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SongsSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandWhen I'm Sixty-Four
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover

“Vera, Chuck, and Dave”

A McCartney music-hall pastiche on Sgt. Pepper's, written when Paul was a teenager in the late 1950s and revived for the album. Built on parlour piano, brushed drums and a B♭/B♭/bass clarinet trio scored by George Martin to McCartney's brief.
Year1967
AlbumSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Track9 · Side 2
Duration2:37
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedDecember 6 – December 21, 1966
ReleasedMay 26, 1967
Song familyGranny songEarly songMelody written c.1956; lyrics added for Sgt. Pepper

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Text289 tags

Motif

FamilyNumbersTime referenceSeasonsContainersAnatomyClothesFood and drinksReal peopleCommunicationQuestionPlace namesNostalgiaHomeLoveTime

Influence

Vaudeville influenceMusic hall influence

Title

Title in refrainNumber in title

Vocabulary

Positive toneCasual language

Narrative

List songImperativeSecond personVignetteConversationalFirst person

Lyrical device

PasticheRhetorical question

Rhyme type

Extrametrical rhymeInternal rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has refrainStandard choruses (1-3)Has introHas outro

Section links

Chorus variationIntro based on verseOutro based on verse

Repetition

Recurring line
Word cloud

Recurring words

answerbirthdaydeardropfeedfillgardenindicatelightslinemendingolderpointrentridesendsendingwastingyearsa rideand ifbottle ofcould bedoing thehave gonei couldi geti'd beenif i'dif it'smany yearsme willme yourmy hairneed menot tooof wineon yourthe doorthe gardenthe wordto saywe canwhen i'mwill youwould youyou stillyou'll beand if yougive me youri could beif you sayit's not toome your answerpoint of viewsay the wordwhen i getyou mean togo for a ridewhat you mean to

Cover-shared words

ahaskawaydooreverygetgivegogonehairkneemanymemeanminemoremyneednowoohsavesaystaysummersundaythreetillwewinewordyouyouryoursa fusebeen outgive mego forif youit's notme asay thewhat youwhen iwhen yourwith youyou canyou sayyou say the

Lyric shape

[VERB] have[VERB] we[WORD] you'llcould [VERB][NOUN] [VERB] the[NOUN] of [NOUN][VERB] [VERB] in[VERB] [VERB] of[VERB] for [WORD][VERB] me will[VERB] of [VERB][VERB] with you[WORD] [NOUN] of[WORD] [NOUN] we[WORD] too [WORD]a [WORD] [VERB]a [WORD] bybe [ADJ] [VERB]be [VERB] meby the [WORD]could be [ADJ]i could [VERB]in a [NOUN]on your [NOUN]still [VERB] mewe can [VERB]when i'm [WORD]when your [NOUN]would you [VERB]you'll be [WORD]your [NOUN] [VERB][NOUN] [VERB] the [WORD][VERB] in a [NOUN][VERB] me a [WORD][VERB] me your [NOUN][WORD] [NOUN] of [NOUN][WORD] for a [NOUN]a [WORD] by theand if you [VERB]i [VERB] [WORD] [VERB]i could be [ADJ]if you [VERB] theit's not too [ADJ]the [NOUN] [VERB] thethe [WORD] of [WORD]when i [VERB] [WORD]the [NOUN] [VERB] the [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] from[NOUN] of[NOUN] to[NOUN] we[VERB] a[VERB] for[VERB] in[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] of[VERB] on[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] with[WORD] a[WORD] and[WORD] by[WORD] for[WORD] if[WORD] ofa [NOUN]a [WORD]and [VERB]and [WORD]be [ADJ]be [VERB]be [WORD]can [VERB]can [WORD]for [WORD]from [ADV]have [VERB]i [VERB]i'm [WORD]my [NOUN]of [NOUN]of [VERB]of [WORD]out [NOUN]still [VERB]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]to [WORD]too [ADJ]too [WORD]you [VERB]your [NOUN][NOUN] from [ADV][NOUN] to [WORD][VERB] a [WORD][VERB] in a[VERB] me a[VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] the [WORD][VERB] to [VERB][WORD] [NOUN] from[WORD] [VERB] me[WORD] [VERB] my[WORD] [WORD] and[WORD] [WORD] for[WORD] a [WORD][WORD] and [VERB][WORD] and [WORD][WORD] of [WORD]for a [NOUN]i [VERB] [WORD]if you [VERB]in the [WORD]me a [NOUN]the [NOUN] [VERB]the [WORD] ofwhat you [VERB]when i [VERB]you [VERB] theyou [VERB] toyou can [WORD][VERB] me a [NOUN][WORD] [VERB] my [NOUN][WORD] [WORD] and [WORD]what you [VERB] toyou [VERB] the [NOUN]you [VERB] to [VERB][WORD] [VERB] me a [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

ABCCDDEBABCDCABAUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

chuckcottagedavediggingevermorefiresideformgrandchildrengreetingshandyisleknitlocklosingmorningspostcardpreciselyquarterscrimpsincerelysixty-fourstatingsweatervalentineveraweedswight
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Music222 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarBass guitarPianoDrumsClarinetBass clarinetChimes

Instrument group

GuitarsWoodwindKeyboards

Drum work

Brushes

Music genre

PopVaudevilleMusic hall

Vocal work

Aah vocalsVocal harmonies

Tempo

Moderate

Key

D♭ major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABA

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has refrainStandard choruses (1-3)Has introHas outroHas instrumental

Section links

Chorus variationIntro based on verseOutro based on verse

Section transition

I to vivi to IV to I

Harmony

Modal mixtureBorrowed chordSecondary dominantPerfect cadenceCircle of fifthsDeceptive cadenceHalf cadenceMinor plagal

Composition

Tonic openingTonic endingVerse in ITonic verseChorus in viNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom7

Scale degree

I7III7iiIII7IVivV7VVI7vi

Chord degree

I–II–VII–V–II–VI–II–IVIV–iviv–IV–I–II–I–IVIV–iv–II–IIII–Vvi–VV–IIV–Vvi–iiIII–viV–viI–IV–ivVI–III–IV–iv–II–VIii–IVVI–II–VIII–vi–iiI–I–IV–ivvi–IIII–VI–II–VV–I–I–IVIV–iv–I–VIV–vi–IIII–IV–iv–I–VIVI–II–V–II–IV–iv–I–VI–II–V–IV–I–I–IV–iv–I–VIvi–ii–IVV–IIIV–I–I–IV–iv–I–VI–IIV–III–vi–iiV–vi–III–vivi–ii–IV–V

Chord shape

C → D → GC → F → B♭C → GC → G7C → CC → C7C → CmAm → EC → AC → F → FC → C → FC → F → FmC7 → F → FmC → Cm → GC → DC → D7C → FC → F → B♭ → E♭C7 → F7C7 → FAm → GAm → CAm → DmC → Dm → AC7 → FmC → FmC → DmC → F → Fm → C → AC7 → F7 → B♭C → A → D → GC → Fm → B♭mC → A → DmAm → E7C → F → Fm → CC7 → F7 → B♭7C → A7C → C7 → FC → A → DC → D7 → G7C → A7 → D7C → F → F → B♭C → C → F → FmC7 → F → F7C7 → Fm → B♭mAm → Dm → FC → A7 → DmC7 → F → Fm → CC7 → F7 → B♭7 → E♭C → C7 → F → FmC → Cm → G → EC → A7 → D7 → G7C7 → F → F7 → B♭C → Cm → G → E7Am → C → DC → F → Fm → C → A → D → G → CC → F → F → B♭ → B♭m → F → DC → A → Dm → GmC → G → C → CC7 → F → F7 → B♭ → B♭m → F → D7 → G7C7 → F → Fm → C → A7 → D7 → G7 → CC → A → Dm → Gm → B♭C → Dm → A7 → DmAm → Dm → F → GAm → C → D7Am → G → E

Chord literal

G → CC → D → GD → G → CC → GC → CC → FC7 → FC → AA → DC → C → FC → DC → D7D → GA → D → G → CF → GF → G7A → D → GAm → DmE → AmG → AmG7 → CDm → FA7 → D7Am → GD7 → G7G → EE7 → AmC → G7Am → EFm → CC → C7C → A7E → Am → DmD7 → G7 → CG → E7G → C → CC → A → DF → FmA7 → D7 → G7 → CAm → Dm → FG7 → C → C7C → A7 → D7F → Fm → CC → C7 → FG → E → AmG → E → Am → Dm → FC → F → Fm → CG → C → C → FC → A → D → GAm → E7
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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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