Beatlesongs.wiki
SongsPlease Please MeMisery
Please Please Me album cover

“The world is treating me bad”

Lennon and McCartney wrote this for Helen Shapiro on the 1963 tour bus; her management rejected it, so the Beatles cut it themselves. Kenny Lynch's cover became the first ever Lennon-McCartney song recorded by another artist.
VinylCD

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Year1963
AlbumPlease Please Me
Track2 · Side 1
Duration1:47
Songwriter(s)Lennon, McCartney
Lead VocalJohn, Paul
RecordedFebruary 11 – February 20, 1963
ReleasedMarch 22, 1963

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Text177 tags

Motif

RelationshipPleaNumbersNostalgiaLoneliness

Title

One-word title

Vocabulary

Negative tone

Narrative

Third personConfessionalFirst person

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeIdentical rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA form

Sections

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

Section links

Intro based on verseOutro based on verseOutro based on bridgeVerse variation

Repetition

Recurring verseConsecutive wordRecurring lineConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

drageveryoneguyremembersendwithoutalways beback tobe inbe thefor sureher backher iher nowi'm theit's gonnakind oflonely onelost herno moresee hersend herthe littlethe onlyto crywill bewithout herwon't seeall the littleback to mei will beit's gonna beremember all theshe'll always bethe kind ofthe only onethe world isbe the only one

Cover-shared words

allalwaysbackbadcausecryherkindlittlelonelylostmemiserymissmoremynevernowohoneoohseesheshe'llsurethingsworldall theand shebe acan seegonna bei willi won'tin miserythe kindthe worldto meused togonna be a

Lyric shape

[ADJ] one[NOUN] can[NOUN] is[WORD] befor [ADJ]one [ADJ]who [WORD][NOUN] can [VERB][NOUN] is [VERB][NOUN] of [NOUN][VERB] and she[WORD] [ADJ] to[WORD] [VERB] her[WORD] [WORD] be[WORD] be thebe a [NOUN]me [ADJ] [WORD]she [VERB] [WORD]the [NOUN] isthe [NOUN] ofwon't [VERB] her[VERB] [WORD] [WORD] be[VERB] me [ADJ] [WORD][WORD] the [ADJ] [WORD]gonna be a [NOUN]she [VERB] [WORD] [WORD]she [WORD] [VERB] herthe [NOUN] is [VERB]the [NOUN] of [NOUN]

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] to[ADV] for[ADV] to[NOUN] of[VERB] and[VERB] her[VERB] me[WORD] her[WORD] thea [NOUN]can [VERB]her [ADV]i'll [VERB]i've [VERB]in [WORD]is [VERB]me [ADJ]my [WORD]no [WORD]of [NOUN]she [VERB]she [WORD]the [ADJ]the [NOUN]to [VERB]won't [VERB][ADJ] to [VERB][ADV] to me[VERB] [WORD] the[VERB] her [ADV][VERB] me [ADJ][WORD] [VERB] and[WORD] the [ADJ]a [NOUN] [WORD]i won't [VERB]i'll [VERB] [WORD]in [WORD] [WORD]she [WORD] [VERB]the [ADJ] [WORD]and she [WORD] [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

AAAAAAAB

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

treating
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Music102 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarPianoDrums

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboards

Keyboard work

Piano soloKeyboard solo

Music genre

MerseybeatPop

Vocal work

Ooh vocalsTwo-part harmonyVocal harmonies

Solo / Riff

Piano soloKeyboard solo

Tempo

Moderate

Key

C major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusAABABAAABA form

Sections

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

Section links

Intro based on verseOutro based on verseOutro based on bridgeSolo on outroVerse variation

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

vi to viV to II to vi

Harmony

Plagal cadenceThree-chord trickHalf cadencePerfect cadence

Composition

Only basic triadsNon-tonic openingVerse in ITonic verseChorus in viNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminor

Scale degree

IIVVvi

Chord degree

V–I–viI–IVIV–II–IV–VIV–VV–Ivi–VIV–V–II–viIV–I–IV–Vvi–IIV–V–I–viI–IV–I–IV–VIV–I–IV–V–II–IV–V–I–viI–vi–Vvi–I–vi–V

Chord shape

C → F → DmC → GC → F → GAm → CC → DC → D → GAm → GC → FC → AmC → Am → GC → F → C → F → GC → D → G → EmC → G → C → DC → G → C → D → GC → F → G → C → AmAm → C → Am → G

Chord literal

G → C → AmC → FF → CF → GF → G → CG → CC → AmAm → GAm → CC → F → GF → G → C → AmC → F → G → C → AmC → F → C → F → GAm → C → Am → G
You might also like:John Legend – Teaches SongwritingHarmony & Voice Leading

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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.

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