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Songs The Beatles (The White Album)Revolution 1

Long, Long, Long·Honey Pie

Revolution 11968 · The Beatles (The White Album)

The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

Revolution 1

1968 · The Beatles (The White Album)

“We all wanna change the world”

A Lennon composition for The Beatles (White Album), with Lennon on lead vocal. A slow blues-style arrangement at roughly 85 BPM in 12/8, with a six-piece brass overdub arranged by George Martin.

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This song is one of only 3 Beatles songs with Doo-wop influence.

1968 Doo-wop influence

AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)

Track25 · Side 4 · Side opener

Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney

RecordedMay 30 – June 21, 1968

ReleasedNovember 22, 1968

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Text343 tags

Motif

Revolution Political Social commentary Real people Cultural snapshot Question Dialogue Money Violence Anatomy Communication

Influence

Doo-wop influence

Title

Number in title

Vocabulary

Positive tone Casual language Limited vocabulary

Narrative

Imperative First person Conversational Second person

Lyrical device

Anaphora Double meaning

Rhyme type

Feminine rhyme Internal rhyme Multi-syllabic rhyme Perfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus 12-bar blues

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Standard choruses (1-3)Has intro Has outro Has pre-chorus

Section links

Outro based on chorus Intro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring fade line Recurring line Consecutive line Consecutive word

Word cloud

Recurring words

anyone change count hate instead mind okay people pictures a real all all all right but when can tell change your for people it with it's gonna it's the know it's make it me it's me out me that money for out in that it's to change to see want a we can we're all you ain't you have your mind all i can but when you change your head don't you know gonna make it if you go it's gonna be tell me that to see the what we can you have to you know it's you say you'll you tell me but if you go don't you know that pictures of chairman mao you tell me that don't you know it's gonna i can tell you is but when you talk about destruction don't you know it's gonna be we all wanna change the world you ask me for a contribution you better free your mind instead you say you want a revolution you say you'll change the constitution you tell me it's the institution you tell me that it's evolution we'd all love to see the plan you say you got a real solution all i can tell you is brother you but if you want money for people with can tell you is brother you have to don't you know that you can count me i can tell you is brother you have if you want money for people with minds tell you is brother you have to wait want money for people with minds that hate you ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow you know that you can count me out you want money for people with minds that

Cover-shared words

about all ask better brother free go got head it know love make me money real right say see take talk tell two wait want we well world you your all i ask me but if don't you gonna be gonna make got a have to i can if you know that love to say you see the talk about tell me tell you that you the world we all well you when you you better you can you go you got you is you know you say you talk you tell you want your head if you want know that you that you can well you know you got a you know that you say you

Lyric shape

[ADJ] your [WORD] doing for [NOUN]is [NOUN]with [NOUN][ADJ] your [NOUN][NOUN] for [NOUN][VERB] [NOUN] for [VERB] it with [VERB] me out [VERB] me that can [VERB] you don't you [VERB]for [NOUN] with gonna [VERB] it have to [VERB]if you [WORD]is [NOUN] you it's the [NOUN]of [WORD] [WORD]to [VERB] the with [NOUN] [WORD]you [ADJ] [ADJ]you [VERB] [NOUN]you [VERB] [WORD]you [VERB] it's you [VERB] you'll you [WORD] [VERB]you is [NOUN]your [NOUN] [WORD][VERB] [WORD] of [WORD][VERB] to [VERB] the [VERB] you [VERB] a [WORD] [NOUN] to [VERB][WORD] i can [VERB][WORD] of [WORD] [WORD]but if you [WORD]but when you [VERB]don't you [VERB] that i can [VERB] you if you [VERB] [NOUN]to [VERB] the [NOUN]you [VERB] [WORD] [NOUN]you [VERB] me that you [VERB] that you you have to [VERB]you'll [VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB] the [NOUN]don't you [VERB] it's gonna i can [VERB] you is [NOUN] for [NOUN] with [VERB] that [VERB] [NOUN] for [NOUN] with [VERB][VERB] that you can [VERB] me [VERB] you [VERB] a [ADJ] [NOUN][VERB] you is [NOUN] you have [WORD] [NOUN] to [VERB] the [NOUN][WORD] i can [VERB] you is ain't gonna [VERB] it with [NOUN]but if you [VERB] [NOUN] for but when you [VERB] [WORD] [NOUN]can [VERB] you is [NOUN] you don't you [VERB] it's gonna be don't you [VERB] that you can for [NOUN] with [VERB] that [NOUN]gonna [VERB] it with [NOUN] [WORD]i can [VERB] you is [NOUN]if you [VERB] [NOUN] for [NOUN]is [NOUN] you have to [VERB]that you can [VERB] me out we [WORD] wanna [VERB] the [NOUN]we'd [WORD] [NOUN] to [VERB] the you [ADJ] [ADJ] your [NOUN] [WORD]you [VERB] [NOUN] for [NOUN] with you [VERB] it's gonna be [WORD]you [VERB] me for a [NOUN]you [VERB] me it's the [NOUN]you [VERB] me that it's [NOUN]you [VERB] that you can [VERB]you [VERB] you [VERB] a [ADJ]you [VERB] you [VERB] a [NOUN]you [VERB] you'll [VERB] the [NOUN]you ain't gonna [VERB] it with you is [NOUN] you have to

Cover-shared shape

[ADV] you [NOUN] for [NOUN] with [NOUN] you [VERB] a [VERB] it [VERB] it's [VERB] me [VERB] that [VERB] the [VERB] to [VERB] you [VERB] you'll [VERB] your [WORD] i [WORD] of a [ADJ]a [NOUN]be [WORD]can [VERB]gonna [VERB]it's [NOUN]of [WORD]that [NOUN]the [NOUN]to [VERB]wanna [VERB]we [WORD]with [VERB]you [ADJ]you [VERB]you [WORD]you'll [VERB]your [NOUN][ADV] [WORD] i [ADV] you [VERB][VERB] [WORD] of [VERB] a [ADJ][VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] that [NOUN][VERB] that you [VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] you [VERB][VERB] you'll [VERB][VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] of [WORD]a [ADJ] [NOUN]be [WORD] [NOUN]for a [NOUN]i can [VERB]if you [VERB]when you [VERB]you [VERB] a you [VERB] me you [VERB] that you [VERB] you you can [VERB][VERB] a [ADJ] [NOUN]that you can [VERB]to [VERB] your [NOUN]you [VERB] a [NOUN]you [VERB] you [VERB][VERB] to [VERB] your [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

AAAA AA AAA ABCABC AB

Line length

2-2 9-10 9-9-9 13-13 Unique line length

Distinctive word

carrying

Music164 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocals Backing vocals Electric guitar Acoustic guitar Lead guitar Bass guitar Piano Organ Drums Trumpet Trombone

Instrument group

Guitars Brass Keyboards

Music genre

Rock Blues rock Blues

Influence

Blues influence

Vocal work

Vocal harmonies Scat singing

Melody

Call and response

Tempo

Key

Time signature

Song form

Verse-chorus ABABAB 12-bar blues

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Standard choruses (1-3)Has intro Has outro Has pre-chorus Multiple pre-choruses (2+)

Section traits

Unique pre-chorus

Section links

Outro based on chorus Intro based on verse

Section transition

Harmony

Modal mixture Half cadence Secondary dominant Perfect cadence Borrowed chord Backdoor cadence Chromatic mediant Plagal cadence

Composition

Tonic opening Non-tonic ending Verse in I Chorus in I Tonic verse Tonic chorus

Mode

Chord type

major minor dom7 6

Scale degree

I I7 ii IV7 IV6 V7 VI ♭VII

Chord degree

I–V I–I I–IV IV–I V–I I–I–IV I–IV–I IV–I–V I–IV–I–V ii–V ♭VII–I IV–V I–IV–V I–I–IV–I–V IV–I–IV–I–IV–V I–IV–I–IV–I–IV–V IV–I–IV–V ii–♭VII–I I–IV–I–V–I VI–V V–ii IV–I–V–I I–VI I–IV–I–IV–V ii–♭VII

Chord shape

C → F → C → G C → G C → G7 C → C C → C7 C → F C7 → F7 C7 → F C → C → F C → F → C C → G → D Am → D Am → D7 C → Gm Am → F C → D C → A C → B♭Am → F → G C → A → G C → F → G C → F → C → F → C → F → G C → C → F → C → G C → F → C → G → C C → C7 → F7 C7 → G → D7 → G C → D → B C → B♭7 C → Gm → E♭C → G → C → G → C → D C7 → Gm C → C7 → F7 → C → G7 C7 → F7 → C C → F → C → F → G C6 → D7 C → F6 C → G → D → G C7 → G C → G → C → D C7 → G → D7

Chord literal

A → E A → A A → A7 A → D D → A E → A E7 → A A → D → A Bm → E Bm → G G → A D → E A → D → E D7 → A A → D → A → E → A Bm → E7 A → D → A → D → A → D → E A7 → D7 → A A → A → D Bm → G → A A → F♯A → A → D → A → E A → D → A → D → E A7 → D7 A → D → A → E E → Bm → G F♯ → E F♯ → E7 A → E7 E → Bm D → A → E D → A → E → A

Studio16 tags

Studio technique

Reduction mix Fade-out Tape splicing

Equipment

Gibson J-160E Rickenbacker 4001S EMI REDD.51 console Studer J37 4-track recorder Ludwig Super Classic Hamburg Steinway Hammond L-100 Epiphone Casino ES-230TD Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster

Recording location

EMI Studio 2 EMI Studio 3 EMI Studios

Session duration

People24 tags

Unique personnel

Role swap Beatles team

Line-up

Lead vocals Electric lead guitar Acoustic lead guitar

Backing vocals Bass guitar Piano Organ

George Harrison

Backing vocals Electric lead guitar

Francie Schwartz

Orchestral scoring

Recording engineer

Geoff Emerick Peter Bown

Assistant engineer

Richard Lush Phil McDonald Nick Webb

Info16 tags

Release type

Song on album Song on Giles Martin remix

US release

Identical release

Release mix

Label

Publisher

Recording type

Song type

Duration

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.

Updated 2026-06-03

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AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)

Track25 · Side 4 · Side opener

Songwriter(s)Lennon

Credited asLennon–McCartney

RecordedMay 30 – June 21, 1968

ReleasedNovember 22, 1968

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