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SongsAbbey RoadSun King
Abbey Road album cover

Sun King

1969 · Abbey Road

“Quando para mucho mi amore de felice corazón”

Lennon composition opening the second half of Abbey Road's side-two medley, segueing out of 'You Never Give Me Your Money' and into 'Mean Mr. Mustard'. Closes with a coda of nonsense lyrics blending Spanish, Italian and Portuguese fragments.
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Year1969
AlbumAbbey Road
Track10 · Side 2
Duration2:26
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedJuly 24 – July 29, 1969
ReleasedSeptember 26, 1969
Song familyMedley songInto Mean Mr. Mustard

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Text65 tags

Motif

SunshineLightHappinessRoyaltyGreetingsFood and drinksWeatherNatureAbsurdist humor

Title

Person in titleTitle in chorus

Vocabulary

Positive toneForeign languageNonsense wordsMinimal lyrics

Narrative

ObservationalThird person

Lyrical device

Anaphora

Rhyme type

Internal rhyme

Song form

No verse-chorusMedley

Sections

Standard choruses (1-3)Has outroHas bridgeHas introSingle verse

Section links

Chorus variationOutro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring line
Word cloud

Recurring words

cakeeatkinglaughingsunhere comethe sun

Cover-shared words

ahcomeeverybody'shappyhereitooh

Lyric shape

it [WORD][ADV] [VERB] the[VERB] it [WORD]the [NOUN] [NOUN][ADV] [VERB] the [NOUN][NOUN] and [VERB] it[VERB] the [NOUN] [NOUN]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] and[VERB] it[VERB] theand [VERB]the [NOUN][NOUN] and [VERB][VERB] the [NOUN][WORD] [NOUN] andand [VERB] it[WORD] [NOUN] and [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

AAABUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

6-6Unique line length

Distinctive word

amorecarouselchickacorazfeliceferdymuchomundoobrigadopaparazziparaparasolquandoquestotanta
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Music177 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarPianoOrganDrumsPercussionTambourineMaracasBongosTape loopsOther percussion

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Music genre

RockPopArt rockPsychedelic

Influence

Psychedelia influenceFleetwood Mac influence

Vocal work

Ooh vocalsVocal harmoniesAah vocalsThree-part harmony

Tempo

Slow

Key

E majorC majorKey change

Time signature

4/4

Song form

No verse-chorusMedleyUnique structure

Sections

Has outroHas bridgeHas introHas instrumentalSingle verseNo chorus

Section traits

Unique outroUnique intro

Section links

Chorus variationOutro based on verseInstrumental on verse

Section transition

Unique section transition

Harmony

Modal mixtureCircle of fifthsPerfect cadenceBorrowed chordSecondary dominantLine clichéPlagal cadenceJazz cadence

Composition

Rich harmonyAll natural rootsTonic openingTonic endingVerse in iiBridge in ♭IINon-tonic verseNon-tonic bridge

Mode

IonianMixolydian

Chord type

majordom7min7maj7slash chord613

Scale degree

IImaj7I6I7II7ii7IV6IVv7VI7Unique scale degree

Chord degree

I–IVIV–II–II–IV–Iii–VV–IIV–♭VIii–V–IIV–IIII–IVII–II–I–IVI–iiV–I–iiIV–I–II–ii–VI–♭VII–IV–I–II–I–I–IVI–I–IV–I–♭VI♭VI–♭VIIV–II–Iii–V–I–♭VI♭VI–♭iii

Chord shape

C → FC → GC → CC → F → CAm → DC → DmC → A♭C → GmAm → BC → E♭C7 → E♭Am → D → GC → AC → B♭C7 → B♭C7 → FC → A → GC → C → CC → C → FC → Cmaj7 → C7 → FC → F → GmC → A7C → Dm → GC → G → GC → C → C → FC → F → C → CC → F → D♭C → A7 → GC → Cmaj7C7 → E♭ → C7 → B♭Am → D → G → E♭C → E♭ → E♭C → B♭ → B♭C → Gm → AAm7 → B7C → F6

Chord literal

A → CE → AA → EF♯m → BB → EC → CA7 → CC → FC7 → FC → C → FF → D7D → FE → F♯mE → ED7 → CD → CF → DE → CF♯m → B → EC → GmB → E → F♯mE → F♯m → BA → E → EB → E → CC → C → CGm → AC → Cmaj7 → C7 → FC → C → C → FE → A → EA → C → CD7 → F
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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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