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SongsRubber SoulNorwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Rubber Soul album cover

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

1965 · Rubber Soul

“And when I awoke, I was alone”

Lennon's coded confession of an extramarital affair, set to a 6/8 acoustic figure and ornamented by Harrison's sitar - the first appearance of the instrument on a Western pop record. A folk-rock landmark on Rubber Soul that opened the door to raga rock.
VinylCDMerch

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Year1965
AlbumRubber Soul
Track2 · Side 1
Duration2:05
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedOctober 12 & 21, 1965
ReleasedDecember 3, 1965

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Text194 tags

Motif

Place namesStorytellingRelationshipCharacterWomenTimeSexFood and drinksFireTime referenceHomeAutobiographySleepAnimalsLonelinessNostalgiaCommunicationDialogueQuestion

Influence

Bob Dylan influenceFolk influence

Title

Long titleTwo titles

Vocabulary

Negative toneCasual languageRich vocabulary

Narrative

First personVignette

Lyrical device

Double meaningWordplay

Rhyme type

Internal rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

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

Section links

Intro based on verseOutro based on verseChorus variationSolo based on verse

Repetition

Recurring verseRecurring line
Word cloud

Recurring words

askedbedbirdfirelaughlookedonceroomsleepwoodher ii lookedi noticedi toldi wasit's timemy timeshe toldshe workedshould ito laughto sittold meand when ii was aloneit's time forto stay andtold her iand she told me

Cover-shared words

aloneawokebathchairdrinkinggirlgoodheritmemorningmysaidsayshesitstaytheretimetoldtwountilwewinea girland iand sheand startedand thenand whenhad ai didn'ti sayme sheme toshe saidso itime forto staywhen iin the morning

Lyric shape

[NOUN] hadfor [NOUN]had [WORD]it [ADJ]was [ADJ][NOUN] for [NOUN][VERB] and she[VERB] her i[VERB] in the[VERB] on theand she [VERB]had a [NOUN]i [VERB] aroundi was [ADJ]me to [VERB]on the [WORD]she [VERB] inshould i [VERB]so i [VERB]we [VERB] [WORD]when i [WORD][VERB] in the [NOUN][VERB] me to [VERB][VERB] on the [WORD]and she [VERB] meit's [NOUN] for [NOUN]to [VERB] in thewe [VERB] [WORD] [WORD][VERB] in the [NOUN] and

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] and[NOUN] for[VERB] and[VERB] around[VERB] her[VERB] in[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] off[VERB] on[VERB] to[WORD] a[WORD] hada [NOUN]and [VERB]her [NOUN]i [VERB]i [WORD]it's [NOUN]my [NOUN]she [VERB]she [WORD]the [NOUN]the [WORD]this [NOUN]to [VERB]we [VERB][NOUN] and [VERB][VERB] her [NOUN][VERB] me she[VERB] me to[VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][WORD] a [NOUN]and [VERB] toand i [VERB]i [VERB] [ADV]i [VERB] heri [WORD] hadin the [NOUN]she [VERB] methe [NOUN] andto [VERB] [ADV]to [VERB] andto [VERB] in[NOUN] and [VERB] toand [VERB] to [VERB]the [NOUN] and [VERB][NOUN] and [VERB] to [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

ABBCDDAAABCDEE

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

anywherebidingcrawledflownlitnorwegianrugsatshowedtalked
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Music98 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsAcoustic guitarBass guitarDrumsPercussionTambourineSitar12-string guitarBody percussion

Instrument group

GuitarsIndianPercussion

Guitar work

FingerpickingCapo

Drum work

No drums

Music genre

Indian classicalFolkRaga rockFolk rockRock

Influence

Indian music influence

Vocal work

Vocal harmoniesTwo-part harmonyBody percussion

Solo / Riff

Sitar riffSitar soloSolo based on verseSolo on verse

Tempo

Moderate

Key

E majorE minorKey change

Time signature

6/8

Song form

Verse-chorusABABA

Sections

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

Section links

Intro based on verseOutro based on verseChorus variationSolo based on verseSolo on verse

Section transition

I to iV to I

Harmony

Borrowed chordBackdoor cadenceHalf cadenceParallel minor tonicDroneDouble plagalCircle of fifthsPlagal cadenceParallel harmony

Composition

Major to minorMinor to majorTonic openingTonic endingOnly basic triadsVerse in ITonic verseChorus in iTonic chorus

Mode

MixolydianDorian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7

Scale degree

Iii7iiIVV7V♭VII

Chord degree

ii–Vi–IVI–♭VIII–♭VII–IV♭VII–IVIV–IIV–i

Chord shape

Am → DC → GmC → B♭C → GC → B♭ → FAm → BmAm → Bm → E

Chord literal

F♯m → BEm → AE → DD → AA → EE → D → AEm → F♯mA → Em
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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.

External entity links: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz recording · MusicBrainz work · Wikidata

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