This Boy
“That boy took my love away”
Lennon ballad written as a Smokey Robinson-style three-part harmony showcase, built on a 1950s doo-wop I–vi–ii–V cycle in 12/8. B-side of I Want to Hold Your Hand and a Beatles harmony-singing high-water mark.
advertisement
Did you know?more like this →
The Beatles have 20 songs where Lennon writes from doubt or need rather than from wit, including 'Anna (Go to Him)', 'Not a Second Time', 'There's a Place', 'This Boy', 'I Don't Want to Spoil the Party', 'I'll Be Back' and 14 more.
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedOctober 17, 1963
ReleasedNovember 29, 1963 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)
Song familyFragile LennonVulnerable, would-mind-the-pain self, Twin songsTwin of Yes It Is: 6/8 acoustic ballads with heavy three-part harmony.
● hover for more info● long-press tags for more info
Text143 tags
Word cloud
Cover-shared shape
[NOUN] won't[VERB] it[VERB] my[VERB] the[VERB] you[WORD] and[WORD] mybe [ADJ]but [WORD]my [NOUN]that [NOUN]the [ADJ]the [NOUN]this [NOUN]to [VERB]would [WORD]you [ADV]you [VERB][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] the [ADJ][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] you [ADV][VERB] you [VERB][VERB] you but[WORD] [VERB] it[WORD] [VERB] themy [NOUN] [ADV]that [NOUN] [VERB]to [VERB] you[VERB] my [NOUN] [ADV][WORD] [VERB] the [ADJ]to [VERB] you but
Music192 tags
Chord shape
C → B → EmC → B7 → EmC → C → FC → F → DC → F → D → GC → AmAm → DmAm → DAm7 → D7C → Am → Dm → GC → FC7 → FAm → D → GAm7 → D7 → GC → F → DmC → CC → C7C → F → FAm → Dm → G → CAm → D → G → EmAm7 → D7 → G → EmC → BC → FmC7 → FmAm → CC → AC → B7C → F → Dm → GmC7 → F → D7C → A7Am → Dm → GC → C7 → FC → A → DC → Am → DmC7 → F → DmAm → Dm7C → Fm → A♭C7 → F → F7Am → D → G → GAm → Dm7 → G7C → A7 → DC7 → Fm → A♭C → Am → Dm7 → G7Am → Dm → G → C → CAm → Dm7 → G7 → CC7 → F → Dm → Gm7Am7 → D7 → G → G7Am → C → C7 → FC → A → D → DC → C → F → DAm → Dm7 → G7 → C → C7Am → C → C7 → F → D7C → C → F → D → G
Chord literal
Bm → EmEm → AEm7 → A7A → DA7 → DA → A7E → AE7 → AA → AD → GD → DD → BmEm → A → DD → D → GD7 → GG → EBm → DA → D → BmBm → Em → AD → Bm → EmF♯ → BmD → D7D → Bm → Em → AG → E7G → F♯Em → A → D → BmA7 → D → BmG → E → AE → A → AD → G → EF♯7 → BmA → D → Bm → EmBm → Em → A → DA → D → DD → Bm → Em7 → A7G → E → A → AD → G → E → AG → F♯7 → BmEm7 → A7 → DF♯ → Bm → DD7 → G → E7G → F♯ → BmG → E7 → AD → D7 → G
People11 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.
Updated
advertisement
Feedback
Got a tag idea for This Boy? Or think we've got it all wrong – no, no, no? Don't let it be.