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SongsRubber SoulRun for Your Life
Rubber Soul album cover

Run for Your Life

1965 · Rubber Soul

“I'd rather see you dead, little girl”

Lennon's jealous, threatening Rubber Soul closer, written quickly with its opening couplet lifted directly from Elvis Presley's 'Baby Let's Play House'. Lennon dismissed it as a throwaway and later regretted its misogynistic lyric.
VinylCDMerch

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Year1965
AlbumRubber Soul
Track14 · Side 2 · Side closer · Album closer
Duration2:21
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedOctober 12, 1965
ReleasedDecember 3, 1965

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Text224 tags

Motif

RelationshipSelf reflectionViolenceWomenDeathAngerHardnessPleaAnatomyChildhoodSelf deprecation

Title

Pronoun in title

Vocabulary

Negative toneLimited vocabularyDark lyricsNonsense wordsCasual language

Narrative

ConversationalFirst personConfessionalSecond personImperative

Lyrical device

Non-Beatles referenceEpistropheHyperbole

Rhyme type

Extrametrical rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhymeIdentical rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus12-bar blues

Sections

Has outroStandard verses (2-4)Many choruses (4+)Has intro

Section links

Intro based on verseOutro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring verseRecurring fade lineRecurring lineConsecutive line
Word cloud

Recurring words

borncatchdeadguyjealouslinemindrathera sermonand i'danother manbe withcatch youeverything i'vefor yourhead inhide youri wasi'd ratherjust tokeep yourknow wheremake youor ior yousee youspend mythan tothat's thethe endwas bornwhere iwith anotheryou withyour lifehead in thei was bornif you canknow that i'mto make youwhere i amwith another manhead in the sandyour head in the

Cover-shared words

anotherbabybettereverythinggirlheadhidekeepknowletlifelittlemakemanmeanmyrunsaidsandseespendtryingwellwholeyouyourand ibaby i'mbe ai ami can'ti meani won'ti'm aif youknow thatlittle girlthat i'mto beto makewell youyou betteryou canyou knowyou won'tyour headwell you knowyou know thatwell you know that

Lyric shape

[NOUN] if[VERB] this[VERB] wherei'd [WORD]was [WORD]with [WORD][ADJ] [VERB] for[NOUN] i've [VERB][NOUN] if you[VERB] in the[WORD] with aa [ADJ] [VERB]be a [WORD]i was [WORD]i'm a [ADJ]just to [VERB]the [NOUN] [ADJ]with [WORD] [NOUN]you [ADJ] [ADJ]you won't [VERB]your [NOUN] in[VERB] for your [NOUN][VERB] in the [NOUN][VERB] you with [WORD][VERB] your [NOUN] ini can't [VERB] myi'm a [ADJ] [NOUN]just to [VERB] youthe [WORD] [ADJ] [NOUN]with a [ADJ] [VERB][VERB] you [WORD] the [NOUN]just to [VERB] you [WORD]your [NOUN] in the [NOUN]

Cover-shared shape

[ADV] you[NOUN] i'm[NOUN] i've[VERB] for[VERB] in[VERB] my[VERB] that[VERB] you[VERB] your[WORD] the[WORD] witha [ADJ]a [WORD]can't [VERB]i [VERB]i'm [VERB]i've [VERB]my [ADJ]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]won't [VERB]you [ADJ]you [VERB]you [WORD]your [NOUN][ADV] you [VERB][NOUN] i'm [VERB][VERB] that i'm[VERB] you [ADJ][VERB] you [WORD][VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] [VERB] you[WORD] the [NOUN]a [ADJ] [NOUN]i [VERB] [NOUN]i can't [VERB]i won't [VERB]in the [NOUN]my [ADJ] [NOUN]to [VERB] youyou [ADJ] [VERB]you [VERB] thatyou [WORD] theyour [NOUN] [ADJ][ADV] you [VERB] that[VERB] you [WORD] the[VERB] your [NOUN] [ADJ]to [VERB] you [WORD]

Rhyme scheme

AAAAABCBAABAABAB

Line length

6-7-6-78-8-8-73-3-3-3Unique line length

Distinctive word

determinedtoewicked
You might also like:Revolution in the HeadThe Beatles Illustrated Lyrics

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Music110 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarDrumsPercussionTambourine

Instrument group

GuitarsPercussion

Guitar work

Slide guitarGuitar soloGuitar riff

Music genre

RockFolk rockFolkCountryRockabilly

Influence

Country influenceElvis Presley influence

Vocal work

Vocal harmoniesScat singingThree-part harmony

Solo / Riff

Guitar soloGuitar riff

Melody

Blue note

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

D major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorus12-bar bluesUnique structure

Sections

Has outroStandard verses (2-4)Many choruses (4+)Has riffHas introHas solo

Section links

Intro based on verseOutro based on verseSolo on dedicated section

Section transition

vi to vivi to I

Harmony

Borrowed chordPlagal cadencePerfect cadence

Composition

Only basic triadsTonic openingNon-tonic endingChorus in viVerse in ITonic verseNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminorslash chord

Scale degree

IIIiiiiiIVVvi

Chord degree

vi–iiiii–viI–IVIV–II–IV–I–VIV–I–VV–II–VI–vivi–IIii–iiiIV–I–V–Ivi–III–vivi–ii–iiiiii–vi–Iii–iii–vi

Chord shape

Am → DmC → FC → F → C → GC → G → DC → GC → AmAm → CAm → DC → GmAm → Dm → FAm → BmC → G → D → GAm → Dm → EmAm → Bm → Em

Chord literal

Bm → EmD → GA → DD → ABm → EG → DF♯m → BmG → D → AD → BmBm → DD → G → D → AG → D → A → DE → BmEm → F♯m
You might also like:Sheet Music Plus – Beatles CollectionThe Beatles: Complete Scores

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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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