The Fool on the Hill
“But the fool on the hill sees the sun going down”
McCartney's portrait of a solitary visionary mistaken for a fool, set to a piano ballad alternating D major verses with parallel D-minor refrains. Released on the Magical Mystery Tour EP and LP in late 1967, with a promo filmed near Nice for the film.
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This song is the only Beatles song to feature penny whistle.
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedSeptember 6 – October 20, 1967
ReleasedNovember 27, 1967
Song familyPiano song, Referenced in songby Glass Onion, Character song
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Text227 tags
Word cloud
Recurring words
answercloudfeelingsgivesgrinkeepingknowsloudnoticeroundseesshowssuntalkingthousandvoiceswantsa foola thousandan answerbut thecan tellgoing downhe wantshead inhis headin hisnobody everround andsee thatseems tosees thethat he'sthe eyesthe foolthe manthe soundthe sunthey don'twhat hecan see thathe wants toon the wayround round roundtell what hewhat he wants tothe fool on the hill
Lyric shape
[ADJ] on[VERB] himan [NOUN]and [NOUN]he [WORD][NOUN] [VERB] down[NOUN] [VERB] to[NOUN] of a[NOUN] with the[VERB] [ADV] still[VERB] an [NOUN][VERB] is [VERB][VERB] on the[VERB] that he's[VERB] what he[WORD] [ADJ] and[WORD] [VERB] him[WORD] [VERB] hisand [NOUN] [VERB]but [NOUN] [VERB]but the [NOUN]can [VERB] thathe [VERB] toin a [NOUN]in his [NOUN]of a [WORD]the [ADJ] [VERB]the [NOUN] inthe [NOUN] ofthey don't [VERB]what he [VERB][ADJ] [VERB] is [VERB][ADV] on the [NOUN][NOUN] [VERB] to [VERB][VERB] in a [NOUN][VERB] is [VERB] [ADV][VERB] on the [NOUN][VERB] the [NOUN] [VERB][WORD] [VERB] his [NOUN][WORD] [VERB] to [VERB]a [WORD] [WORD] [VERB]he [VERB] to [VERB]he [WORD] [VERB] histhe [NOUN] [VERB] [ADJ]the [NOUN] [VERB] downthe [NOUN] of athe [NOUN] with the[VERB] what he [VERB] tothe [NOUN] of a [WORD]the [NOUN] on the [NOUN]
Cover-shared shape
[ADJ] and[NOUN] in[NOUN] of[NOUN] with[VERB] an[VERB] down[VERB] he[VERB] his[VERB] in[VERB] is[VERB] on[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] whata [NOUN]a [WORD]and [ADJ]but [NOUN]can [VERB]don't [VERB]he [VERB]his [NOUN]is [VERB]the [ADJ]the [NOUN]to [VERB][ADJ] and [ADJ][NOUN] after [NOUN][VERB] he [VERB][VERB] his [NOUN][VERB] in a[VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] to do[WORD] [VERB] toa [WORD] [WORD]and the [NOUN]is [VERB] [ADV]just a [NOUN]on a [NOUN]on the [NOUN]the [NOUN] [VERB]the [NOUN] he
Distinctive word
appearsfoolishfoolshearslistensperfectly
Music190 tags
Chord shape
Am → FC → DC7 → DmAm → F → GC → D → EAm → D → G → EmC → Am → Dm → GAm → AmAm → D → GC → F → DmC → DmAm → GAm → DC → FC → AmAm → DmAm7 → D7C → F → Dm → GmAm → Dm → GC → Dm → GC → Am → DmC → D → EmAm → Am → AmAm → Am → FAm → Am → Am → FAm7 → Dm7Am → G → Am → DC → Dm → G → C → AmAm7 → Dm7 → G7C → Dm → DmC → Dm → G → C → Am → DmAm → Am(maj7)/A♭ → Am7/GAm → Am → Am → F → GC → Dm → C → Dm → GAm → G → Am → D → GC → Dm → Dm → DmC/E → D7C7 → F6
People14 tags
Line-up
Info22 tags
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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