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SongsPast MastersPaperback Writer
Past Masters album cover

Paperback Writer

1966 · Past Masters

“Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?”

McCartney's pitch-letter from an aspiring novelist, written on a single droning chord inspired by Long Tall Sally. The Beatles' tenth UK No.1 and a sonic leap - Emerick boosted Paul's bass by miking it through a loudspeaker. Its promotional films, shot at Chiswick House in May 1966, are cited among the first music videos.
VinylCD

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Year1966
AlbumPast Masters
Track21
Duration2:18
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedApril 13–14, 1966
ReleasedJune 10, 1966 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)
Song familyCharacter songTwin songsTwin of Rain: same 1966 sessions, shared chords and sound.

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Text280 tags

Motif

QuestionWorkMoneyCharacterPleaFamilyCommunicationStorytellingMedia

Influence

Music hall influenceR&B influenceLiterary influence

Vocabulary

Neutral toneCasual languageForeign language

Narrative

Second personConversationalPersonaFirst person

Lyrical device

Non-Beatles referencePastiche

Rhyme type

Identical rhymeInternal rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

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

Section links

Outro based on introIntro based on verseOutro based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive lineRecurring lineRecurring fade lineConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

changedearfewlongernamedovernightroundsendsirsonstorystylethousandunderstandwantswifeworkingwritingyearsa dirtya fewa milliona thousandand hiscan havehave thehe wantsi couldi'll beit tookit youmake itor tworeally likeround andsend itwill youworking foryou likeyou mustyou takea steady joband i wanthe wants toit took meto be ayou take aa week or two

Cover-shared words

bookbreakdirtygiveheherehisitlikelookmailmakemanmemoremyneedreadreturntaketooktwowantwritewriteryoua mana weekand ibe abut hebut ifor youi cani needi wantif youit's alike itlike themake aneed aso itake ato bewant toyou canbut i needi need ai want towant to bei want to be

Lyric shape

[NOUN] but[NOUN] by[NOUN] is[VERB] or[VERB] will[WORD] orbe [NOUN]could [VERB]it [ADJ]it [WORD]or [VERB]or [WORD][ADJ] [NOUN] but[ADJ] [NOUN] of[ADJ] and i[NOUN] [WORD] in[NOUN] is [VERB][NOUN] of a[NOUN] or [WORD][NOUN] so i[VERB] and i[VERB] for the[VERB] it [ADJ][VERB] it [ADV][VERB] it [WORD][VERB] on a[VERB] or [VERB][WORD] in a[WORD] or [WORD][WORD] will youa [NOUN] anda [NOUN] bybe a [WORD]by a [NOUN]could [VERB] itfor you [WORD]have the [WORD]he [VERB] toi could [VERB]in a [NOUN]it [VERB] mereally [VERB] itso i [VERB]will you [VERB]you must [VERB][NOUN] is [VERB] for[VERB] a [NOUN] and[VERB] and i [VERB]a [ADJ] [NOUN] ofa [NOUN] by aa [NOUN] or [WORD]a [WORD] [NOUN] [WORD]a [WORD] [WORD] [VERB]a [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]and i [VERB] tobe a [WORD] [NOUN]but i [VERB] ai [VERB] a [NOUN]it's a [ADJ] [NOUN]the [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]you can [VERB] it[VERB] for the [ADJ] [NOUN][VERB] to be a [WORD]a [NOUN] or [WORD] [WORD]but i [VERB] a [NOUN] and

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] and[NOUN] of[NOUN] or[NOUN] so[NOUN] to[VERB] a[VERB] and[VERB] for[VERB] it[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] on[VERB] to[WORD] for[WORD] if[WORD] in[WORD] willa [ADJ]a [NOUN]a [WORD]can [VERB]doesn't [VERB]he [VERB]his [NOUN]his [VERB]i [VERB]is [VERB]it [VERB]it's [VERB]me [NOUN]must [VERB]my [NOUN]really [VERB]the [ADJ]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]you [VERB]you [WORD][NOUN] to [VERB][VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] a [WORD][VERB] me [NOUN][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] to be[WORD] for youa [ADJ] [NOUN]a [NOUN] [VERB]a [NOUN] ora [WORD] [NOUN]a [WORD] [WORD]and i [VERB]but he [VERB]but i [VERB]his [VERB] [NOUN]i [VERB] ai [VERB] toi can [VERB]if you [VERB]like the [NOUN]on a [NOUN]the [ADJ] [NOUN]the [NOUN] [WORD]the [WORD] [WORD]you [VERB] ayou [VERB] myyou [WORD] [WORD]you can [VERB][VERB] a [WORD] [WORD][WORD] if you [VERB]i [VERB] to beyou [VERB] a [NOUN]you [VERB] my [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

AABCCAAAA

Line length

10-10-10-10Unique line length

Distinctive word

basedclingingdailyjacqueslearmadamnovelpagespaperbackrights
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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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