Beatlesongs.wiki
SongsWith The BeatlesLittle Child
With The Beatles album cover

Little Child

1963 · With The Beatles

“Won't you dance with me?”

A Lennon-McCartney album filler written quickly to give Ringo a vocal - though John ended up taking the lead with Paul harmonizing. Built on a 12-bar foundation with John's harmonica weaving through the verses.
CD

affiliate link - supports this wiki

Year1963
AlbumWith The Beatles
Track5 · Side 1
Duration1:46
Songwriter(s)Lennon, McCartney
Lead VocalJohn, Paul
RecordedSeptember 11 – October 3, 1963
ReleasedNovember 22, 1963

● tap a tag for its page and notes

Text169 tags

Motif

DanceLonelinessSadnessPleaRelationshipLoveChildhoodQuestionLuck

Influence

Chuck Berry influenceR&B influence

Vocabulary

Casual languageNegative tone

Narrative

ConversationalFirst personSecond personImperative

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeIdentical rhymeInternal rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA form12-bar blues

Sections

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

Section links

Verse variationChorus variationOutro based on verseIntro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring verseRecurring fade lineConsecutive lineConsecutive wordConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

childsidesomeonea chanceby mycome comefeel soi'm solittle childmake youme ohso comethe onlyyou're theby my sideme oh yeahthe only oneto make youyeah come onyou're the onlyto make you feelyou dance with mecome on come on come on

Cover-shared words

allbabychancecomedancefeelfinefunhidelittlelonelymakememinemyohonerunsadsometakewantyeahyouand lonelycome ondance withdon't youif youoh yeahso finesome funtake ato makewhen you'rewith mewon't youyou feelyou wantyou're minedance with meif you wantrun and hidesad and lonelywe'll have some fun

Lyric shape

[NOUN] with mea [NOUN] withby my [NOUN]don't you [VERB]i'm so [ADJ]just [VERB] onyou [VERB] [NOUN][WORD] [VERB] on [VERB]if you [VERB] [NOUN]to [VERB] you [VERB][VERB] on [VERB] on [VERB] on

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] and[NOUN] with[NOUN] won't[VERB] a[VERB] and[VERB] on[VERB] so[VERB] with[VERB] youa [NOUN]and [ADJ]and [VERB]have [WORD]just [VERB]me [WORD]mine [WORD]my [NOUN]on [VERB]so [ADJ]so [NOUN]so [VERB]to [VERB]you [VERB][ADJ] and [ADJ][VERB] [VERB] on[VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] and [VERB][VERB] on [VERB][VERB] so [NOUN][VERB] with me[VERB] you [VERB][WORD] [VERB] onhave [WORD] [WORD]if you [VERB]me [WORD] [WORD]so [VERB] [VERB]to [VERB] youwon't you [VERB]you [VERB] soyou're mine [WORD][NOUN] [VERB] a [NOUN]we'll have [WORD] [WORD]you [VERB] and [VERB]you [VERB] so [NOUN]you [VERB] with me[VERB] you [VERB] so [NOUN][ADJ] [NOUN] won't you [VERB] with[NOUN] won't you [VERB] with me

Rhyme scheme

ABACCABCBABCBDABABCUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Unique line length
You might also like:The Beatles Illustrated LyricsRevolution in the Head

affiliate link - supports this wiki

Music151 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarPianoDrumsHarmonica

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboards

Music genre

RockRock and roll

Vocal work

Ooh vocalsVocal harmonies

Solo / Riff

Harmonica riff

Melody

Appoggiatura

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

E major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusAABABAAABA form12-bar blues

Sections

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

Section links

Verse variationChorus variationOutro based on verseIntro based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to I

Harmony

Modal mixtureBorrowed chordSecondary dominantParallel harmonyHalf cadencePerfect cadenceCircle of fifthsPlagal cadenceRock/Mixolydian cadence

Composition

All major chordsTonic openingTonic endingVerse in ITonic verseChorus in ITonic chorus

Mode

IonianLydian

Chord type

majordom79

Scale degree

II7II9IIIVIV7VV7

Chord degree

I–VI–IVIV–II–IV–IV–IVIV–IIII–VIV–I–VI–V–IVI–IV–I–VV–II–IIV–I–III–II–VV–IV–III–V–IV–IV–II–V–II–V–I–II–VIV–II–V–IIV–II–VI–IV–I–V–IVI–IV–I–V–IV–I–V

Chord shape

C → FC → GC → G7C → F → CC → B♭C → AC → G → DC → G → FC → F → C → GC → DC → F → GC → D → GC7 → F7C7 → B♭7C → B♭ → FC → F → B♭C7 → F7 → C7 → G7C → G → F → DC → B♭ → G → C → FC → F → C7C7 → F7 → C7 → G7 → F7 → C7 → G7C9 → FC → B♭ → GC → A → D → GC7 → F7 → C7 → G7 → F7C → A → DC → F → C → G → FC7 → G7C → G → C → DC7 → G7 → D7C → F → C → G → F → C → GC → G → C → D → GC7 → G7 → F7C7 → B♭7 → F7

Chord literal

E → AA → EB → AB → EE7 → A7E → F♯ → BF♯ → B → EE → B → E → F♯E → A → E → B → A → E → BE7 → A7 → E7 → B7 → A7 → E7 → B7A → F♯ → B → EE7 → A7 → E7 → B7 → A7E → F♯E7 → B7 → A7A → F♯B7 → A7E → A → EE → A → E → B → AE → A → E → BE7 → A7 → E7 → B7E7 → B7A7 → E7A → E7E → BE → B → AA → E → BB → A → EF♯ → B
You might also like:Harmony & Voice LeadingThe Musician's Guide to Theory

affiliate link - supports this wiki

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

Feedback

Got a tag idea for Little Child? Or think we've got it all wrong - no, no, no? Don't let it be.