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© 2026 Nadav (Nahdi) Lazar. Beatles music © Apple Corps. Fan-made – not affiliated with The Beatles or Apple Corps.

“In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

SongsPast MastersLady Madonna
Good Night·The Inner Light
Lady Madonna1968 · Past Masters
Past Masters album cover

Lady Madonna

1968 · Past Masters

“Friday night arrives without a suitcase”

McCartney's boogie-woogie tribute to working mothers, inspired by Humphrey Lyttelton's 'Bad Penny Blues' and a National Geographic photo of a Maori mother and child. The Beatles' final single released through EMI before Apple Records. A promotional film shot at EMI Studios on 11 February 1968 accompanied the single.
VinylCD

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Did you know?more like this →

The Beatles have 12 songs where the piano carries the track, including 'Good Day Sunshine', 'Lovely Rita', 'The Fool on the Hill', 'Your Mother Should Know', 'Hey Jude', 'Lady Madonna' and 6 more.

Good Day SunshineLovely RitaThe Fool on the HillPiano song
Year1968
AlbumPast Masters
Track23
Duration2:18
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon–McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedFebruary 3 – February 6, 1968
ReleasedMarch 15, 1968 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)
Song familyPiano song, Referenced in songby Glass Onion

● hover for more info● long-press tags for more info

Text207 tags

Motif

Social commentaryNursery rhymeMusicQuestionClothesAnatomyChildhoodSelf reflectionDarknessCharacterMotherFamilyWorkMoneyReligionTimeWomen

Influence

Music hall influenceR&B influence

Title

Title is a personPerson in titleWoman in title

Vocabulary

Nonsense wordsPositive tone

Narrative

Second personObservationalVignette

Lyrical device

AnaphoraSimileRhetorical question

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeFeminine rhymeHalf rhymeMulti-syllabic rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

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

Section links

Verse variationChorus variationIntro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring verseRecurring line
Word cloud

Recurring words

bedchildchildrenfeedfridayheavenlearnedlyingmeetmendingneededrentresttuesdaywithoutwonderwondersat yourdid youlady madonnalisten tosee howthat moneythey runthink thatwednesday morningwithout ayou thinkin your headlisten to theyou think thatsee how they runto make ends meet

Cover-shared words

babycomefeetheadhislikelistenmakemoneymorningmusicnevernightpayplayingrunseesentsundaytheythinkyouyourhow youin yourlike asunday morningthe musicto makewhen youyour feetyour head

Lyric shape

[NOUN] has[NOUN] is[NOUN] was[VERB] athis [WORD]is [WORD]who [VERB][NOUN] [VERB] in[NOUN] has [VERB][NOUN] is [WORD][NOUN] was [NOUN][VERB] his [WORD][VERB] how you[VERB] on the[WORD] [NOUN] at[WORD] [NOUN] is[WORD] [VERB] at[WORD] didn't [VERB]at your [NOUN]did you [VERB]the [NOUN] whento [VERB] histo [VERB] theto the [NOUN][NOUN] [WORD] [VERB] at[NOUN] has [VERB] to[VERB] [WORD] a [WORD][VERB] how they [VERB][VERB] in your [NOUN][VERB] on the [NOUN][VERB] that [NOUN] was[VERB] to [VERB] his[VERB] to [VERB] the[VERB] to the [NOUN]the [NOUN] [VERB] into [VERB] the [NOUN]to the [NOUN] [VERB]who [VERB] the [NOUN][NOUN] [WORD] [VERB] on the[VERB] to [VERB] [WORD] [VERB][VERB] to [VERB] the [NOUN]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] at[NOUN] when[NOUN] your[VERB] his[VERB] how[VERB] in[VERB] on[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] to[WORD] aa [WORD]didn't [VERB]has [VERB]that [NOUN]the [NOUN]they [VERB]to [VERB]was [NOUN]you [VERB]your [NOUN]your [WORD][NOUN] when you[VERB] [WORD] a[VERB] like a[VERB] that [NOUN][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] to the[WORD] [VERB] on[WORD] a [WORD]has [VERB] tohow you [VERB]in your [NOUN]like a [WORD]on the [NOUN]the [NOUN] [VERB]to [VERB] [WORD]when you [VERB]you [VERB] thatyou [VERB] theyou [VERB] toyour [WORD] [VERB][VERB] like a [WORD][VERB] to [VERB] [WORD]has [VERB] to [VERB]you [VERB] that [NOUN]you [VERB] the [NOUN]you [VERB] to [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

AAAAABABXBAABBABAB

Line length

10-10-10-1010-1010-11Unique line length

Distinctive word

afternoonarrivesbootlacebreastcreepingendingfindsmanagemonday'snunpa-papa-pa-papa-pa-pa-papa-pa-pa-pa-papapersstockingssuitcasethursdaytie

Music246 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarBass guitarPianoDrumsPercussionHandclapsSaxophoneTenor saxophoneBaritone saxophone

Instrument group

GuitarsWoodwindKeyboardsPercussion

Bass work

Walking bassBass riff

Drum work

Brushes

Music genre

Rock and rollRockPopBoogie-woogie

Influence

Blues influenceBoogie-woogie influence

Vocal work

Vocals on soloVocal harmoniesScat singing

Solo / Riff

Defining riffBass riff

Melody

AppoggiaturaBlue noteDefining riff

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

A major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABABA

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Standard choruses (1-3)Has introHas solo

Section traits

Long chorus

Section links

Verse variationChorus variationIntro based on verse

Section transition

V to I

Harmony

Plagal cadenceModal mixtureBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsSecondary dominantHalf cadencePerfect cadenceParallel harmonyChromatic mediant

Composition

Tonic openingTonic endingVerse in ITonic verseChorus in ITonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majordom7min7slash chord

Scale degree

II7♭IIIIVIV7iv7V7V♭VI♭VI7♭VII7

Chord degree

IV–♭VII♭III–IV–IV–VV–I–IV–IV–I–IVIV–♭VII–♭IIII–IV–♭VIII–IVIV–IIV–♭VI♭VI–♭III♭VII–♭III♭III–♭VI♭VI–Viv–♭VII–♭III♭VI–V–Iiv–♭VII♭VI–I♭VII–♭III–IV–I–IV–I–IVI–IV–♭VII–♭IIIIV–♭VII–♭III–IV–I–IV–I–IV–IV–I–IV–♭VII♭III–I–IV♭VI–V–VI–IV–♭VIV–I–IV–♭VII–♭IIIV–I–IV–I–IV–I–IViv–♭VII–♭III–♭VI♭VII–♭III–I–IVI–IV–♭VI–♭III♭VI–V–I–IV–I♭VI–♭III–iv♭III–♭VI–V

Chord shape

C → F → AC → AC → CC → C7C → F → B♭ → FC → F → D → GC → F → B♭ → E♭C → F → DC → F → B♭C7 → F → B♭C → E → AC → FC → GC → E♭C → DmAm → DAm7 → D7C7 → FC → EC7 → F7C → BC → E♭ → B♭C → G → AmAm → D → GAm7 → D7 → GC → F → B♭ → E♭ → DAm → D → G → CC7 → F7 → B♭C → B → EC7 → F7 → B♭7C → Dm7C → F → B♭ → F → B♭C7 → F → D7C → A7C → A → DC → Dm → GC → E7C → F → B♭ → GC → A7 → D7C → F → EC7 → B7C/G → GC → G → Am → DC → F → B♭ → F → B♭ → FC7 → F7 → B♭7 → E♭Am7 → D7 → G → CC → F → A♭C → F → A7C7 → E♭7C → F/CC → G → Am → D → GC7 → F7 → B♭ → E♭C → F → B♭ → DC → E7 → A7C → B → BC → F → B♭ → F → B♭ → F → B♭C → F → B♭ → E♭ → A♭C → F → A♭ → E♭C → Dm7 → G7C7 → B7 → EC → E♭ → DC → E♭ → B♭ → Cm → F → B♭C7 → F7 → B♭7 → E♭7 → A♭C → Dm → G → C → FAm → D → G → C → EC7 → F7 → B♭ → G7C7 → F → B♭/F → FC → B → E → A → EC7 → F → B♭ → D7C7 → F → D7 → G7C → E♭ → D → GC7 → E♭7 → D7C → F → A → DC → A → D → FC7 → B7 → E7C → B → B7

Chord literal

D → GC → AE → AE7 → AA → D → G → CD → G → CA → D → GDm7 → G7 → CA → DD → AF → CDm → GDm7 → G7G → CC → FDm → G → CA7 → D7E7 → A7D → FD7 → G7E → EF → E → AA → D/AG7 → CE → A → DF → EE → A → D → AG → C → FC → DmE → E7C → A7D7 → G7 → CG → C → AE → A → D → A → DE → A → D → GC → A → DF7 → E7F → AA7 → D7 → G7 → CDm → G → C → FD → G → C → AC → A7 → D7G7 → C → FC → Dm → GD7 → F7D/A → AD7 → G7 → C → A7D7 → G7 → C → FD → G → C → FG → C → A → DD7 → F7 → E7E7 → A7 → D7F → C → DmF → E → E7D → F → EF → E → EC → Dm7
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Studio16 tags

Studio technique

Vocal effectFade-outClose mic'ingDouble tracked vocalReduction mixDistortion

Equipment

Rickenbacker 4001SEMI REDD.51 consoleEpiphone Casino ES-230TDStuder J37 4-track recorderLudwig Super ClassicGibson SGHamburg Steinway

Recording location

EMI Studio 3EMI Studios

Session duration

Multi-day
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People16 tags

Unique personnel
Role swap
Line-up
John Lennon
Backing vocalsElectric lead guitarHandclaps
Paul McCartney
Lead vocalsBacking vocalsBass guitarPianoHandclaps
George Harrison
Backing vocalsElectric lead guitarHandclaps
Ringo Starr
DrumsHandclaps
Ronnie Scott
Tenor saxophone
Bill Povey
Tenor saxophone
Harry Klein
Baritone saxophone
Bill Jackman
Baritone saxophone
Songwriter
Paul McCartney
Producer
George Martin
Recording engineer
Geoff EmerickKen Scott
Assistant engineer
Jerry BoysRichard Lush

Info26 tags

Release type

SingleA-Side singleSong on compilationSong on AnthologySong on Love

US release

Hey JudeIdentical release

Release mix

MonoStereo

Label

ParlophoneCapitolApple US

Publisher

Northern Songs

Song family

Piano songReferenced in song

Song type

Original

Duration

Short

Chart performance

Number one UKTop 10 UKTop 40 USTop 10 US

Cultural impact

Promotional videoWidely covered
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 2026-08-09

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Past Masters album cover
VinylCD

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Year1968
AlbumPast Masters
Track23
Duration2:18
Songwriter(s)McCartney
Credited asLennon–McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedFebruary 3 – February 6, 1968
ReleasedMarch 15, 1968 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)
Song family
Piano song
Referenced in song

by Glass Onion

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