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SongsRubber SoulIn My Life
Rubber Soul album cover

In My Life

1965 · Rubber Soul

“There are places I remember”

Lennon's first openly autobiographical song - drafted as a literal bus-route through Liverpool, then refined into a meditation on memory, lost friends and present love. George Martin's Baroque-style piano solo, recorded at half speed for a harpsichord timbre, became the recording's signature.
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Year1965
AlbumRubber Soul
Track11 · Side 2
Duration2:27
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedOctober 18 & 22, 1965
ReleasedDecember 3, 1965

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Text222 tags

Motif

Self reflectionPlace namesNostalgiaLoveFriendshipDeathPhilosophicalAutobiography

Influence

Literary influenceBob Dylan influence

Title

Pronoun in title

Vocabulary

Positive tone

Narrative

First personConfessionalConversational

Lyrical device

Anaphora

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeFeminine rhymeHalf rhymeInternal rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

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

Section links

Outro based on verseIntro based on verseInterlude based on verseChorus variationOutro based on chorusSolo based on verseOutro based on bridge

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive choruses
Word cloud

Recurring words

changeddeadforeverfriendslivingmeaningmemoriesnewoftenpeopleremembersomethingtheirall myall theseand thingsfor peoplehave changedhave gonei rememberi'll neveri've lovedis nolife ilose theirno oneof allstop andthem allthere isthings thatthink aboutthink ofthough iyou oohi think oflove you morewhen i thinkwith you oohyou ooh oohi know i'll neveri love you morewhen i think of

Cover-shared words

aboutallbettergoneknowlifeloselovelovedmoremyneveroneoohsomestopthemtherethingsthinkthoughwentyoui knowi lovei stilli thinkin mylove youmy lifeof lovethere arewhen iwith youyou morei love you

Lyric shape

[VERB] had[VERB] i'll[VERB] their[WORD] are[WORD] before[WORD] haveare [VERB]as [NOUN]for [ADJ]for [NOUN]i'll [WORD]one [VERB]their [NOUN]their [WORD]with [WORD][ADJ] and [WORD][NOUN] i've [VERB][VERB] and [WORD][VERB] i'll [WORD][VERB] of [VERB][VERB] their [NOUN][VERB] them [WORD][VERB] with you[WORD] are [VERB][WORD] have [VERB][WORD] that [WORD][WORD] these [NOUN]and [WORD] [NOUN]for [NOUN] andi [VERB] i'lli'll [VERB] [VERB]i'll [WORD] [VERB]my [NOUN] ino one [VERB]with you [WORD][NOUN] [VERB] their [NOUN][VERB] with you [WORD][WORD] [WORD] have [VERB][WORD] have [VERB] [WORD][WORD] my [NOUN] [WORD]i [VERB] i'll [VERB]i [VERB] i'll [WORD]my [NOUN] i [VERB]when i [VERB] of[NOUN] i [VERB] you [WORD][VERB] [VERB] and [VERB] [WORD]in my [NOUN] i [VERB][VERB] with you [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] and[ADV] are[ADV] is[NOUN] and[NOUN] i[NOUN] i've[VERB] and[VERB] as[VERB] i[VERB] of[VERB] them[VERB] with[VERB] you[WORD] and[WORD] i[WORD] my[WORD] that[WORD] theseand [VERB]and [WORD]are [ADJ]can [VERB]have [VERB]i [VERB]i'll [VERB]i've [VERB]my [NOUN]of [VERB]of [WORD]that [WORD]them [WORD]these [NOUN]you [WORD][NOUN] and [WORD][NOUN] i [VERB][VERB] [VERB] and[VERB] and [VERB][VERB] i [VERB][VERB] you [WORD][WORD] and [WORD][WORD] i [VERB][WORD] my [NOUN][WORD] these [WORD]and [VERB] [WORD]and [WORD] ii [VERB] ofi [VERB] youin my [NOUN]my [NOUN] [WORD]when i [VERB]you [WORD] [WORD][NOUN] i [VERB] you[VERB] [VERB] and [VERB][VERB] and [VERB] [WORD]i [VERB] you [WORD]my [NOUN] [WORD] [WORD]you [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]

Rhyme scheme

ABABABCB

Line length

8-7-8-7Unique line length

Distinctive word

affectioncomparesloversmomentsplacesrecallremain
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Music167 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarPianoDrumsPercussionTambourine

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Guitar work

Guitar riff

Bass work

Descending bass

Keyboard work

Piano soloKeyboard solo

Music genre

BalladFolk rockPopBaroque popRockFolk

Influence

Classical music influenceBaroque influence

Vocal work

Vocal harmoniesOoh vocalsTwo-part harmony

Solo / Riff

Piano soloGuitar riffDefining riffKeyboard soloSolo on verseSolo based on verseSolo on chorus

Melody

AppoggiaturaDefining riff

Tempo

Moderate

Key

A major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABB

Sections

Has outroHas introStandard verses (2-4)Has soloStandard choruses (1-3)

Section traits

Unique introUnique outro

Section links

Outro based on verseSolo on verseIntro based on verseInterlude based on verseChorus variationOutro based on chorusSolo based on verseOutro based on bridgeSolo on chorus

Repetition

Consecutive choruses

Section transition

I to viI to I

Harmony

Modal mixtureBorrowed chordDeceptive cadencePerfect cadencePlagal cadenceSecondary dominantBackdoor cadenceHalf cadenceMinor plagal

Composition

Tonic endingTonic openingShared chordsVerse in ITonic verseChorus in IChorus in viTonic chorusNon-tonic chorus

Mode

IonianMixolydianLydian

Chord type

majorminordom7

Scale degree

II7II7IIIVivVV7vi♭VII

Chord degree

I–viI–vi–IIvi–IIiv–IIV–♭VII–II–V–vivi–IV–♭VIIIV–ivV–II–IVvi–IVI–VIV–♭VII♭VII–IV–vivi–I–IVIV–iv–Ivi–IV–vi–I–IV♭VII–I–vi–IIIV–♭VII–I–vivi–IV–♭VII–II–IV–ivI–IV–iv–IV–vi–I♭VII–I–vi

Chord shape

Am → DC → AmC → CmC → GC → G → AmC → Am → DC → F → FmC → FC → DAm → FC → F → GC → DmAm → EAm → CAm → C → FAm → F → B♭C7 → FC7 → F → FmAm → C7 → FC → Cm → GC7 → F → Fm → CAm → C7C → D → Bm → EC → F → Fm → CC → F → G → EmC → Dm → F → B♭Am → F → B♭ → CC → D → BmC → Dm → F

Chord literal

F♯m → BDm → AE → AA → EF♯m → A → DA → F♯mA7 → DA → DD → GG → AD → G → AF♯m → DE → F♯mA → D → Dm → AF♯m → AA7 → D → Dm → AF♯m → D → G → AA → D → DmG → A → F♯mE → F♯m → AD → DmA → E → F♯mA → F♯m → B
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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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