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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.”

SongsThe Beatles (The White Album)Martha My Dear
Happiness Is a Warm Gun·I'm So Tired
Martha My Dear1968 · The Beatles (The White Album)
The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

Martha My Dear

1968 · The Beatles (The White Album)

“Hold your head up, you silly girl”

McCartney piano-led music-hall number from the White Album, addressed to his Old English Sheepdog Martha but phrased as if to a woman. Solo McCartney performance with a 14-piece brass and string score by George Martin.
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This song is the only Beatles song with the ABBA song form.

1968ABBA
Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track9 · Side 2 · Side opener
Duration2:28
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon–McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedOctober 4 – 5, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song familyPiano song, Granny song

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Text180 tags

Motif

InstructionalAnatomyLoveChildhoodWomenMadnessAnimalsReal peopleRelationshipPlea

Influence

Music hall influence

Title

Title is a personPerson in titlePronoun in title

Vocabulary

Positive toneCasual language

Narrative

Second personFirst personConversationalImperative

Lyrical device

AnaphoraEpistropheRing composition

Rhyme type

Extrametrical rhymePerfect rhymeIdentical rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusThrough-composed

Sections

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

Section links

Chorus variationIntro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive choruses
Word cloud

Recurring words

bitdearfindforgetotherremembersillythicka bita goodalways beenand mebe gooddays ineach othergood tohave alwaysis alllook aroundlook whatof whatplease rememberspend mythough ito seewhat iswhat you'veyou findyou haveyourself inyourself toall around yougood to mehold your handmeant to bethat you andyou and mewere meant to be

Cover-shared words

allalwaysdayseachgirlgoodhandheadhelpholditlooklovememypleaseseespendtakethoughyouyouryourselfall aroundgood lookmy lovetake athat youto beto mewhen youyou andyour head

Lyric shape

[ADJ] of[VERB] outis [WORD][NOUN] in [NOUN][VERB] yourself to[WORD] around you[WORD] my [ADJ]a [ADJ] [VERB]be [ADJ] tofor [WORD] [WORD]have [WORD] beenin the [ADJ]my [NOUN] into a [NOUN]were [VERB] to[VERB] a [ADJ] [VERB]in the [ADJ] ofwere [VERB] to be

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] to[NOUN] in[NOUN] of[VERB] a[VERB] around[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] to[VERB] up[VERB] what[VERB] you're[VERB] your[VERB] yourself[WORD] around[WORD] been[WORD] i[WORD] my[WORD] toa [ADJ]a [NOUN]be [ADJ]don't [VERB]for [WORD]have [WORD]i [VERB]in [NOUN]my [ADJ]my [NOUN]the [ADJ]to [VERB]were [VERB]you [ADJ]you [VERB]your [NOUN][ADJ] to me[VERB] [VERB] me[VERB] a [ADJ][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] to be[VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] i [VERB][WORD] my [NOUN][WORD] to [VERB]a [NOUN] ofdon't [VERB] mei [VERB] mywhen you [VERB]you [ADJ] [NOUN]i [VERB] my [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

ABCDAABBCDUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Consistent line lengthsUnique line length

Distinctive word

boundconversationinspirationmartha

Music269 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarBass guitarPianoDrumsPercussionHandclapsViolinViolaCelloDouble bassTrumpetTromboneFrench hornFlugelhornTuba

Instrument group

GuitarsOrchestralBrassStringKeyboardsPercussion

Bass work

Descending bassStepwise bass line

Music genre

Music hallBaroque popPop

Influence

Classical music influence

Vocal work

Vocal harmonies

Solo / Riff

Trumpet soloSolo on chorus

Melody

Hemiola

Tempo

Moderate

Key

E♭ majorF majorKey change

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusThrough-composedUnique structure

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Standard choruses (1-3)Has soloHas introHas outroHas instrumentalHas interludeThrough-composed

Section traits

Unique outro

Section links

Chorus variationIntro based on verseSolo on chorus

Repetition

Consecutive choruses

Section transition

V to viiI to I

Harmony

Perfect cadenceJazz cadenceModal mixtureBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsSecondary dominantHalf cadence

Composition

Rich harmonyAll diatonic rootsTonic openingTonic endingChorus in viiVerse in ITonic verseNon-tonic chorus

Mode

DorianIonian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7maj7add9slash chord69

Scale degree

II6II7II9ii7iiIII7iiiiii7IVmaj7IVVV7VI7vi7vi♭VIIVII7IVadd9

Chord degree

III–vivi–IIIV–vi♭VII–VIV–II–IVIV–♭III♭III–IVIV–vi–iiii–V–IV–I–IVII–VV–IVIV–Vvi–iiii–Iii–VVI–iiV–iiVI–IIiii–VIvi–II–VI–iiI–ii–Vii–♭VIIVI–II–VIII–vi–iiI–VIIII–V–IVii–viV–IV–Vii–V–I–IVii–vi–IIII–viii–iiII–vi–II–Vvi–ii–♭VIII–IV–♭IIIii–I–ii–VIV–V–IVii–ii–VV–IIIvi–II–vi–II–VI–IV–♭III–IVV–III–vi–iivi–ii–vi–IIVI–II–V–IVii–♭VII–VII–VII–iiiiii–VI–IIIV–V–IV–VVI–ii–iiiii–iiivi–ii–IV–IV–vi

Chord shape

C → AAm → EmC7 → B♭C → EmAm → FC → Em → AmC → BC → FmC7 → FmAm → AmAm → DAm7 → D7C → FC7 → F7C7 → FC → B♭C → DC → B → EmC → B7 → EmAm → Am → DAm → D → GC → F → B♭C → B♭ → CC → D → CAm → DmAm → GC → DmC → GmC7 → F7 → B♭C → B7C → A → DmC → Gm → C → FAm → D → G → CC → Fm → B♭mC → A7C → Dm → GC → F → E♭Am → Dm7Am → Dm → B♭C → A7 → DmAm → F → EAm → Am7Am → D → Am → D → GAm7 → D7 → G7Am7 → Dm7Am7 → FC → Em → Am → FC → F → B♭ → A♭Am → G → Am → DC → F → E♭ → FAm → Em → AC → B♭ → DmAm → Dm → CAm7 → D7 → G7 → CC → A → Dm → GmAm → D → G → FC → Em → Am7C → Fm → FmAm7 → EmAm → D9C → Dm → G → Dm → G → Dm → GC → F → E♭ → F → E♭ → FAm → D → G → C → B♭C → Gm → C → F → E♭C → B♭ → Dm → GmAm → Dm → Am → DC → B → Em → EmAm7 → Em → A9Am → Am7 → D7C → D → C → DAm → D → BC9 → F7

Chord literal

C → AA → DmDm → GG → CC → B♭B♭ → DmDm → G → CB♭ → Dm → GmC → FF → B♭Gm → C → FC → F → B♭Dm → GmF → GmE♭ → D7Gm → DmGm → CA7 → DmC7 → F7F7 → B♭C → A7D → GmA♭ → B♭C → GmE♭ → DGm7 → C7D7 → GmGm → FA → Dm → GmDm → Gm7B♭ → A♭Gm → F → Gm → CGm7 → C7 → F7B♭ → Dm → Gm7C7 → F7 → B♭D → Gm → GmGm → Gm → CC → A → DmG → C → B♭C7 → B♭Gm → E♭G → Dm
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Studio11 tags

Studio technique

Double tracked vocal

Equipment

Fender EsquireRickenbacker 4001SLudwig Hollywood MapleTrident 8-track recorderSound Techniques consoleGibson Les Paul StandardBechstein grand piano

Recording location

External locationTrident Studios

Session duration

Multi-day

People26 tags

Unique personnel
Role swapMissing Beatle
Line-up
Paul McCartney
Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarBass guitarPianoHandclaps
George Harrison
Electric guitar
Ringo Starr
Drums
Bernard Miller
Violin
Lou Sofier
Violin
Les Maddox
Violin
Dennis Mcconnell
Violin
Henry Myerscough
Viola
Songwriter
Paul McCartney
Producer
George Martin
Orchestral scoring
George Martin
Recording engineer
Ken ScottBarry Sheffield

Info17 tags

Release type

Song on albumSong on Giles Martin remix

US release

Identical release

Release mix

MonoStereo

Label

AppleApple US

Publisher

Northern Songs

Song family

Piano songGranny song

Song type

Original

Duration

Short
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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.

Updated 2026-06-03

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The Beatles (The White Album) album cover
VinylCD

affiliate link – supports this wiki

Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track9 · Side 2 · Side opener
Duration2:28
Songwriter(s)McCartney
Credited asLennon–McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedOctober 4 – 5, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song family
Piano song
Granny song
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