Tell Me Why
“All I do is hang my head and moan”
Lennon's pastiche of a New York girl-group lament – written quickly for the A Hard Day's Night film's Scala Theatre concert sequence. A doo-wop confession over a walking bass, with three-part harmonies and a falsetto climax in the bridge.
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The Beatles have 21 songs that mirror or answer another song in the catalogue, including 'Ask Me Why', 'I Want to Hold Your Hand', 'Tell Me Why' and 18 more.
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedFebruary 27, 1964
ReleasedJuly 10, 1964
Song familyTwin songsTwin of Ask Me Why: mirrored titles.
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Text220 tags
Word cloud
Recurring words
anythingapologizecriedhangholdingleftmoanownsomethingand i'lland whycan dodid yougo oni reallyi'm soif it'sin lovelisten tome ohme whatme whymy eyesmy headsitting onstand itwhy youyou everythingyou haveall i docan't go oni beg youin love within my eyeslisten to myon my owntell me whattell me whyyou have toyou left meanything i can doin love with youon my bended knees
Lyric shape
[VERB] orcan't [WORD]i'll [WORD]in [VERB]is [WORD]my [VERB]only [VERB][ADV] [NOUN] i[ADV] i [WORD][ADV] these [NOUN][NOUN] i had[VERB] and [WORD][VERB] me what[VERB] me why[VERB] to my[VERB] with you[WORD] i dobut you [VERB]can't [WORD] onhave to [VERB]i [VERB] ori [WORD] youin [VERB] withis [ADV] [NOUN]on my [VERB]only [VERB] towhy you [VERB][NOUN] i can do[NOUN] that i [VERB][VERB] in my [NOUN][VERB] me [VERB] onin [VERB] with youon my [VERB] [WORD]to [VERB] me [WORD]you [VERB] me [VERB]you have to [VERB]
Cover-shared shape
[ADV] i[NOUN] i[NOUN] that[VERB] and[VERB] in[VERB] it[VERB] me[VERB] on[VERB] to[VERB] with[VERB] you[WORD] i[WORD] my[WORD] on[WORD] so[WORD] youand [WORD]can't [VERB]i [VERB]i [WORD]is [ADV]it's [NOUN]me [VERB]me [WORD]my [NOUN]my [WORD]so [ADJ]these [NOUN]to [VERB]you [NOUN]you [VERB][ADV] i [VERB][NOUN] i can[VERB] me [VERB][VERB] me [WORD][VERB] on my[VERB] to me[VERB] you [NOUN][WORD] my [NOUN][WORD] so [ADJ]can't [VERB] iti [VERB] youin my [NOUN]my [NOUN] andthat i [VERB]to [VERB] meyou [VERB] meyou [VERB] to[ADV] i [VERB] youi [VERB] you [NOUN]you [VERB] to me[ADV] i [VERB] you [NOUN]
Distinctive word
liedpleas
Music160 tags
Chord shape
Am → DAm7 → D7C → AmAm → DmC → FC7 → FAm → D → GAm7 → D7 → GC → F → DmC → Am → Dm → GC7 → F7C → DC → DmAm → D7C → F → GAm → Dm → G → CAm → A♭C → BAm → A♭ → GC → B7C → B → EAm → Dm → GC → Am → DmC7 → F → DmAm → D7 → GC → D → EmAm → Dm7C7 → D7Am → Dm7 → G7C → Am → Dm7 → G7C → Dm → GmC → B7 → EAm/E → DmC → D → Em → AmC → D → Em → Am → DC → Dm → Gm → C → FAm → A♭ → G → CC → F → G → Am
People11 tags
Info18 tags
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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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