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© 2026 Nadav (Nahdi) Lazar. Beatles music © Apple Corps. Fan-made – not affiliated with The Beatles or Apple Corps.

“In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

SongsThe Beatles (The White Album)Revolution 9
Cry Baby Cry·Good Night
Revolution 91968 · The Beatles (The White Album)
The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

Revolution 9

1968 · The Beatles (The White Album)

“Number nine, number nine, number nine”

Lennon, Yoko Ono and Harrison's 8:22 sound collage on side four of the White Album, built from a looped tape coda of Revolution 1 take 18 spliced with sound effects and EMI archive fragments. The Beatles' longest officially released recording and most extreme experimental piece.
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The longest officially-released Beatles song is 'Revolution 9' (8:22).

Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track29 · Side 4
Duration8:22 (longest official Beatles release)
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney
Lead Vocal
RecordedMay 30 – June 21, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song familyPaul is dead'Number nine' reversed becomes 'turn me on, dead man'

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Text526 tags

Motif

ContainersColorWarSea lifeAnatomyStreetRelationshipTimeWorkFamilySadnessDirectionsMoneyMadnessAbsurdist humorRevolutionSurrealismNumbersCountingDialogueReal peopleFound inspirationSportsSoundPoliticalCultural snapshotQuestionAnimalsFood and drinksJewelry

Influence

Musique concrète influence

Title

Title not in lyricsNumber in title

Vocabulary

Nonsense wordsCasual languageRich vocabularyDense lyricsDark lyrics

Narrative

Stream of consciousnessObservationalFirst personThird personImperative

Rhyme type

Identical rhymeExtrametrical rhymeFeminine rhymeInternal rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Through-composedNo verse-chorus

Sections

Many verses (5+)No chorusHas introHas outroHas interludeHas refrain

Section links

Verse variationOutro based on verseOutro based on interlude

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive lineConsecutive word
Word cloud

Recurring words

ahabecausebetweenbitbloodybrokenbrownbusinesseverybodyeveryonefewfindfishforgiveforgottengiveshighinsteadlinelowmakesmaybenextnumberolderonionpeaceroadseaseemedshouldersituationsonsorrystandingtakingvoicewearingwhateverwifewingswithoutworseyellowa fewabout itabout theall aboutand hisand soas theas theybottle ofbut thiscan docould bedo tofind thegave herget ahe washer ahis eyesi'm sorryif i'dinstead ofit makesit wasit's soknow wholike thatmakes memy hairnext timeof hisof themseemed toso muchthat linethat theythe wifethey areto findto payto seato seeupon theus inwell dowhat hewill youyou ifyou wellyou're doingit makes meonly to findtell what heto see the

Cover-shared words

aboutahahhallalrightanybetterbirdsbrothercalledchairdayseyesgavegeorgegetgogoodhairhehearherhimhisholdinsaneitkickknewknowlatelikelittlemanmemissedmuchmynightninenothingoholdoohourpaypleaserightsayingseesomesometimestaketellthemtheythingtimetrytwistuswewellwentworkwowyoua littlea manall ofand thenand whenat allfor yougo toi havei'm notif youin myme ame andof thatsee thethat hethey reallythey wereto knowto mein the mood

Lyric shape

[ADJ] of[ADV] do[NOUN] he[NOUN] is[NOUN] may[NOUN] my[NOUN] was[VERB] him[VERB] this[VERB] who[WORD] are[WORD] but[WORD] can[WORD] could[WORD] even[WORD] have[WORD] his[WORD] i'm[WORD] it's[WORD] which[WORD] you'reare [VERB]as [NOUN]for [NOUN]his [WORD]i'm [ADJ]it [ADJ]it [WORD]my [VERB]only [WORD]or [WORD]the [VERB]they'd [VERB]this [WORD]was [ADJ]what [WORD]when [WORD]who [VERB][ADJ] [WORD] to[NOUN] [VERB] through[NOUN] [WORD] and[NOUN] for [VERB][NOUN] in the[NOUN] of [WORD][NOUN] that they[NOUN] who [VERB][VERB] [NOUN] my[VERB] [VERB] for[VERB] [VERB] of[VERB] [VERB] what[VERB] and when[VERB] for [NOUN][VERB] for [VERB][VERB] her a[VERB] of [WORD][VERB] this [NOUN][VERB] us in[VERB] what he[WORD] [NOUN] we[WORD] [WORD] it[WORD] are [VERB][WORD] have [VERB][WORD] i'm [ADJ]a [NOUN] [NOUN]and his [WORD]be [ADJ] [NOUN]can do [NOUN]could be [ADJ]do to [VERB]for [NOUN] isfrom [WORD] tohis [NOUN] [WORD]his [NOUN] ini [VERB] himi have [WORD]i've [VERB] [WORD]in the [VERB]it [ADJ] [WORD]it [VERB] meit [VERB] youit's [ADJ] [VERB]of [WORD] [NOUN]of his [NOUN]of them [VERB]on the [WORD]only to [VERB]or [WORD] toreally [VERB] tothe [VERB] [NOUN]to [VERB] [NOUN]to [VERB] [VERB]to [VERB] ato [VERB] theto [VERB] usupon the [WORD]who [VERB] herwill you [VERB]with the [NOUN][ADJ] [WORD] and [WORD][ADJ] [WORD] to [VERB][VERB] [WORD] [WORD] it[VERB] and [VERB] for[VERB] me a [WORD][VERB] our [WORD] [WORD][VERB] the [ADJ] [WORD][VERB] with [VERB] [WORD][WORD] [WORD] have [VERB][WORD] and [WORD] to[WORD] the [WORD] ofa [ADJ] [NOUN] [WORD]a [NOUN] [NOUN] [VERB]a [NOUN] of [WORD]for [VERB] and [VERB]i have [WORD] [WORD]on the [WORD] [NOUN]really [VERB] to [VERB]the [WORD] [VERB] tothe [WORD] of [NOUN]to [VERB] a [WORD]to [VERB] the [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] and[ADJ] at[NOUN] and[NOUN] for[NOUN] in[NOUN] it[NOUN] of[NOUN] that[NOUN] we[VERB] a[VERB] and[VERB] as[VERB] for[VERB] her[VERB] his[VERB] into[VERB] it[VERB] me[VERB] of[VERB] our[VERB] still[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] through[VERB] to[VERB] us[VERB] what[VERB] with[VERB] you[WORD] and[WORD] by[WORD] for[WORD] from[WORD] in[WORD] it[WORD] of[WORD] the[WORD] toa [ADJ]a [NOUN]a [WORD]and [ADJ]and [VERB]and [WORD]at [WORD]be [ADJ]can [VERB]do [NOUN]for [VERB]from [WORD]have [VERB]have [WORD]he [VERB]his [NOUN]i [VERB]i'd [VERB]i've [VERB]in [WORD]it [VERB]it's [ADJ]it's [NOUN]my [NOUN]my [WORD]of [NOUN]of [WORD]our [WORD]really [VERB]so [WORD]that [NOUN]that [WORD]the [ADJ]the [NOUN]the [WORD]them [VERB]this [NOUN]to [NOUN]to [VERB]was [VERB]we [VERB]we [WORD]were [VERB]with [VERB]you [ADV]you [VERB][NOUN] [VERB] me[NOUN] [WORD] by[NOUN] in [WORD][VERB] [VERB] that[VERB] [WORD] for[VERB] [WORD] of[VERB] a [ADJ][VERB] a [WORD][VERB] and [VERB][VERB] his [NOUN][VERB] it [VERB][VERB] me a[VERB] me and[VERB] our [WORD][VERB] that [NOUN][VERB] that [WORD][VERB] the [ADJ][VERB] the [WORD][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] to me[VERB] you [ADV][WORD] [NOUN] and[WORD] [VERB] to[WORD] and [WORD][WORD] for the[WORD] for you[WORD] in the[WORD] of [NOUN][WORD] the [WORD][WORD] to [NOUN][WORD] to [VERB]a [ADJ] [NOUN]a [NOUN] [WORD]a [NOUN] ofa [WORD] [NOUN]and [ADJ] [VERB]for the [NOUN]have [WORD] [WORD]i [VERB] [NOUN]if you [VERB]in the [NOUN]in the [WORD]so [WORD] [NOUN]that he [VERB]the [ADJ] [WORD]the [NOUN] [VERB]the [NOUN] forthe [NOUN] thatthe [WORD] [NOUN]the [WORD] [VERB]the [WORD] [WORD]the [WORD] inthe [WORD] ofthey really [VERB]you [VERB] [VERB]you [VERB] me[VERB] [WORD] of that[VERB] a [ADJ] [NOUN][VERB] the [WORD] [WORD][WORD] [VERB] to me[WORD] in the [NOUN]a [NOUN] [WORD] [WORD]

Rhyme scheme

AAAAABBCAAABAAAAAABCDUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

5-43-3-3-3-3Unique line length

Distinctive word

aforesaidbarkbeardbecomebirdingbitchbladesblockbroughtbuildingbumpedcatscattingcheekyclaretcolorscompareddealdentistdifficultdistrictdoctorsdoggingdogsdoradoenabledexampleexposurefactoryfallsfalsefinancialfindersfishingflagfloralfortunefunctionglassesglowinggrainhahahahahahahahaheadmasterhertfordshirehivehumpty-dumptyimbalanceindustrialinformedintendedjeweljoinednakednavynight-watchmannobody'soutputpairpresencepricequickrarebitrealisedreportedroguerushscarecrowseasonserveshort-cutsshortagesidesslowersoupspecimenstuffsurgeonsustainedteethtelegramterrorsthemmingthirdthrustingtypeum-daumpireumpteenunawareunderclothesunderpantswatusiweirdwelshwhimmingwhirling

Music36 tags

Arrangement

Backing vocalsTape loopsNoisesSound effectsSpoken word

Bass work

No bass guitar

Drum work

No drums

Music genre

Avant-garde

Influence

Avant-garde influence

Vocal work

Ooh vocalsAah vocalsVocals on interludeChantingWhisper

Song form

Through-composedNo verse-chorus

Sections

Many verses (5+)No chorusHas introHas outroHas interludeHas refrainThrough-composed

Section traits

Unique intro

Section links

Verse variationOutro based on verseOutro based on interlude

Composition

No dominantNo subdominantTonic openingTonic endingMinimal harmony

Mode

Aeolian

Chord type

major

Scale degree

I

Studio12 tags

Studio technique

Tape splicingReverseVariSpeedTape echo

Equipment

Studer J37 4-track recorderEMI REDD.51 console

Recording location

EMI Studio 2EMI Studio 1EMI Studio 3Multi-studio recordingEMI Studios

Session duration

Multi-day
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People20 tags

Unique personnel
Missing BeatleBeatles teamProducer plays
Line-up
John Lennon
Backing vocalsTape loopsNoisesSound effectsSpoken word
George Harrison
Backing vocalsTape loopsSpoken word
Alistair Taylor
Backing vocalsSpoken word
Yoko Ono
Backing vocalsTape loopsSpoken word
George Martin
ProducerBacking vocalsSpoken word
Chris Thomas
ProducerTape loops
Songwriter
John Lennon
Producer
George MartinChris Thomas
Recording engineer
Geoff EmerickKen ScottPeter Bown
Assistant engineer
Richard LushJohn SmithPhil McDonald

Info16 tags

Release type

Song on albumSong on Giles Martin remix

US release

Identical release

Release mix

Distinct mixMonoStereo

Label

AppleApple US

Publisher

Northern Songs

Song family

Paul is dead

Song type

Original

Duration

Very long
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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The Beatles (The White Album) album cover
VinylCD

affiliate link – supports this wiki

Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track29 · Side 4
Duration8:22 (longest official Beatles release)
Songwriter(s)Lennon
Credited asLennon–McCartney
RecordedMay 30 – June 21, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song family
Paul is dead

'Number nine' reversed becomes 'turn me on, dead man'

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