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SongsThe Beatles (The White Album)I'm So Tired
The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

“And curse Sir Walter Raleigh, he was such a stupid git”

A blues-influenced Lennon song from the White Album, drawing on insomnia he experienced during the Beatles' meditation retreat in Rishikesh. Recorded in one session at EMI Studios.
VinylCD

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Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track10 · Side 2
Duration2:03
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedOctober 8, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song familyFragile LennonRaw admission of breakdownWritten in IndiaPaul is deadOutro mumble reversed as 'Paul is dead man, miss him'

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Text232 tags

Motif

Real peopleAutobiographyQuestionNumbersFood and drinksAnatomyCommunicationSleepMadnessLonelinessSelf reflectionSmokingWomenSelf deprecation

Title

Pronoun in title

Vocabulary

Negative toneDark lyricsCasual languageForeign language

Narrative

First personConfessionalConversationalSecond person

Lyrical device

Anaphora

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeTriple rhymeIdentical rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus12-bar blues

Sections

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

Section links

Verse variationOutro based on chorus

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive lineConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

althoughfeelingfixharmmindpeacesirsleepstupidupsetwondera drinka winkbut it'scall youcan't stopdon't knoweverything i'veget upgive youhe wasi calli geti wonderi'm feelingi'm soknow it'sknow whatmind ismy mindmyself aof mindshould iwas suchwhat toyou everythingbut i knowdon't know whati call youi can't sleepi don't knowi know whatknow what youmy mind ispeace of mindwhat to doyou know it'syou know i can't

Cover-shared words

aboutanothercalleverythinggetgivegoinggotheinsaneknowlittlememymyselfonesaysetstopsuchthreeyoua littlebut ii can'ti don'ti knowi'm goingi've gotknow ino nosuch ato dowhat youyou knowyou onyou wouldno no noyou know i

Lyric shape

[ADJ] i[ADJ] i'll[VERB] i'd[WORD] i'mhaven't [VERB]how [WORD]was [ADJ]you'd [VERB][ADJ] [NOUN] of[ADJ] a [ADJ][ADJ] my [NOUN][NOUN] i've [VERB][VERB] i'd [VERB][VERB] is [VERB][VERB] is on[VERB] it's [WORD][VERB] what you[WORD] [WORD] onedon't [VERB] whatfor a [ADJ]he was [ADJ]how [WORD] [WORD]i [VERB] upi [VERB] whati'm [VERB] [ADJ]i'm so [ADJ]it's [WORD] [NOUN]should i [VERB]you [VERB] it's[ADJ] i don't [VERB]a [ADJ] [NOUN] ofand [VERB] myself afor a [ADJ] [NOUN]haven't [VERB] a [NOUN]i can't [VERB] myi don't [VERB] whati'm so [ADJ] imy [NOUN] is [VERB]a [ADJ] [NOUN] of [VERB]you [VERB] i can't [VERB]

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] a[NOUN] i'm[NOUN] i've[NOUN] of[VERB] a[VERB] i[VERB] i'm[VERB] is[VERB] it's[VERB] my[VERB] myself[VERB] on[VERB] so[VERB] up[VERB] what[VERB] you[WORD] onea [ADJ]a [NOUN]and [VERB]can't [VERB]don't [VERB]have [WORD]i [VERB]i'd [VERB]i'm [VERB]i've [VERB]is [VERB]it's [WORD]me [VERB]my [NOUN]no [NOUN]of [VERB]so [ADJ]so [VERB]the [NOUN]you [NOUN]you [VERB][NOUN] i'm [VERB][NOUN] of [VERB][VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] i can't[VERB] i'm [VERB][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] so [VERB][VERB] you [NOUN][VERB] you on[WORD] [NOUN] i'ma [ADJ] [NOUN]a [ADJ] [WORD]and [VERB] [WORD]but i [VERB]have [WORD] [WORD]i [VERB] youi can't [VERB]i don't [VERB]i'm [VERB] youmy [NOUN] ison the [NOUN]you [VERB] i[VERB] i can't [VERB][WORD] [NOUN] i'm [VERB]and [VERB] [WORD] [WORD]

Rhyme scheme

ABABAAAAUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

8-7-8-7Unique line length

Distinctive word

blinkbraincigarettecursegitjokemonsieurputtingraleighslepttiredwalterweeks
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Music127 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarBass guitarElectric pianoOrganDrumsSpoken word

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboards

Bass work

Ascending bassStepwise bass lineBass intro

Music genre

Blues rockRockBlues

Influence

Blues influence

Vocal work

Vocal harmonies

Tempo

Moderate

Key

A major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusAABAB12-bar blues

Sections

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

Section traits

Long chorusBass intro

Section links

Verse variationOutro based on chorus

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

I to Iiv to I

Harmony

Modal mixtureBorrowed chordPerfect cadenceRock/Mixolydian cadencePlagal cadenceRoyal roadRoyal road (partial)50s variant

Composition

Tonic openingTonic endingChorus in IVerse in ITonic verseTonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom7aug

Scale degree

IIVivVviVII7VII+

Chord degree

I–VV–IVIV–II–V–IVV–IV–IIV–VV–II–vivi–IVIV–V–IV–I–viI–vi–IVvi–IV–VI–vi–IV–Vvi–IV–V–IV–I–vi–IVIV–V–I–viI–VIIV–I–VIIvi–ivI–VII–IV–V

Chord shape

C → B♭C → B♭ → FC → G → FC → GC → BC → DC → FC → AmAm → FAm → FmC → D → GC → F → DmC → Am → FAm → F → GC → Am → F → GAm → F → G → CC7 → F♯C → B7C → F → Dm → B♭C → D → G → EmC → F → EC → F♯C → F → E7C → BaugC7 → F♯ → A♭ → D♭C → D → G → F♯7C → F → E7 → B♭C → B7 → F → G

Chord literal

A → EE → DD → AD → EE → AA → F♯mF♯m → DE → D → AD → E → AE → A → F♯mA → F♯m → DA → E → DA → F♯m → D → ED → E → A → F♯mF♯m → DmA → G♯
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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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