The Fool on the Hill

Some of the imagery comes from nature (Hill, sun going down, world spinning), along with the motifs of self deprecation and character. The writing is observational, watched rather than lived. 47 songs do it, and 1964 has more of them than any other year. It uses irony (crowd calls him a fool), and the language is mixed in tone, half warm and half cold. Intentional or not, the line "The fool on the hill" turns up in one other Beatles song, 'Glass Onion'.

'The Fool on the Hill' runs near 92 BPM in D major, and it is a psychedelic and pop piece from first bar to last. The arrangement sets woodwind alongside a descending bass (chromatic descent under chorus). Then, the key moves from D major to D minor in the chorus. The harmony takes in a min(maj7) chord, which six Beatles songs use, such as 'Cry Baby Cry' and 'Till There Was You'. Listen for an appoggiatura, a note taking its time to resolve. Curiously, the chords run D6 → Em7/D → A7 → D6 → Bm7 → Em7, a shape 'I'm a Loser' also uses, there as G → Am7 → D → G → Em → Am.

This song came out of EMI Studio 3, three flautists overdubbed on Oct 20, scored by George Martin to Paul's suggestions. The bird-like coda was added as a tape loop. That Rickenbacker 4001S is McCartney's bass, in use since 1965 and heard on 86 Beatles records in all, such as 'Drive My Car' and 'Day Tripper'. They worked with the Ludwig Super Classic. The record closes with a fade-out, one of 46 songs spread over 4 years of writing. Two songs were started the day this one was, the 143rd and 144th of their career.

The words and the music are both McCartney's, and the record has a role swap on it, Lennon on harp and jews harp, McCartney on recorder and penny whistle, Harrison on harmonica and Starr on finger cymbals. George Martin plays on this one as well as producing it, less common for a Beatles record, as he does on 'And I Love Her' and 'Slow Down'. In the mix, the piano is two pianos on early take.

The song came out with Magical Mystery Tour on November 27, 1967, all of it widely covered. This is the Beatles' 139th record, and the 21st of the 24 they released in that year.