Beatlesongs.wiki
SongsRevolverTaxman
Revolver album cover

Taxman

1966 · Revolver

“Let me tell you how it will be / There's one for you, nineteen for me”

Harrison's caustic protest at the UK's 95% supertax - the first overtly political song in the Beatles catalogue and the opening track of Revolver. Named both PM Harold Wilson and opposition leader Edward Heath in the lyric, an unprecedented move for a pop record.
VinylCDMerch

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Year1966
AlbumRevolver
Track1 · Album opener · Side 1 · Side opener
Duration2:39
Songwriter(s)Harrison
Lead VocalGeorge
RecordedApril 20–22, 1966; vocal overdubs May 16, 1966
ReleasedAugust 5, 1966

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Text237 tags

Motif

PoliticalReal peopleStreetWorkCommunicationMoneySocial commentaryDeathNumbersCountingWeatherAnatomy

Influence

R&B influence

Title

Title in refrainOne-word title

Vocabulary

Negative toneCasual language

Narrative

First personSecond personConversationalPersona

Lyrical device

IronyAnaphoraHyperbole

Rhyme type

Half rhymePerfect rhymeTriple rhymeInternal rhyme

Song form

AABA formNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has refrainHas bridgeHas outroNo chorusStandard verses (2-4)Has intro

Section links

Solo based on verseVerse variationOutro based on verseIntro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

appearcarcolddiedriverefrainsmallspokenworkinga carand you'reget tooi'm theit allit forit willme whatno oneon yoursome moretake itto payto sitwant itwill beworking foryeah i'myou getyou takeyour eyescause i'm thedon't ask mefor no onei don't takeit will betake a walkyou take ayou try to

Cover-shared words

allaskcauseeyesfeetfivefourgetitletmemoremrmynineteennowonepaysitsomestreettaketellthreetrytwowalkwantyeahyouyourask mecause i'mdon't takedon't wantfor mefor youi don'ti wantif youlet meme tellnow mytake atell youthe streettry totwo threewant towhat iyou don'tyour feetdon't want toif you don'tone two threetwo three fourwhat i wantyou don't wantif you don't wantlet me tell youone two three fouryou don't want to

Lyric shape

[ADJ] i[ADJ] i'll[NOUN] i'll[VERB] i'll[WORD] i'mit [WORD]should [WORD]who [VERB][NOUN] i'm the[NOUN] the [NOUN][VERB] for me[VERB] it [WORD][VERB] it for[VERB] me whata [NOUN] [NOUN]and you're [VERB]be [ADJ] idon't [VERB] itfor you [VERB]on your [NOUN]should [WORD] [WORD]to [VERB] [VERB]you're [VERB] for[ADJ] i don't [VERB][VERB] a [NOUN] [NOUN][VERB] for no one[VERB] to [VERB] [VERB]i don't [VERB] itto [VERB] [WORD] [WORD][VERB] to [VERB] [WORD] [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] for[NOUN] i'm[NOUN] the[NOUN] your[VERB] a[VERB] for[VERB] it[VERB] me[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] too[VERB] you[WORD] on[WORD] onea [NOUN]be [ADJ]don't [VERB]i [VERB]me [VERB]me [WORD]my [NOUN]one [WORD]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]too [ADJ]you [VERB]you're [VERB]your [NOUN][ADV] my [NOUN][VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] me [VERB][VERB] the [WORD][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] too [ADJ]a [NOUN] [VERB]don't [VERB] medon't [VERB] toi [VERB] iti don't [VERB]if you [VERB]one [WORD] [WORD]to [VERB] [WORD]what i [VERB]you [VERB] ayou [VERB] toyou don't [VERB][VERB] a [NOUN] [VERB][VERB] me [VERB] you[VERB] to [VERB] [WORD]don't [VERB] to [VERB]if you don't [VERB]one [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]you [VERB] a [NOUN]you [VERB] to [VERB][WORD] one [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]don't [VERB] to [VERB] [WORD]if you [VERB] to [VERB]you don't [VERB] to [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

AAUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Consistent line lengths8-85-5Unique line length

Distinctive word

advicecoughingdeclarehahaheatheathpenniespercentseattaxtaxmanthankfulwilson
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Music126 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarDrumsPercussionTambourineCowbellSpoken word

Instrument group

GuitarsPercussion

Guitar work

Heavy guitarsGuitar and bass doublingGuitar riff

Bass work

Melodic bassStepwise bass lineGuitar and bass doublingBass riff

Music genre

Hard rockRockPsychedelic

Influence

Indian music influence

Solo / Riff

Guitar riffBass riffDefining riffSolo based on verse

Melody

Call and responseOstinatoDefining riff

Tempo

Fast

Key

D major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

AABAAAABA formNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has refrainHas bridgeHas outroNo chorusStandard verses (2-4)Has introHas solo

Section links

Solo based on verseVerse variationOutro based on verseIntro based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

Unique section transition

Harmony

Modal mixtureBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsParallel harmony

Composition

Non-tonic openingNon-tonic endingBridge in IVerse in ITonic verseTonic bridge

Mode

Mixolydian

Chord type

dom77♯9

Scale degree

I7II7III7IV7V7Unique scale degree

Chord degree

II–II–VI–IIII–IVI–V–IIIV–IIIII–IIV–IIII–IV–IIIII–II–I–VII–II–II–IV

Chord shape

C → G → DC → CC → B♭C7 → B♭7C → GC → B♭ → FC → DC → E♭C → BC7 → G7C7 → G7 → D7C7 → B♭7 → F7C → C → B♭C7 → D7C7 → B7C → D → DC → B → AC7 → E♭7C → C → B♭ → FC → C → E♭C → E♭ → DC → D → D → D → DC7 → E♭7 → D7C → C → C → E♭C → C → C → B♭

Chord literal

C → GG → DC → G → DC → DE → DD → CF → EG7 → D7C7 → G7E7 → D7D7 → C7C7 → G7 → D7F7 → E7C → D → DD7 → F7D → FD → C → GD → DC → D → D → D → DD → D → D → FF → E → DD → F → ED7 → F7 → E7C7 → D7D → D → C → G
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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.

External entity links: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz recording · MusicBrainz work · Wikidata

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