The Word

The motifs of spirituality, instruction and philosophy are in there, if not always in the foreground. 'Twist and Shout' and 'I'll Get You' had reached for the instruction motif 2 years before. The lyric turns to anaphora ('Say the word' opens successive lines), a habit that peaked in 1968. The writing draws on R&B and Bob Dylan. One for the word-counters, "misunderstood" turns up in no other Beatles lyric.

A soul and R&B song with Motown influences (stax/Motown groove feel), 'The Word' sits in D major and moves at about 105 BPM. Listen for an ostinato, one figure repeating underneath and an appoggiatura, a leaning note that resolves late. The song runs on a 12-bar blues, which 32 of theirs do, such as 'Roll Over Beethoven' and 'Little Child'. Whether it was meant or not, its G7 → D7 → A → G → D7 chord progression is the move 'Long Tall Sally' makes as C → G → D7 → C7 → G.

Cut in a single session at EMI Studio 2. George Martin added a harmonium overdub on the coda for a hymn-like fade. On this one McCartney played the Rickenbacker 4001S, his bass, a habit that peaked in 1967. They reached for the Ludwig Super Classic, Starr's own kit since 1964. Double tracked vocal was used on it, as on 139 of their records. This one came 31st of the 33 songs they recorded in 1965, and 100th in the whole career.

Lennon wrote it and shares the lead with McCartney (Lennon called it mainly his, having written it as his first expression of the idea that love is the answer). George Martin played harmonium, as he also did on 'Cry Baby Cry' and 'Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!', and maracas are in there too.

The track was never a single, and it reached the public with Rubber Soul, on December 3, 1965. It reached America three days later, on the Capitol album Rubber Soul (US), with a different tracklist from the UK. This is the Beatles' 92nd record, and the 23rd of the 33 they released in that year.