Beatlesongs.wiki
SongsA Hard Day's NightTell Me Why
A Hard Day's Night album cover

Tell Me Why

1964 · A Hard Day's Night

“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.
VinylCD

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Year1964
AlbumA Hard Day's Night
Track6 · Side 1
Duration2:09
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedFebruary 27, 1964
ReleasedJuly 10, 1964
Song familyTwin songsTwin of Ask Me Why: mirrored titles.

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Text220 tags

Motif

LoveRelationshipPleaQuestionAnatomyCommunication

Influence

Girl group influence

Title

Pronoun in title

Vocabulary

Casual languageNegative tone

Narrative

ImperativeFirst personConversationalConfessionalSecond person

Lyrical device

Anaphora

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeExtrametrical rhymeInternal rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has bridgeMany choruses (4+)Has introHas coda

Section links

Intro based on chorusCoda based on verse

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive line
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

Cover-shared words

allbackbadbendedcauseeverythingeyesgavegoheaditkneeslistenlovememyohsaidsittingstandtearstelltheretreatwellyouall ibut youcause ido iseverything ihave toi cani doi hadi saidif youin myis thereoh soon myso badtell methat ito meto mytreat mewell iwith youyou don'tyou onif you don'toh so bad

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]

Rhyme scheme

AABBABCBABAB

Line length

9-9-9-99-9-9-85-5-5-5Unique line length

Distinctive word

liedpleas
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Music160 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarPianoDrums

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboards

Bass work

Walking bassChromatic bass lineStepwise bass line

Music genre

RockRock and rollDoo-wopMerseybeatPop

Vocal work

Vocal harmoniesFalsetto

Tempo

Fast

Key

D major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusBABABCB

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has bridgeMany choruses (4+)Has introHas coda

Section traits

Chorus before verse

Section links

Intro based on chorusCoda based on verse

Section transition

I to IV to I

Harmony

Half cadenceCircle of fifthsPerfect cadenceSecondary dominantDeceptive cadenceBorrowed chordChromatic mediantJazz cadenceIce cream changes

Composition

Non-tonic openingTonic endingShared chordsChorus in IBridge in IVerse in ITonic verseTonic chorusTonic bridge

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7slash chord

Scale degree

II7ii7iiIV7V7♭VIvi

Chord degree

ii–VI–vivi–iiV–Iii–V–IV–I–viI–vi–ii–VI–IVIV–VV–viI–IV–Vvi–ii–V–Ivi–♭VI♭VI–Vvi–♭VI–VIV–V–vi♭VI–V–Ivi–ii–VI–vi–iiV–vi–iiIV–V–vi–iiIV–V–vi–ii–VV–vi–ii–V–Ivi–♭VI–V–II–IV–V–vi

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 → Am → Dm7 → G7C → B7C → B → EAm → Dm → GC → Am → DmC7 → F → DmAm → D7 → GC → D → EmAm → Dm7C7 → D7Am → 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

Chord literal

Em → AEm7 → A7Bm → EmA → DA7 → DD → GG → AD → G → AB♭ → AA → BmD → BmD7 → G7Em → A → DA → D → BmBm → Em → AD → Bm → EmEm → A7D → Bm → Em → AA7 → D → BmBm → Em → A → DEm → A7 → DD → Bm → Em7 → A7Em7 → A7 → DB♭ → A → DG → A → BmB♭ → A7G7 → A7
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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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