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SongsPast MastersWe Can Work It Out
Past Masters album cover

We Can Work It Out

1965 · Past Masters

“Life is very short, and there's no time”

A true Lennon-McCartney collaboration: Paul's optimistic verses about working through a quarrel framed by John's fatalistic bridge on the brevity of life. Double A-side with 'Day Tripper', it became the band's eleventh UK No. 1 and topped the US chart for three weeks.
VinylCD

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Year1965
AlbumPast Masters
Track20
Duration2:15
Songwriter(s)McCartney, Lennon
Lead VocalPaul, John
RecordedOctober 20 – October 29, 1965
ReleasedDecember 3, 1965 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)

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Text255 tags

Motif

WorkRelationshipPleaPhilosophicalTimeTruthSeasonsNostalgiaSelf reflectionLuckDirectionsCommunicationAngerFriendship

Title

Pronoun in title

Vocabulary

Positive toneCasual language

Narrative

First personConversationalImperative

Lyrical device

AnaphoraAntithesis

Rhyme type

Half rhymePerfect rhymeInternal rhymeIdentical rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA form

Sections

Has bridgeMultiple bridges (2+)Standard verses (2-4)No chorusHas refrain

Repetition

Recurring lineConsecutive lineRecurring verseConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

fallfriendknowingonceshortsoontalkingthoughtwhilea chanceand stillask youdo igo onhave alwaysif iit's alrightknowing thatlife ismy friendno timeof whator iout andsee itstill youthat it'sthat wethere's nothink ofthink thatthought thattill itime willto keepto seetoo longwe canwhat you'rewhile youyou onceyou thinka chance thatand there's nobefore too longcan't go onit out andout and getsay good nightthat it's atry to seeyou can getyou once againyou think thatand there's no timedo i have toi can't go on

Cover-shared words

alrightalwaysapartaskchancegetgogonegooditkeeplifelonglovemynightourrightrunsaysayingseetellthinktilltimetrywayweworkwrongyouyourand gethave toi ami can'ti havei willit's amy wayour loveso ithere's atry towork ityou canyou seei have toso i will

Lyric shape

[ADJ] or[ADV] be[NOUN] is[VERB] maycan't [WORD]it [ADJ]only [NOUN]or [VERB]too [VERB]very [ADJ][ADV] be [VERB][NOUN] that we[NOUN] will [VERB][VERB] if i[VERB] it [ADJ][VERB] of [VERB]before too [VERB]can't [WORD] onhave [WORD] [VERB]have to [VERB]i can't [WORD]i have [WORD]it's a [NOUN]out and [VERB]the [NOUN] ofthere's no [NOUN]to [VERB] onwe can [VERB][VERB] the [NOUN] of[VERB] you [WORD] again[WORD] you [VERB] itand [VERB] it [ADJ]and [VERB] my [NOUN]and there's no [NOUN]for [VERB] and [VERB]i can't [WORD] oni have to [VERB]the [NOUN] of [VERB]you [VERB] that it'syou can [VERB] it[VERB] that it's a [NOUN]do i have to [VERB]you can [VERB] it [NOUN][VERB] it out and [VERB] it

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] and[NOUN] and[NOUN] i[NOUN] or[NOUN] that[NOUN] will[VERB] and[VERB] if[VERB] it[VERB] my[VERB] of[VERB] on[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] you[WORD] on[WORD] youa [NOUN]and [VERB]be [VERB]can [VERB]for [VERB]have [WORD]i'm [VERB]it [NOUN]it's [WORD]might [VERB]my [NOUN]no [NOUN]of [VERB]on [VERB]our [NOUN]the [NOUN]to [VERB]will [VERB]you [VERB]you [WORD]you're [VERB]your [NOUN][VERB] [NOUN] i[VERB] and [VERB][VERB] it [NOUN][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] on [VERB][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] you [WORD][WORD] [VERB] that[WORD] you [VERB]a [NOUN] thatand [VERB] iti will [VERB]there's a [NOUN]to [VERB] ityou [VERB] ityou [VERB] thatyou can [VERB][VERB] to [VERB] iti will [VERB] youso i will [VERB]so i will [VERB] you

Rhyme scheme

ABABAA

Line length

5-59-8-9-8Unique line length

Distinctive word

crimefightingfussingriskstraight
You might also like:All the SongsThe Beatles Illustrated Lyrics

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Music173 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsAcoustic guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarHarmoniumDrumsPercussionTambourine

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Guitar work

Capo

Bass work

Stepwise bass line

Music genre

Folk rockRockPopFolk

Vocal work

Vocal harmoniesTwo-part harmony

Melody

HemiolaAppoggiatura

Tempo

Moderate

Key

D majorB minorKey change

Time signature

3/44/4Time signature change

Song form

Verse-chorusAABABAAABA form

Sections

Has bridgeMultiple bridges (2+)Standard verses (2-4)Has refrainStandard choruses (1-3)

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

III to IV to vi

Harmony

Three-chord trickPlagal cadenceModal mixtureBorrowed chordPedal pointPerfect cadenceBackdoor cadenceParallel harmonyHalf cadenceDrone

Composition

Tonic openingNon-tonic endingVerse in ITonic verseChorus in viNon-tonic chorus

Mode

IonianAeolian

Chord type

majorminordom77sus4slash chord

Scale degree

IiIVVV7♭VI♭VIIV7sus4

Chord degree

I–IV–VIV–V–IIV–I–VI–♭VIIi–VV–i♭VI–Vi–♭VII–IV–I–V♭VII–II–IVIV–VV–IIV–II–VV–VV–I–♭VIIIV–I–V–I♭VII–I–IVI–V–VI–♭VII–I–IVi–♭VI–V♭VI–V–VI–♭VII–I–IV–VIV–V–I–♭VII♭VII–I–IV–V–II–IV–V–I–♭VIII–IV–I–V–VV–I–♭VII–Ii–♭VI–V–VV–i–♭VI

Chord shape

C → D → GC → F → GC → G → DC → B♭C7 → Fm → D♭C → Fm → D♭Am → EC7 → FmC → FmC → BAm → FC → F → C → GC → D → G → AC → B♭ → C → FC → DC → FC → GC → CAm → E7C → D → G → DC → G → D → GC → G → GC → F → E♭Am → F → EC → B♭ → C → B♭ → C → FC7sus4 → C7C → F → E♭ → FC → G → D → DC → D → G → FC → B → BC → B♭/CC → B♭ → C → F → GC → G → C → B♭C → G7sus4C → F → E♭ → F → E♭ → FC → F → G → C → B♭C → D → G → A → DC → F → C → G → GC → G7sus4 → G7C → Fm → D♭ → CAm → F → E → EC/D → D → G

Chord literal

D → G → ABm → GA → AC → D → GC → DD → GG → AA → DG → DD → AG → A → D → CG → D → AG → A → DD → CD → G → D → AG → D → A → DD → A → AF♯ → BmG → F♯D → C → D → GA → D → CF♯7 → BmF♯ → F♯D → C → D → C → D → GC → D → G → DBm → G → F♯ → F♯A → D → C → DG → D → A → A
You might also like:Musicnotes – Beatles Piano/Vocal/GuitarSheet Music Plus – Beatles Collection

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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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