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SongsRubber SoulWait
Rubber Soul album cover

“It's been a long time, now I'm coming back home”

A McCartney-led ballad about a returning lover left over from the Help! sessions, exhumed five months later when Rubber Soul needed a fourteenth track. Notable for Harrison's tone-pedal lead guitar swells.
VinylCDMerch

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Year1965
AlbumRubber Soul
Track12 · Side 2
Duration2:13
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn, Paul
RecordedJune 17, 1965; November 11, 1965
ReleasedDecember 3, 1965

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Text164 tags

Motif

LoveAnatomySadnessLonelinessRelationshipHomePlea

Title

One-word title

Vocabulary

Casual languageLimited vocabularyPositive tone

Narrative

First personConversationalSecond personImperative

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeHalf rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Many choruses (4+)Multiple bridges (2+)Has bridgeMany verses (5+)

Repetition

Recurring verse
Word cloud

Recurring words

criedforgetsidetrustturnand ifas ias thoughback tobeen abeen awaybeen goodcan beforget thein younow i'moh howthat i'vethe tearstill ito yourtrust inturn meand if youcome back toi've been aloneit's been athat i've beentrust in youit's been a long

Cover-shared words

aloneawaybackbreakscomecomingfeelgoodheartheart'sholdhomeknowlongmenowohstrongtearsthoughtilltimewaityouyoura longback homebut ifcome backfor mehold oni cani feeli won'ti've beenif youif yourknow thatlong timeought tothat youto knowyou doyou willyour hearta long timeknow that youknow that you willyou ought to know

Lyric shape

[ADJ] as[ADV] i'm[WORD] howas [WORD]been [ADV]we've [VERB][VERB] [ADV] to[VERB] as [WORD][VERB] for me[VERB] in you[VERB] we've [VERB]as [ADJ] asi've been [ADJ]to your [NOUN]will [VERB] foryou will [VERB]your [NOUN] [VERB]i [VERB] [ADV] toit's been a [VERB]that i've been [ADJ]

Cover-shared shape

[ADV] to[NOUN] i[VERB] as[VERB] for[VERB] in[VERB] me[VERB] on[VERB] that[VERB] the[WORD] toa [VERB]and [VERB]been [ADJ]don't [VERB]i [VERB]i'll [VERB]me [ADV]the [NOUN]to [VERB]will [VERB]won't [VERB]you [WORD]your [NOUN]your [WORD][NOUN] i [VERB][VERB] me [ADV][VERB] that you[VERB] the [NOUN][WORD] to [VERB]a [VERB] [NOUN]and [VERB] thati [VERB] [ADV]i won't [VERB]if your [WORD][VERB] that you willwe'll [VERB] the [NOUN]you [WORD] to [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

AABCCBABBUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Consistent line lengthsUnique line length

Distinctive word

delay
You might also like:Revolution in the HeadAll the Songs

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Music127 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarDrumsPercussionTambourineMaracas

Instrument group

GuitarsPercussion

Music genre

RockFolkFolk rock

Vocal work

Vocal harmonies

Tempo

Moderate

Key

F♯ minor

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusUnique structure

Sections

Many choruses (4+)Multiple bridges (2+)Has bridgeMany verses (5+)

Section transition

i to ♭IIIi to iV to iUnique section transition

Harmony

Perfect cadenceCircle of fifthsParallel harmonyHalf cadence

Composition

Tonic openingTonic endingChorus in ♭IIIBridge in IVVerse in iTonic verseNon-tonic chorusNon-tonic bridge

Mode

IonianDorian

Scale degree

i♭IIIIVivV7♭VI♭VII

Chord degree

♭VII–♭IIIIV–♭VII–♭IIIi–IVIV–ivi–VV–i♭III–♭VI♭VI–♭III♭III–VIV–♭VIIV–i–IViv–i♭III–V–i♭III–i♭VI–♭III–V–i♭VII–♭III–V♭III–♭VI–♭III–V–iIV–♭VII–♭III–V♭VII–♭III–ii–IV–♭VIIi–V–i–IViv–i–V

Chord shape

Am → EmC → AmC → F → B♭C → F → DmC → Am → DAm → D → GC → F → AAm → DC → CmAm → EC → FmC7 → FmC → FC → GC → EC → Fm → B♭C → E → AmAm → D → G → CAm → E7C → E7 → AmC → E7C → Am → D → GC → F → Dm → GC → G → BAm → E → Am → DC → G → B → EmC → G → B7C → F → A7C → G → B7 → EmC → F → B♭ → DC → F → C → E → AmC → F → B♭ → GmC7 → Fm → B♭Am → D → DmC → F → C → F → C → E → AmC → F → C → E7 → AmAm → D → G → C → EAm → Em → B

Chord literal

B → EE → AA → F♯mF♯m → BA → DD → ABm → F♯mE → A → F♯mB → E → AF♯m → B → EA → F♯m → BB → BmA → F♯m → B → EE → A → F♯m → BF♯m → B → E → AF♯m → B → Bm
You might also like:Harmony & Voice LeadingThe Musician's Guide to Theory

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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.

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