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SongsYellow SubmarineOnly a Northern Song
Yellow Submarine album cover

Only a Northern Song

1969 · Yellow Submarine

“You may think the chords are going wrong”

A Harrison composition for Yellow Submarine, lead vocal by Harrison. Originally recorded as a Sgt. Pepper outtake and revived months later with discordant trumpet, glockenspiel, off-key piano and organ overdubs.
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Year1969
AlbumYellow Submarine
Track2 · Side 1
Duration3:24
Songwriter(s)Harrison
Lead VocalGeorge
RecordedFebruary 13 – April 20, 1967
ReleasedJanuary 17, 1969

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Text190 tags

Motif

Self reflectionMusicSocial commentaryClothesAnatomyTime referenceTimeChildhoodDarknessCommunication

Title

Title in chorus

Vocabulary

Dark lyricsCasual languageNegative tone

Narrative

First personConversationalSecond person

Lyrical device

Beatles referenceIronyWordplayDouble meaning

Rhyme type

Identical rhymeFeminine rhymeHalf rhymeInternal rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

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

Section links

Chorus variationVerse variationIntro based on verseOutro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

browndarkkeyquitesongare goingbut theybut they'rehow ii toldif you'reit isit's onlylike thatmy hairno oneof dayonly athe bandthere's nothey aretold youwe justyou mayyou thinkand i toldand out ofi told youit like thatit's only ano one thereout of keythere's nobody thereyou think the

Cover-shared words

bandclothesdaygoinghairitlatelikelittlemattermynightnobodyoneplayrightsaytheretheythinktimetoldwewearwordswrongyoua littleand iat nighti sayif youit doesn'tmatter whatout ofplay itwhen it'swhen you'rewords i

Lyric shape

[ADV] at[NOUN] is[VERB] or[WORD] are[WORD] orare [VERB]may [VERB]not [WORD]one [ADV]or [NOUN]there's [NOUN]what [NOUN]what [WORD][NOUN] is [ADJ][NOUN] it is[NOUN] of [NOUN][VERB] [ADV] at[VERB] what [WORD][WORD] are [VERB]i [VERB] orif you're [VERB]no one [ADV]out of [NOUN]the [NOUN] arethere's [NOUN] [ADV]we just [VERB]you may [VERB]you're [VERB] [ADV]you're [VERB] to[VERB] it [VERB] thata [ADJ] [NOUN] andand i [VERB] youand out of [NOUN]if you [VERB] theyou may [VERB] the [NOUN]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] and[NOUN] are[NOUN] i[NOUN] it[NOUN] of[VERB] it[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] what[VERB] you[WORD] ia [ADJ]at [NOUN]i [VERB]i [WORD]is [ADJ]it [VERB]just [VERB]my [NOUN]of [NOUN]really [VERB]the [NOUN]the [WORD]this [NOUN]you [VERB]you're [VERB][ADJ] [NOUN] and[NOUN] i [VERB][VERB] it [VERB][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] the [WORD][WORD] i [VERB]a [ADJ] [NOUN]and i [VERB]i [VERB] youif you [VERB]my [NOUN] isyou [VERB] themy [NOUN] is [ADJ]you [VERB] the [WORD]

Rhyme scheme

AABCCABCAABC

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

chordscorrectfareharmonylisteningnorthernwrote
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Music115 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsBass guitarPianoOrganMellotronDrumsPercussionTambourineTimpaniTrumpetGlockenspielNoisesSound effects

Instrument group

BrassKeyboardsPercussion

Music genre

Avant-gardeRockPsychedelic

Influence

Psychedelia influenceAvant-garde influence

Tempo

Moderate

Key

A majorB minorKey change

Time signature

3/44/4Time signature change

Song form

Verse-chorusUnique structure

Sections

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

Section links

Chorus variationVerse variationIntro based on verseOutro based on verseInstrumental on chorusInstrumental on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

ii to VI to I

Harmony

Borrowed chordCircle of fifthsSecondary dominantPerfect cadencePedal point

Composition

No subdominantTonic openingNon-tonic endingChorus in VVerse in ITonic verseNon-tonic chorus

Mode

IonianDorian

Chord type

majordom7min7slash chord

Scale degree

Ii7II7ii7IVV7♭VI♭VII

Chord degree

V–i–IVi–♭VIII–VIV–♭VIIV–ii–IVI–iiIV–ii–IV–♭VII

Chord shape

C → Fm → B♭Am → D → GC → DmC → GmAm → FC → FAm → DC7 → F7C → FmC → F♯C → Fm → B♭ → E♭Am7 → DC7 → Fm7C → Gm7Am7 → FC → F → B♭mAm7 → D → GC → F♯7C → F → B♭m → E♭C → Gm → E♭

Chord literal

E → ABm → GBm → EA → BmBm → E → AF♯ → BmC♯ → F♯E → BmC♯7 → F♯7F♯ → Bm → EE → Bm → GG → C♯7E → Bm7Bm7 → GG → C♯
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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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