beatles → Byrds → Beatles.
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Year1965
AlbumRubber Soul
Track13 · Side 2
Duration2:23
Songwriter(s)Harrison
Lead VocalGeorge
RecordedOctober 16, 1965
ReleasedDecember 3, 1965

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Text156 tags

Motif

PleaLoveFriendshipHomeTimeTelephoneCommunicationRelationship

Influence

Bob Dylan influence

Title

Pronoun in title

Vocabulary

Neutral tone

Narrative

ImperativeSecond personConversationalFirst person

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeExtrametrical rhymeHalf rhymeInternal rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA form

Sections

Has refrainHas outroMany verses (5+)Standard choruses (1-3)Has interludeHas intro

Section links

Outro based on verseIntro based on verseInterlude based on verse

Repetition

Recurring lineRecurring verseConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

friendguessmaybeneedednumberothersomeonewalland maybebe withfrom meget ahad youhave beeni guessif iin lovelike thismight notmy friendnot havenow i'mother daysome moresomeone tothe onetime totoo muchyou myyou're theon my wallsomeone to loveyou my friend

Cover-shared words

ahcallcomedaygetitlikelovememoremuchmynowoneseesomespendthinkingtimeyouyourbut youi hadmore timeon mythen ithinking ofto loveto spendwith youyou comeyou seeyou will

Lyric shape

[ADV] i'm[VERB] i'd[VERB] this[WORD] yourhad [WORD]in [VERB][VERB] from me[WORD] in [VERB][WORD] your [NOUN]a [NOUN] fromand [WORD] youbut you [VERB]had you [VERB]if i [VERB]will [VERB] ayou [VERB] [WORD]you my [NOUN]you will [VERB][VERB] a [NOUN] from[WORD] [NOUN] to [VERB][WORD] you will [VERB]will [VERB] a [NOUN]you [VERB] [WORD] [WORD]i [VERB] [NOUN] to [VERB]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] to[VERB] a[VERB] from[VERB] of[VERB] on[WORD] in[WORD] youa [NOUN]and [WORD]be [VERB]been [VERB]i [VERB]my [NOUN]to [VERB]too [WORD]will [VERB]you [VERB]your [NOUN][NOUN] to [VERB][VERB] [NOUN] to[VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] on myi [VERB] [NOUN]on my [NOUN]then i [VERB]you [VERB] [ADV][VERB] [NOUN] to [VERB][VERB] on my [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

AABABCABB

Line length

7-9-6Unique line length

Distinctive word

carve
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Music111 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarDrumsPercussionTambourine12-string guitar

Instrument group

GuitarsPercussion

Guitar work

CapoArpeggiated chordsGuitar riff

Music genre

Folk rockJangle popRockPopFolk

Influence

Byrds influence

Vocal work

Vocals on outroVocals on interludeAah vocalsThree-part harmonyVocal harmonies

Solo / Riff

Defining riffGuitar riff

Melody

OstinatoAppoggiaturaDefining riff

Tempo

Fast

Key

A major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusAABAABAAABA form

Sections

Has refrainHas outroMany verses (5+)Standard choruses (1-3)Has interludeHas riffHas intro

Section traits

Short chorus

Section links

Outro based on verseIntro based on verseInterlude based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

I to vV to I

Harmony

DroneBorrowed chordModal mixtureCircle of fifthsSecondary dominantHalf cadencePedal point

Composition

No subdominantTonic openingTonic endingVerse in ITonic verseChorus in vNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Mixolydian

Chord type

majorminordom77sus4

Scale degree

I7IiiV7vVI7V7sus4

Chord degree

ii–VV–VI–Iii–V–VVI–iiv–VIVI–ii–v–VI–ii–VVI–ii–VVI–ii–V–V

Chord shape

C → C7Am → BC → FmC7 → FmAm → DmAm → DC → Fm → B♭C → CAm → Dm → EAm → Dm → E7C7sus4 → C7C → Fm → B♭ → B♭C → Fm → B♭mAm → B → EmAm → B7Am → D → DC → Fm → B♭m → C → Fm → B♭C7 → Fm → B♭m

Chord literal

A → AA → A7Bm → EmBm → EF♯7 → BmE → EF♯ → Bm → EF♯ → Bm
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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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