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© 2026 Nadav (Nahdi) Lazar. Beatles music © Apple Corps. Fan-made – not affiliated with The Beatles or Apple Corps.

“In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

SongsBeatles For SaleWhat You're Doing
I Don't Want to Spoil the Party·Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby
What You're Doing1964 · Beatles For Sale
Beatles For Sale album cover

What You're Doing

1964 · Beatles For Sale

“I've been waiting here for you”

McCartney's plea to an inattentive partner, written on a day off from the 1964 US tour and likely about Jane Asher. The chiming Rickenbacker 12-string ostinato predates the Byrds' folk-rock sound by months.
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Did you know?more like this →

15 Beatles recordings open on a single instrument playing alone, before any other player or voice comes in: 1 on bass, 6 on drums, 3 on guitar, 5 on keyboards. This song is one of them.

I'm So TiredBirthdayGlass OnionBass introDrum introGuitar introKeyboard intro
Year1964
AlbumBeatles For Sale
Track13 · Side 2
Duration2:30
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon–McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedSeptember 29-30 & October 26, 1964
ReleasedDecember 4, 1964

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Text150 tags

Motif

RelationshipLonelinessPleaQuestionColorLoveChildhoodSelf reflectionWomenSadnessCommunicationTruth

Vocabulary

Casual languageNegative tone

Narrative

First personConversationalSecond personImperative

Lyrical device

Epistrophe

Rhyme type

Feminine rhymeExtrametrical rhymeTriple rhymeHalf rhymeMulti-syllabic rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA form

Sections

Has outroStandard choruses (1-3)Standard verses (2-4)Has introHas interlude

Section links

Outro based on verseOutro based on chorusIntro based on verseVerse variation

Repetition

Consecutive lineRecurring lineRecurring verseConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

cryingfeelinglyingrunningwonderinga lovebe soblue andi'm feelingit beit's melook whatlove that'smuch toso muchthere's notoo muchwaiting herewhat you'rewhy shouldyou needyou're doingyou're gonnaa love that'sand there's noi'm feeling blueyou need athere's no fun in

Cover-shared words

askbluefungirlgothereitlonelylooklovememuchneedpleasestoptruewaitingyouyourand lonelyfor yougot mei've beenneed aof youto meyou goti've been waitingyou got me

Lyric shape

[VERB] what you'rebe so [WORD]i'm [VERB] [ADJ]to [VERB] of[VERB] a [NOUN] that'sthere's no [WORD] inyou [VERB] me [VERB]

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] and[ADV] for[VERB] a[VERB] me[VERB] of[VERB] that's[VERB] what[VERB] your[WORD] in[WORD] toa [NOUN]and [ADJ]been [VERB]i'm [VERB]me [VERB]no [WORD]so [WORD]that's [ADJ]to [VERB]too [WORD]you [VERB]your [VERB][ADJ] and [ADJ][VERB] [ADJ] and[VERB] [ADV] for[VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] me [VERB][VERB] of you[VERB] your [VERB][WORD] to [VERB]a [NOUN] that'si've been [VERB]me [VERB] [NOUN]you [VERB] ayou [VERB] me[VERB] [ADJ] and [ADJ][VERB] me [VERB] [NOUN]a [NOUN] that's [ADJ]you [VERB] a [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

ABCBABCCAAABAABBAA

Line length

5-5Unique line length

Music162 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarPianoDrumsPercussionHandclaps12-string guitar

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Drum work

Drum intro

Music genre

RockPopJangle pop

Solo / Riff

Defining riff

Melody

AppoggiaturaDefining riff

Tempo

UpbeatTempo change

Key

D major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusAABABAAABA form

Sections

Has outroStandard choruses (1-3)Standard verses (2-4)Has introHas interlude

Section traits

Drum intro

Section links

Outro based on verseOutro based on chorusIntro based on verseVerse variation

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

IV to IVV to I

Harmony

Three-chord trickPlagal cadencePerfect cadenceBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsHalf cadence

Composition

Tonic openingTonic endingVerse in ITonic verseChorus in IVNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom7

Scale degree

IIIIVIV7Vvi

Chord degree

II–VIV–VV–II–IV–VIV–V–IV–I–IVV–I–IV–Ivi–III–IVIV–IIV–vivi–IVvi–IV–IIV–I–IV–Vvi–II–VI–IV–I–IV–VIV–V–I–IV–IIV–I–IV–I–IV–VI–IV–I–IV–I–IV–VIV–I–IV–V–IV–I–IV–I–IVI–IV–viIV–I–IV–I–IV–I–IV–VV–I–IV–I–IV–Ivi–IV–I–IVIV–I–IV–I–IV–V–II–IV–I–IV–vivi–IV–I–IV–IIV–V–I–IVIV–vi–IIIV–V–I–IV–I–IV–IIV–I–IV–I–IV–vivi–IV–vi–II–VI–IV–vi–IV

Chord shape

Am → D → GC → DC → F → GC → D → GC → F → B♭C → D → G → CC → F → B♭ → FC → F → G → C → FAm → DAm → F → CC → FC → GC → EmAm → FAm → F → Am → D → GC → F → C → F → GC → F7C → G → C → G → C → DC → F → B♭ → F → B♭C → D → G → C → GC7 → GC → G → C → DC → F → AmC → G → C → D → GC → F → C → F → C → F → GC → Em → AC → F → B♭ → F → B♭ → FC → G → C → EmC7 → EmC → G → C → G → C → G → C → DC → G → C → G → C → D → GC → Em → A → DAm → F → C → FC → F → C → F → AmAm → F → C → F → CC → Em → C → GC → Em → CC → D → G → C → G → C → GC → Em → C → Em → A → DC → G → C → G → C → EmC → F → C → F → Am → FC → Em → C → G → C → GC → F → B♭7

Chord literal

E → AG → AA → DD → G → AA → D → GBm → ED → GG → DG → BmBm → GG → A → DD → G → BmBm → E → AA → D → G → DD → G → D → G → D → G → AA → D → G → D → G → DG → Bm → E → AG → D → G → D → G → A → DG → Bm → G → Bm → E → AG → D → G → BmG7 → BmG7 → D

Studio11 tags

Studio technique

Double tracked vocal

Equipment

Rickenbacker 360/12Gibson J-160EHofner 500/1Telefunken M10 4-track recorderLudwig Super ClassicEMI REDD.51 consoleSteinway Vertegrand

Recording location

EMI Studio 2EMI Studios

Session duration

Multi-day

People11 tags

Unique personnel
Producer plays
Line-up
John Lennon
Backing vocalsAcoustic rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney
Lead vocalsBass guitarPiano
George Harrison
Backing vocals12-string twelve string lead guitar12-string 12-string electric lead guitar
Ringo Starr
Drums
George Martin
ProducerPiano
Uncredited
Handclaps
Songwriter
Paul McCartney
Producer
George Martin
Recording engineer
Norman Smith
Assistant engineer
A. B. LincolnMike StoneKen Scott

Info14 tags

Release type

Song on albumSong on Love

US release

Beatles VI

Release mix

MonoStereo

Label

ParlophoneCapitol

Publisher

Northern Songs

Song type

Original

Duration

Medium
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 2026-05-27

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Beatles For Sale album cover
VinylCD

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Year1964
AlbumBeatles For Sale
Track13 · Side 2
Duration2:30
Songwriter(s)McCartney
Credited asLennon–McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedSeptember 29-30 & October 26, 1964
ReleasedDecember 4, 1964
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