Piggies

The lyric is built round a character (Little piggies vs bigger piggies), and it deals in the motifs of social commentary and food and drinks. The writing is observational, told by somebody watching. 36 songs do it, and 1967 has more of them than any other year. It uses extended metaphor (pigs = the establishment throughout). A multi-syllabic rhyme arrives once, "backing/lacking/whacking". The title is a single word, and the writing takes after literature and music hall.

'Piggies' runs at roughly 104 BPM in A♭ major, a baroque pop and novelty song with classical music behind it (baroque string writing). This is one of only 3 Beatles records in that key, the earliest of them 'A Taste of Honey'. It features strings, 28 songs do it, and 1967 has more of them than any other year. Also, the record has a keyboard intro. The song is unusual here, in that it does without the usual verse and chorus. Interestingly, the chords run E♭7 → Fm → B♭ → Fm7 → B♭7 → Fm → B♭, the same shape 'Martha My Dear' plays as F6 → Gm → C → Gm → C → Gm → C. Worth noting, 'Yes It Is' plays F♯m7 → B7 → E → A and 'Lady Madonna' plays Dm7 → G7 → C → F, the same progression in different keys, which this song and 'Oh! Darling' also make.

Chris Thomas, the producer, overdubbed harpsichord while George Martin was on holiday. He returned to score the eight-piece string arrangement and pig grunts were sourced from the EMI tape library. It is one of only fifteen Beatles records cut at EMI Studio 1. On this one McCartney played the Rickenbacker 4001S, his bass, and it is on more of their 1967 records than any other year's. It was the 28th of the 37 songs they began recording in 1968, and the 174th of their career.

Harrison wrote the song and sang it himself. The record has Lennon on noises and tape loops and Harrison on noises, which is not his usual instrument. Chris Thomas, the producer, and George Martin plays on this one as well as producing it, less common for a Beatles record. It was made without all four Beatles (no Ringo on basic tracking). Violin, viola and cello fill it out. You can hear pig grunts from EMI tape library on it.

Out November 22, 1968 with The Beatles (The White Album). It was never lifted as a single. This is their 158th record, and the 16th of the 34 they released in that year.