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SongsReunion singlesReal Love
Reunion singles album cover

Real Love

1996 · Reunion singles

“Seems that all I really was doing was waiting for you”

Lennon home-demo ballad from 1979-80, completed by McCartney, Harrison and Starr at Paul's Hog Hill Mill studio in 1995. Released as the second Beatles reunion single, the surviving members overdubbed instruments and harmonies onto Lennon's cleaned cassette vocal.
Year1996
AlbumReunion singles
Track2
Duration3:54
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
Recorded1979; February 6–7 and May 15–16, 1995
ReleasedMarch 4, 1996

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Text162 tags

Motif

TruthChildhoodLonelinessAnatomyNostalgiaSelf reflectionLoveWomen

Title

Love in title

Vocabulary

Positive toneCasual language

Narrative

ConversationalFirst person

Lyrical device

SimileAnaphora

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeTriple rhymeExtrametrical rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Standard choruses (1-3)Standard verses (2-4)Has pre-chorusHas outroHas introHas interlude

Section links

Outro based on chorusOutro based on verseChorus variationIntro based on chorusPre-chorus based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive lineRecurring line
Word cloud

Recurring words

dreamsforgottengirlsmomentplanstheirthoughtwantedall myall webe afraidfrom thisgirls andi reallyi wantedi'd beenin lovemy littleno needon iseems likethat allthis momentwaiting forwe reallywill gowith theiryes it'sin my heartto be alonewas waiting forbeen in love before

Cover-shared words

allaloneboysgoheartknowlifelikelittlelostlovemoremyneedplayingrealseemssomewaitingweyouall ifor youi knowin myjust likemy heartmy lifeneed toseems thatto be

Lyric shape

[ADV] where[VERB] before[VERB] i'd[VERB] yes[WORD] wein [VERB][VERB] [WORD] i[VERB] and [WORD][VERB] for [VERB][VERB] for you[VERB] it's [ADJ][WORD] i really[WORD] my [ADJ]it's [ADJ] [VERB]my [NOUN] imy [NOUN] willno [NOUN] toon i [VERB]to be [ADJ]was [VERB] for[ADJ] [WORD] and [WORD][NOUN] i [VERB] [WORD][VERB] [VERB] [WORD] i[VERB] to be [ADJ]been in [VERB] beforemy [NOUN] i [VERB]in my [NOUN] i [VERB]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] i[NOUN] on[NOUN] will[VERB] and[VERB] for[VERB] it's[VERB] that[VERB] to[VERB] with[WORD] and[WORD] i[WORD] myand [WORD]be [ADJ]for [VERB]i [VERB]it's [ADJ]just [VERB]my [ADJ]my [NOUN]no [NOUN]that [WORD]this [NOUN]was [VERB]will [WORD][ADJ] [VERB] and[NOUN] i [VERB][NOUN] will [WORD][VERB] that [WORD][VERB] to be[WORD] and [WORD]i [VERB] [WORD]in my [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

AABAAABCAAABAB

Line length

7-8-9-46-6Unique line length

Distinctive word

exactlyschemestoys
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Music201 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarBass guitarPianoHarpsichordHarmoniumSynthesizerDrumsPercussionDouble bassCelestaOther percussionBanjolele

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsStringPercussion

Guitar work

Guitar and piano doublingSlide guitarGuitar solo

Bass work

Stepwise bass line

Keyboard work

Guitar and piano doubling

Music genre

BalladPopRock

Vocal work

Three-part harmonyVocal harmonies

Solo / Riff

Guitar solo

Melody

Appoggiatura

Tempo

Slow

Key

E major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABA

Sections

Standard choruses (1-3)Standard verses (2-4)Has pre-chorusHas outroHas introMultiple pre-choruses (2+)Has interludeHas solo

Section links

Outro based on chorusOutro based on verseChorus variationIntro based on chorusPre-chorus based on verse

Section transition

V to IV to iiUnique section transition

Harmony

Modal mixtureDeceptive cadenceHalf cadenceBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsSecondary dominantPerfect cadencePlagal cadenceJazz cadence50s variantRoyal road (partial)

Composition

Non-tonic openingNon-tonic endingChorus in IVerse in IChorus in iiTonic verseTonic chorusNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom7augsus4slash chord

Scale degree

II7iiiiiIVVVI7vi♭VI+

Chord degree

I–vi–IV–Vvi–VV–viI–iiiiii–viii–VV–II–II–IVIV–II–iii–viii–V–IV–I–II–I–IVI–IV–II–vivi–IVIV–VI–vi–IVvi–IV–VIV–V–IV–I–vivi–IV–V–Iii–VIV–VV–I–vi–IVV–iiVI–iiii–V–I–IIV–ii–V–IV–I–I–IVVI–ii–V–VIV–V–vi–VV–I–I–IV–IIV–I–IIV–V–I–viIV–iiIV–ii–VVI–ii–Vii–V–I–I–IVI–vi–IV–V–viii–V–VIV–V–vi

Chord shape

C → CC → F → DmC → Am → F → GAm → GC → DmC → EmC → Em/BAm → DmC → AmAm → DC → FC → GC → Em → AmC → Em/B → AmC → Am → DAm → D → GC → F → FC → C → FC → F → CC → GmAm → FC → DC → Am → FAm → F → GC → D → GAm → F → G → CAm → EC → FmC7 → FmC → Fm → B♭C → F → Dm → B♭Am → D → G → G → CAm → E → Am → DAm → A♭augC → D → Em → DC → F → F → B♭ → FAm → E7 → Am → Dsus4 → DC → G → GC → D → G → EmC → D → EmC → F → F → B♭Am → D → DC → Am → D → GAm → D → G → GAm → Dsus4C → Fm → B♭ → B♭C → Am → F → G → AmAm/E → DmCsus4 → CAm → E7

Chord literal

Fm → B♭Fm → B♭ → E♭A♭ → B♭E♭ → A♭Fm → CA♭ → E♭Fm → C7E♭ → Gm/DB♭ → E♭ → CmE♭ → A♭ → E♭E♭ → Gm → CmCm → A♭ → B♭ → E♭E♭ → Cm → A♭ → B♭Fm → B♭ → E♭ → E♭ → A♭B♭ → E♭C → FmB♭ → B♭B♭ → FmGm → CmE♭ → GmA♭ → B♭ → E♭Cm → A♭ → B♭
You might also like:Sheet Music Plus – Beatles CollectionMusicnotes – Beatles Piano/Vocal/Guitar

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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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