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SongsHelp!Tell Me What You See
Help! album cover

Tell Me What You See

1965 · Help!

“Open up your eyes now, tell me what you see”

McCartney's modest folk-rock plea, dismissed by him as filler yet quietly signposting the Rubber Soul direction. Notable as the Beatles' first use of the Hohner Pianet electric piano, with Latin-flavored percussion replacing the standard drum kit.
VinylCD

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Year1965
AlbumHelp!
Track11 · Side 2
Duration2:36
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn, Paul
RecordedFebruary 18, 1965
ReleasedAugust 6, 1965

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Text211 tags

Motif

QuestionLoveRelationshipPleaNumbersColorWeatherAnatomySunshineCommunicationFreedomTime

Title

Pronoun in title

Vocabulary

Casual languagePositive tone

Narrative

First personConversationalSecond personImperative

Rhyme type

Extrametrical rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Has refrainStandard verses (2-4)Many choruses (4+)Has outroHas intro

Section links

Chorus variationOutro based on chorusIntro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring lineRecurring verse
Word cloud

Recurring words

blackbrightpassrealisesurprisetrustget throughhow cani geti'll makeif i'mis noit islisten tolook intomay beme whatnever bepass awaysee thattake yourthe cloudstime willto getto seetrust inup yourwe willyou letyour dayyour eyesget to youhow can ilet me takelisten to metell me whattry to seeyou let meyou see isyou try toopen up your eyestrying to get to

Cover-shared words

apartawaybigdayeyesgetheartitletlistenlookmakememorenevernowonepartputseetaketelltimetrytryingweyouyourcan ican't youdon't youget toi willif youlet meme onemore timeof youone morepart ofput yourtell methat i'mto meto youtry totrying towhat youwill neveryou seeyour heartme one moreone more timeto me one

Lyric shape

[ADJ] the[ADJ] your[NOUN] may[WORD] be[ADJ] the [NOUN][ADJ] your [NOUN][NOUN] will [VERB][VERB] me what[VERB] to you[VERB] up your[WORD] be [ADJ][WORD] of youcan i [VERB]to [VERB] thatto [VERB] towill [VERB] towill [WORD] beyou [VERB] isyour [NOUN] [ADV]your [NOUN] in[VERB] me [VERB] your[VERB] to [VERB] that[VERB] to [VERB] to[VERB] up your [NOUN][VERB] your [NOUN] ini will [VERB] toif you [VERB] meyou [VERB] me [VERB]you [VERB] your [NOUN][VERB] me [VERB] your [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB] that i'mi will [VERB] to you

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] and[NOUN] will[VERB] in[VERB] into[VERB] is[VERB] me[VERB] that[VERB] through[VERB] to[VERB] up[VERB] your[WORD] ofand [ADJ]be [ADJ]i [VERB]i'll [VERB]i'm [WORD]me [VERB]no [NOUN]one [WORD]the [NOUN]these [NOUN]to [VERB]will [VERB]will [WORD]you [VERB]you [WORD]your [NOUN][ADJ] and [ADJ][VERB] me [VERB][VERB] that i'm[VERB] to [VERB][VERB] to me[VERB] your [NOUN]can't you [VERB]i will [VERB]if you [VERB]one [WORD] [NOUN]what you [VERB]you [VERB] meyou [VERB] toyou [VERB] youryou [WORD] [ADV][VERB] to me oneme one [WORD] [NOUN]you [VERB] to [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

ABABABABC

Line length

5-5-5-57-5-7-5Unique line length

Distinctive word

prove
You might also like:The Beatles Illustrated LyricsRevolution in the Head

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Music162 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarElectric pianoDrumsPercussionTambourineMaracasClavesOther percussion

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Music genre

Folk rockRockFolk

Melody

AppoggiaturaBlue note

Tempo

Moderate

Key

G major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABABAB

Sections

Has refrainStandard verses (2-4)Many choruses (4+)Has outroHas intro

Section links

Chorus variationOutro based on chorusIntro based on verse

Section transition

I to II to IV

Harmony

Three-chord trickPerfect cadenceParallel harmonySecondary dominantPlagal cadence

Composition

All major chordsTonic openingTonic endingMinimal harmonyChorus in IVVerse in ITonic verseNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majordom7

Scale degree

II7IVVV7

Chord degree

V–I–II–I–IVIV–I–VI–IVIV–VI–IV–I–VIV–V–I–IV–IIV–II–IV–VIV–V–IV–I–IVI–IV–IV–I–IV–II–II–VV–I–I–IVIV–I–IV–VIV–I–V–II–IV–I–IV–VIV–V–I–IV–II–I–IV–I–VIV–I–IV–I–IV–VI–IV–I–IV–I–IV–VIV–I–IV–V–IV–I–IV–I–IVI–IV–I–V–IIV–I–IV–I–IV–I–IV–VIV–I–IV–I–IV–V–II–IV–V–I–IV–I–I–IV–I

Chord shape

C → C → FC → G → DC → G → D7C → FC → F → C → GC → D → G → GC → DC → GC → F → GC → D → GC → F → B♭C → F → CC → F → B♭ → FC → CC → C7C7 → FC → F → FC → G7C → F → C → F → GC → G → D7 → GC → G → C → G → C → DC → F → B♭ → F → B♭C → D → G → C → GC → G → D → GC → C7 → FC → G → C → DC → G → C → D → GC → F → C → F → C → F → GC → C → F → C → GC → F → F → B♭C → F → C → G → CC7 → F → CC → G → C → G → C → G → C → DC → G → C → G → C → D → GC → C7 → F → C → G7C → F → F7C7 → F → C → G7 → CC → F → G → C → CC → F → F → B♭ → FC → F → G → C → C7

Chord literal

C → G → DG → CC → DD → GC → GG → C → DC → D → GD → G → CG → C → GD → G → C → GG → DG → D7C → D → G → C → GD → G → GG7 → CD7 → GG → GG → C → G → DG → G → CG → G7C → G → D → GG → G7 → CC → G → D7C → G → D7 → GC → G → C → DC → G → C → G → C → DC → G → C → D → GG → G → C → G → DG7 → C → GC → G → C → G → C → D → GG → G7 → C → G → D7D → G → C → G → CG → C → G → D → GD → G → G → C
You might also like:Harmony & Voice LeadingAll the Songs

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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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