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SongsPlease Please MeTwist and Shout
Please Please Me album cover

Twist and Shout

1963 · Please Please Me

“Well, shake it up, baby, now”

The Beatles' final cut for Please Please Me, taped in one take after a 12-hour session with Lennon's throat already shredded. The Isley Brothers cover became the album closer and a US #2 single - Lennon's most celebrated rock-and-roll scream. The recording featured in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
VinylCD

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Year1963
AlbumPlease Please Me
Track14 · Album closer · Side 2 · Side closer
Duration2:32
Songwriter(s)Bert Russell, Phil Medley
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedFebruary 11, 1963
ReleasedMarch 22, 1963

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Text192 tags

Motif

LoveWorkDanceSexHardnessInstructionalChildhoodWomenSoundCommunicationAnger

Vocabulary

Casual languageLimited vocabularyPositive tone

Narrative

ConversationalSecond personImperative

Rhyme type

Identical rhymeExtrametrical rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA formNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has bridgeHas introHas outroMany verses (5+)No chorusHas interlude

Section links

Intro based on verseIntro based on chorusOutro based on verseVerse variation

Repetition

Recurring verseRecurring lineConsecutive lineConsecutive wordConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Cover-shared words

ahbabyc'monclosercomefinegirlgoingoodgothoneyitknewknowletlikelittlelookmeminenowoohshakeshouttwistwellwoahworkyeahyoua littleand letand shoutcome ongood lookgot mei knewit upjust likeknow thatknow youlet melike ilike youlittle girlon outout oohshake itso finewoah yeahwork itwould likeyeah yeahyou gotyou knewyou knowyou wouldyou're minecome on babyi knew youjust like youlet me knowyou got meyou know you

Cover-shared shape

[VERB] a[VERB] and[VERB] i[VERB] it[VERB] me[VERB] on[VERB] so[VERB] that[VERB] you[VERB] you'rea [ADJ]and [VERB]i [VERB]it [NOUN]it [VERB]just [VERB]me [VERB]me [WORD]mine [WORD]on [NOUN]out [NOUN]out [VERB]out [WORD]so [ADJ]so [NOUN]up [NOUN]would [VERB]would [WORD]you [ADJ]you [VERB][ADV] [VERB] a[ADV] [VERB] it[ADV] [VERB] me[NOUN] [VERB] it[VERB] [VERB] and[VERB] a [ADJ][VERB] and [VERB][VERB] i [VERB][VERB] it [NOUN][VERB] it [VERB][VERB] it up[VERB] me [VERB][VERB] me [WORD][VERB] on [NOUN][VERB] so [ADJ][VERB] so [NOUN][VERB] you [ADJ][VERB] you [VERB]a [ADJ] [WORD]and [VERB] [VERB]and [VERB] aand [VERB] itand [VERB] mei [VERB] youout [NOUN] [VERB]so [NOUN] [VERB]you [ADJ] [NOUN]you [VERB] meyou [VERB] soyou [VERB] youyou would [VERB]you would [WORD]you're mine [WORD][VERB] [VERB] and [VERB][VERB] a [ADJ] [WORD][VERB] i [VERB] you[VERB] it [NOUN] [ADV][VERB] it up [NOUN][VERB] me [VERB] that[VERB] you [ADJ] [NOUN][VERB] you [VERB] me[VERB] you [VERB] you[VERB] you would [VERB][WORD] [ADV] [VERB] meand [VERB] me [VERB]just [VERB] you [VERB]you [VERB] me [WORD]you [VERB] so [NOUN]you [VERB] you [VERB][VERB] you [VERB] so [NOUN]you [VERB] you [VERB] meyou [VERB] you [VERB] you[VERB] it [VERB] it [VERB] it

Rhyme scheme

ABABCBABABUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

7-6-8-61-2Unique line length
You might also like:All the SongsRevolution in the Head

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Music118 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarDrums

Instrument group

Guitars

Guitar work

Guitar solo

Music genre

R&BRock and rollRockMerseybeat

Influence

Little Richard influence

Vocal work

Belted vocalsThree-part harmonyScreamGroup vocalsAah vocalsVocals on interludeOoh vocalsVocal ad-libVocal harmonies

Solo / Riff

Defining riffGuitar soloSolo on verse

Melody

Call and responseDefining riff

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

D major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABCABAABA formNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has bridgeHas introHas outroNo chorusHas soloStandard verses (2-4)Has interlude

Section links

Intro based on verseIntro based on chorusOutro based on verseVerse variationSolo on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to IV to VI to V

Harmony

Half cadenceCircle of fifthsPerfect cadenceParallel harmonyThree-chord trick

Composition

All major chordsTonic openingTonic endingMinimal harmonyBridge in VVerse in ITonic verseNon-tonic bridge

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majordom7

Scale degree

II7IVVV7

Chord degree

IV–VI–IVV–II–IV–VV–VV–V–IV–I–IVIV–V–II–IV–V–II–IV–V–VV–I–IV–V–IV–V–I–IV

Chord shape

C → FC → F → B♭C → F → B♭ → CC → CC → F → GC → C → FC → DC → C7C7 → FC7 → F → B♭C → D → GC → F → G → CC → D → D → GC → F → B♭ → C → FC → D → D7C → F → G → GC → C7 → F → B♭C → D → DC → C → F → B♭C → C7 → FC → F7

Chord literal

A → D → GA → DD → GA7 → DG → AD → G → AA → AA → A7A → D7G → A → AG → A → A7G → A → DA → A → DA → A7 → D
You might also like:The Beatles: Complete ScoresJohn Legend – Teaches Songwriting

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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.

External entity links: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz recording · MusicBrainz work · Wikidata

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