“Ocean child calls me”
Lennon's tender solo-acoustic tribute to his mother Julia, who died when he was 17, with the 'ocean child' line addressing Yoko Ono. The only Beatles track recorded by Lennon alone on vocal and guitar.
advertisement
Did you know?more like this →
This song is the only Beatles song with the AAABAAAA song form.
Track17 · Side closer · Side 2
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedOctober 13, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song familyFragile LennonRaw vulnerability addressing dead mother, Written in India
● hover for more info● long-press tags for more info
Text171 tags
Word cloud
Lyric shape
[NOUN] isis [WORD]only [VERB][NOUN] is [VERB][VERB] [NOUN] is[VERB] for [WORD][VERB] in the[VERB] is [WORD]i [VERB] isjust to [VERB]of [VERB] [WORD]so i [VERB]when i [WORD][NOUN] of [VERB] [WORD][VERB] a [NOUN] of[VERB] in the [NOUN]a [NOUN] of [VERB]i [VERB] a [NOUN]just to [VERB] you[VERB] a [NOUN] of [VERB]it just to [VERB] youjust to [VERB] you [WORD]
Cover-shared shape
[NOUN] of[VERB] a[VERB] for[VERB] in[VERB] is[VERB] it[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] you[WORD] ofa [NOUN]for [WORD]her [NOUN]i [VERB]i [WORD]is [VERB]my [NOUN]of [VERB]the [NOUN]to [VERB]you [WORD][NOUN] [VERB] me[NOUN] of [VERB][VERB] [VERB] me[VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] you [WORD][WORD] [VERB] mya [NOUN] ofbut i [VERB]i [VERB] ai [VERB] iti [WORD] [VERB]in the [NOUN]my [NOUN] [WORD]to [VERB] youwhat i [VERB][ADJ] [NOUN] [VERB] me[VERB] my [NOUN] [WORD][WORD] [VERB] my [NOUN]to [VERB] you [WORD]
Distinctive word
glimmeringjuliameaninglessreachseashellshimmeringsilent
Music140 tags
Chord shape
C → AmAm → EmAm → FAm → CAm → Em → GAm → GmAm → AmAm → BC → A♭C → CmAm → EC → Cm → GAm → E → D♭mC → FAm → C → FAm7 → Am6Am7 → Gm7Am7 → EmC → Cm → G → EmAm7 → Am6 → AmAm → B♭ → Gm7Am → F → Dm7C → Am → EmC → Am7C → Am → AmAm → B♭Am → Am → AmAm → F → DmC → Am → Em → GAm → Em → CAm → E → D♭m → A♭mAm → Em → G → CAm → Am → EmAm → B♭ → Gm
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.
Updated
advertisement
Feedback
Got a tag idea for Julia? Or think we've got it all wrong – no, no, no? Don't let it be.