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SongsA Hard Day's NightWhen I Get Home
A Hard Day's Night album cover

When I Get Home

1964 · A Hard Day's Night

“I'm gonna love her till the cows come home”

Lennon rocker closing side two of A Hard Day's Night, modelled on the Shirelles and powered by impatient verses and a falsetto refrain. Notable for its restless key shifts between A major and C major across barely six chords.
VinylCD

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Year1964
AlbumA Hard Day's Night
Track11 · Side 2
Duration2:17
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedJune 2, 1964
ReleasedJuly 10, 1964

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Text211 tags

Motif

CommunicationHomeLoveRelationshipTime

Influence

Girl group influenceR&B influence

Title

Pronoun in titleGet in title

Vocabulary

Casual languagePositive tone

Narrative

First personConversationalImperative

Lyrical device

Anaphora

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeTriple rhymeInternal rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Many choruses (4+)Standard verses (2-4)Has outroHas bridge

Section links

Outro based on verseOutro based on chorus
Word cloud

Recurring words

businesstightbeing herecome homeget inhome fori geti'll lovelove herno timeof thingstell herthings ithings tothis waytill itill theto herto tellwalk outcome on leti got ai got nolot of thingswhen i getgot no time forwhen i get home

Cover-shared words

babycausecomedoorgetgirlgotherhereholdhomeletlotlovemanymemoremypleasesayseetellthingstilltimetodaytonightwaitingwalkwaywholeyeahyoua girland thencome onfor megot agot nogotta doi goti gottai'm gonnaif youlet melot ofmy babymy wayon outso manythen i'lltime forwhen iwith youyou pleasei gotta doif you pleasewhole lot of

Lyric shape

[ADV] with[NOUN] who's[VERB] outbeing [ADV]for [NOUN]her [ADJ][ADV] for me[ADV] with you[NOUN] for [NOUN][VERB] her [ADJ][VERB] her [WORD][VERB] so [WORD]i [VERB] ini [VERB] noi [VERB] outi [VERB] soi gotta [VERB]so [WORD] [WORD]to [VERB] her[NOUN] the [WORD] [VERB][VERB] no [NOUN] for[WORD] to [VERB] heri [VERB] a [ADJ]i [VERB] a [NOUN]i [VERB] in [ADV]i [VERB] no [NOUN]i [VERB] so [WORD]i'm gonna [VERB] herwhen i [VERB] [ADV][WORD] gonna [VERB] my [NOUN]i'm gonna [VERB] her [NOUN]

Cover-shared shape

[ADV] for[NOUN] for[NOUN] i[NOUN] the[VERB] a[VERB] her[VERB] in[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] no[VERB] on[VERB] so[WORD] i[WORD] of[WORD] toa [ADJ]a [NOUN]gonna [VERB]gotta [VERB]her [NOUN]her [WORD]i [VERB]i'll [VERB]my [NOUN]no [NOUN]of [WORD]on [VERB]so [WORD]that [NOUN]the [WORD]this [NOUN]to [VERB]you [VERB][ADJ] [WORD] of[NOUN] i [VERB][NOUN] the [WORD][VERB] [ADV] for[VERB] a [ADJ][VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] her [NOUN][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] no [NOUN][VERB] on [VERB][WORD] [WORD] i[WORD] gonna [VERB][WORD] of [WORD][WORD] to [VERB]a [ADJ] [WORD]i [VERB] [ADV]i [VERB] ai'm gonna [VERB]if you [VERB]my [NOUN] [ADV]the [WORD] [VERB]then i'll [VERB]when i [VERB][VERB] a [ADJ] [WORD][VERB] my [NOUN] [ADV][VERB] on [VERB] me[WORD] i gotta dogonna [VERB] my [NOUN]the [WORD] [VERB] [ADV]gonna [VERB] my [NOUN] [ADV]

Rhyme scheme

ABABBCAAABABCAABCCD

Line length

4-10-5Unique line length

Distinctive word

cowsi'matrivialitywoah-i
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Music158 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarPianoDrums

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboards

Bass work

Stepwise bass line

Music genre

Rock and rollRock

Influence

Wilson Pickett influence

Vocal work

Vocal harmoniesFalsettoThree-part harmony

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

A majorC majorKey change

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusUnique structure

Sections

Many choruses (4+)Standard verses (2-4)Has outroHas bridge

Section traits

Chorus before verse

Section links

Outro based on verseOutro based on chorus

Section transition

♭VII to ♭III♭VII to I

Harmony

50s variantPlagal cadenceModal mixtureBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsSecondary dominantHalf cadenceDeceptive cadenceBackdoor cadenceParallel minor tonicChromatic mediant

Composition

No dominantTonic openingNon-tonic endingChorus in IVerse in ♭IIIBridge in ♭IIINon-tonic verseTonic chorusNon-tonic bridge

Mode

IonianMixolydian

Chord type

majorminor9

Scale degree

Ii♭IIIIV9IVVvi♭VII

Chord degree

I–♭VII♭VII–♭IIIIV–♭VII–II–IVIV–♭VIII–IV–♭VIIIV–IIV–VI–IV–VI–vivi–IVV–IVV–vivi–VI–vi–IVvi–IV–VI–vi–IV–V♭VII–IIV–V–viIV–I–IV–Vvi–II–IV–I–IV–VIV–I–IV–I–IV–VI–IV–I–IV–I–IV–V♭VII–ii–♭VIII–♭VII–♭IIIIV–V–IVI–vi–I–vi–IV–VI–vi–IV–V–IVIV–V–vi–VIV–V–IV–VV–IV–V–vi

Chord shape

C → B♭ → E♭C → F → G → FC → FC → DmAm → GC → F → B♭C → GC → DC → F → GC → AmAm → CAm → FC → B♭C → Am → FAm → F → GC → D → CC → Am → F → GC → F → GmC → F → C → F → GC → G → C → G → C → DC → G → C → DC → D → EmC → F → C → F → C → F → GC9 → FC → F9C → F → B♭ → C → B♭ → E♭C → Am → C → Am → F → GC → Am → F → G → FC → B♭ → C → DmC → F → B♭ → CmC → D → Em → DC → D → C → DAm → F9

Chord literal

A → GG → CD → G → AA → DD → GG → AmA → D → GC → FF → CF → GC → AmAm → FG → FC → Am → F → GG → AC → F → GAm → GAm → CC → Am → FAm → F → GF → G → AmD → G → AmC → F → C → F → GD9 → G
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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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