I'll Be Back
“You know if you break my heart, I'll go”
Lennon's brooding all-acoustic album-closer for A Hard Day's Night – a study in major/minor ambivalence with irregular phrase lengths and no drums. The first Beatles song to flirt openly with folk textures, and a key signal of where Lennon's songwriting was heading.
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This song is the only Beatles song tagged "Andalusian cadence".
Track13 · Side closer · Album closer · Side 2
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedJune 1, 1964
ReleasedJuly 10, 1964
Song familyFragile LennonAdmits inability to stay away
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Text240 tags
Word cloud
Recurring words
findgoodbyehateoncepretendranrealiseshowsurprisethoughtwantsback againbe backbut i'llfrom youhate toi camei thoughti toldi'll bei'll goi'm theif ime tooonce beforethan tothe onethings tothis timethought thattime ito pretendto showtold youwant mewants youyes i'myou breakyou couldyou ifyou onceaway from yoube back againi got ai hate toi told youthat you wouldthis time ito show thati'm the one whoto break my heart
Lyric shape
[ADV] again[NOUN] i'll[WORD] beforebe [ADV]before [WORD]could [VERB]i'll [WORD]not [VERB]who [VERB][ADJ] [WORD] to[ADV] from you[VERB] [ADV] again[VERB] me too[WORD] to doa [ADJ] [VERB]be [ADV] againi'll be [ADV]if i [VERB]this [NOUN] ito [VERB] thatwho [VERB] youwill [VERB] towould [VERB] meyou [VERB] ifyou could [VERB][NOUN] i will [VERB][VERB] a [ADJ] [VERB][VERB] that you would[VERB] to [VERB] thatbut i [VERB] ai [VERB] a [ADJ]i [VERB] you soi will [VERB] toto [VERB] my [NOUN]you would [VERB] me[NOUN] i [VERB] you [WORD][VERB] to [VERB] that i'mi [VERB] a [ADJ] [VERB]i'm the one who [VERB]if you [VERB] my [NOUN]
Cover-shared shape
[ADV] from[NOUN] again[NOUN] i[VERB] a[VERB] i[VERB] if[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] that[VERB] to[VERB] you[WORD] toa [ADJ]i [VERB]my [NOUN]this [NOUN]to [VERB]will [VERB]would [VERB]would [WORD]you [VERB]you [WORD][NOUN] i [VERB][VERB] [ADV] from[VERB] a [ADJ][VERB] i [VERB][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] that i'm[VERB] that you[VERB] to [VERB][VERB] you [WORD][VERB] you sobut i [VERB]i [VERB] [ADV]i [VERB] ai [VERB] thati [VERB] toi [VERB] youi will [VERB]if you [VERB]my [NOUN] againto [VERB] youyou [VERB] iyou [VERB] myyou would [VERB]you would [WORD][NOUN] i [VERB] you[VERB] if you [VERB][VERB] to [VERB] youbut i [VERB] toi [VERB] that youi [VERB] to [VERB]i [VERB] you [WORD]you [VERB] i [VERB]you [VERB] my [NOUN]i [VERB] to [VERB] you
Music132 tags
People11 tags
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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