Beatlesongs.wiki
SongsSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandShe's Leaving Home
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover

“Wednesday morning at 5 o'clock as the day begins”

McCartney's runaway-daughter narrative for Sgt. Pepper, inspired by a Daily Mail story about Melanie Coe. Scored by Mike Leander for a string nonet - four violins, two violas, two cellos and harp - with no Beatles playing instruments, only vocals.
Year1967
AlbumSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Track6 · Side 1
Duration3:35
Songwriter(s)McCartney, Lennon
Lead VocalPaul, John
RecordedMarch 17 – March 20, 1967
ReleasedMay 26, 1967
Song familyCharacter songGranny song

● tap a tag for its page and notes

Text311 tags

Motif

QuestionCommunicationTravelStorytellingCharacterFamilyHomeLonelinessSocial commentaryFound inspirationDialogueTime referenceMoneyFreedomCultural snapshotNostalgiaSadnessNumbersClothesTime

Influence

Literary influenceMusic hall influence

Title

Pronoun in titleWoman in title

Vocabulary

Negative tonePoetic lyrics

Narrative

Third personObservationalVignettePersona

Lyrical device

Rhetorical question

Rhyme type

Internal rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Has outroStandard choruses (1-3)Standard verses (2-4)Has intro

Section links

Outro based on chorusChorus variationVerse variation

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

beginsclutchingdownstairsfatherfridaygoesinsidekeyleavingliveslivinglyingmeetingnoteo'clockourselvesoutsidepickssomethingstandingthoughtturningwifeyearsas thedid wedidn't knowdo thatgave herget byhis wifehow couldit wasknow itlying theremany yearsone thingshe doshe goesshe madethat moneythat shethe daythe kitchenthe onethe topthought ofto getto herto keepup thewaiting towe dowednesday morningwhat didat the tophow could shemoney can't buypicks up thethe top of thewe gave her everything

Cover-shared words

allalonealwaysawaybaby'sbreaksbuydaydooreverythingfarfreefungavegetgetsgonehardherhishomeitkeepknowlettermademanmanymemoneymoremorningneveroneoursayshesteppingtherethingtoptreatuswaitingwewronga manalone atdown andfar awayfrom theshe isso manythat wasthe letterto mewas wrong

Lyric shape

[ADV] we[NOUN] can't[NOUN] she[VERB] would[WORD] ascould [VERB]her [VERB]that's [VERB]was [WORD][ADV] [VERB] her[ADV] [VERB] the[NOUN] [VERB] as[NOUN] [VERB] her[NOUN] can't [VERB][NOUN] she [VERB][NOUN] that's [VERB][VERB] [WORD] she[VERB] [WORD] to[VERB] her [WORD][VERB] that she[VERB] up the[VERB] would [VERB][WORD] [NOUN] at[WORD] [WORD] is[WORD] our [NOUN][WORD] to thea [NOUN] fromas the [NOUN]at the [WORD]her [NOUN] [NOUN]her [NOUN] [WORD]her [VERB] [WORD]his [NOUN] [VERB]is [VERB] [VERB]is [VERB] [WORD]of the [WORD]she [VERB] [WORD]she is [ADJ]that she [VERB]the [NOUN] sheto [VERB] theto the [NOUN]up the [NOUN]we [VERB] [ADV]we [WORD] [VERB]would [VERB] [WORD][NOUN] [VERB] her [WORD][VERB] that she [VERB][VERB] the [NOUN] she[VERB] the [NOUN] that[VERB] the [WORD] [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB] the[VERB] up the [NOUN][WORD] [NOUN] at [WORD][WORD] a [NOUN] forfrom the [NOUN] [VERB]is [VERB] [VERB] [WORD]she [VERB] [WORD] toshe's [VERB] [ADV] [WORD]the [NOUN] she [VERB]the [NOUN] that's [VERB]to [VERB] the [NOUN]to the [NOUN] [VERB]we [VERB] her [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] the [NOUN] that she [VERB]

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] at[NOUN] a[NOUN] at[NOUN] from[NOUN] that[NOUN] that's[VERB] as[VERB] by[VERB] down[VERB] for[VERB] her[VERB] into[VERB] it[VERB] of[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] up[VERB] us[WORD] a[WORD] is[WORD] of[WORD] she[WORD] that[WORD] toa [NOUN]and [VERB]at [WORD]can't [VERB]didn't [VERB]her [NOUN]her [WORD]his [NOUN]is [ADJ]is [ADV]is [VERB]one [NOUN]our [NOUN]our [WORD]she [VERB]she's [VERB]so [ADV]so [WORD]that [NOUN]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]was [NOUN]we [VERB]we [WORD]would [VERB][NOUN] [VERB] into[NOUN] a [NOUN][NOUN] that [NOUN][VERB] [ADJ] at[VERB] [WORD] a[VERB] [WORD] of[VERB] her [NOUN][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] the [WORD][VERB] to [VERB][WORD] [VERB] of[WORD] a [NOUN][WORD] of thea [NOUN] forand [VERB] todown and [VERB]from the [NOUN]so [WORD] [NOUN]the [NOUN] [VERB]the [NOUN] thatthe [WORD] [NOUN]the [WORD] of[VERB] [WORD] a [NOUN][VERB] down and [VERB]our [NOUN] to [VERB]the [WORD] of the

Rhyme scheme

ABCDEABBABCCDABBCDDUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

appointmentbackdoorbedroomclosingcriesdaddydenieddressinggownhandkerchiefhopedhusbandmostmotorquietlysacrificedsilentlysnoresstairsstruggledthoughtlesslytrade
You might also like:Revolution in the HeadNas – Teaches Hip-Hop Storytelling

affiliate link - supports this wiki

Music118 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsViolinViolaCelloDouble bassHarp

Instrument group

String

Bass work

Stepwise bass line

Drum work

No drums

Music genre

PopBaroque popBallad

Influence

Classical music influence

Vocal work

Two-part harmonyCounterpointVocal harmonies

Melody

Call and response

Tempo

Slow

Key

E major

Time signature

12/8

Song form

Verse-chorusAABAABAB

Sections

Has outroStandard choruses (1-3)Has introMany verses (5+)

Section links

Outro based on chorusChorus variationVerse variation

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to IUnique section transition

Harmony

Plagal cadenceModal mixtureBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsSecondary dominantHalf cadence

Composition

Tonic openingTonic endingChorus in IVerse in ITonic verseTonic chorus

Mode

IonianMixolydian

Chord type

majorminordom7min79

Scale degree

III9II7ii7IVV9v7vivi7♭VII

Chord degree

vi–IIII–VI–♭VIIII–IVIV–Ivi–II–IVII–IV–Ivi–II–IV–Iii–vi–IIvi–II–V♭VII–viii–viI–v

Chord shape

C → GmAm → EmAm → DC → FAm → D → GC → B♭C → BmAm → D7Am7 → D7C → E♭C7 → E♭C → GAm → D → FC → E♭ → B♭Am → D → F → CAm → Em → AC → Gm7C → Bm → EAm7 → EmAm → D9Am7 → Em → A9Am7 → D7 → FC → Gm → DmAm7 → Em7C7 → E♭ → B♭

Chord literal

E → DA → EE → BmC♯m → F♯D → C♯mF♯ → A → EC♯m → F♯7F♯ → BF♯7 → A → EC♯m7 → F♯7E → Bm7F♯m → C♯mBm → F♯mF♯7 → AF♯ → AC♯m → F♯ → B
You might also like:Musicnotes – Beatles Piano/Vocal/GuitarAll the Songs

affiliate link - supports this wiki

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

Feedback

Got a tag idea for She's Leaving Home? Or think we've got it all wrong - no, no, no? Don't let it be.