I'm Down
“How can you laugh when you know I'm down?”
McCartney's answer to Little Richard – a screaming rock-and-roll B-side cut the same day as 'Yesterday' and 'I've Just Seen a Face'. Notable for Lennon's debut Vox Continental organ on a Beatles record, played with elbow glissandos in Jerry Lee Lewis style.
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Rings and diamonds turn up in 9 Beatles lyrics, from a bought engagement ring to a girl in the sky: Anna (Go to Him), Can't Buy Me Love, I Feel Fine, I'm Down, Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Old Brown Shoe, and Revolution 9.
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedJune 14, 1965
ReleasedJuly 19, 1965 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)
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Text171 tags
Word cloud
Lyric shape
[NOUN] you're[VERB] at[WORD] down[WORD] i'm[NOUN] you're [VERB][VERB] [VERB] i[VERB] at me[VERB] it [ADV][VERB] when you[WORD] [ADJ] andcan you [VERB]can't [VERB] [NOUN]you [VERB] when[VERB] when you [VERB][WORD] [NOUN] i'm [WORD][WORD] [VERB] your [NOUN]you [VERB] [VERB] [VERB]you [VERB] when youyou [VERB] when you [VERB]
Cover-shared shape
[ADJ] and[NOUN] i'm[NOUN] you[VERB] i[VERB] i'm[VERB] it[VERB] to[VERB] when[VERB] your[WORD] yesand [ADV]can't [VERB]down [WORD]i'm [VERB]i'm [WORD]still [WORD]the [NOUN]you [VERB]you're [VERB]your [NOUN][NOUN] [VERB] it[NOUN] you [VERB][VERB] i can't[VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] [NOUN] i'mi can't [VERB]i'm [VERB] [WORD]on the [NOUN]the [NOUN] i'mwhen you [VERB]you [VERB] [VERB]you can't [VERB]your [NOUN] to[VERB] i can't [VERB]
Distinctive word
a-yeahthrowsupside
Music184 tags
Chord shape
C → FC → CC → C7C → GC → DC → D7C7 → FC → G7C → F → GC → F → G7C → D → GC → F → CC → C → FC → G → DC → G → D7C → F → C → GC → B♭C7 → B♭C → G → FC → B♭ → FC → F → B♭C7 → F → B♭C → F → B♭ → FC → G → D7 → GC → D → G → C → GC → D → G → DC → F → G → C → GC → D7 → G → D7 → GC → D7 → G → D7C7 → F → C → G7 → CC → C → F → C → G → FC → G → D → GC → C7 → FC → F → C → G → FC → D7 → GC → G → C → DC → G → C → D → GC → C → F → C → GC7 → F → B♭ → FC → F → C → G → CC7 → B♭ → FC7 → F → CC → G7 → FC → F → C → G → F → CC → C7 → F → C → G7C → D → G → D → G
Chord literal
C → GG → CC → DC → D7D → GG → DG → C → DC → D → GG → C → GC → G → DD → G → CD → G → C → GC → G → D7 → GD → C → GG → D7D7 → CG → D7 → CG → C → G → D → GC → D → G → D → GG → G7 → C → G → D7C → D → G → C → GC → D7 → GG → G → C → G → D → CD7 → C → GG7 → C → GC → D → G → DG → G → C → G → DC → G → C → D → GC → G → C → DG7 → CD → CD7 → GG → GG → C → G → DG → G → CG → G7C → G → D → GG → D → CG → G7 → CD7 → G → CC → G → D7G → C → D7G → C → G → D → C
People9 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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