When I'm Sixty-Four
“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.
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The word "grandchildren" appears in only one Beatles song across the entire catalogue: 'When I'm Sixty-Four'.
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedDecember 6 – December 21, 1966
ReleasedMay 26, 1967
Song familyGranny song, Early songMelody written c.1956; lyrics added for Sgt. Pepper
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Text289 tags
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
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]
Distinctive word
chuckcottagedavediggingevermorefiresideformgrandchildrengreetingshandyisleknitlocklosingmorningspostcardpreciselyquarterscrimpsincerelysixty-fourstatingsweatervalentineveraweedswight
Music222 tags
Chord shape
C → FmC → Dm → AAm → CAm → DmC7 → FmC → DC → D7C → FC7 → F7C7 → FC → D → GC → F → B♭C → GC → G7C → CC → C7C → CmAm → EC → AC → F → FC → C → FC → F → FmC7 → F → FmC → Cm → GC → F → B♭ → E♭Am → GC → DmC → Fm → B♭mC7 → F7 → B♭C → A → D → GC → 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 → F → Fm → C → AC → 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
E → AmF → G7F → GAm → DmC → DC → D7D → GG → CC → D → GD → G → CC → GC → CC → FC7 → FC → AA → DC → C → FA → D → GA → D → G → CG → AmDm → FA7 → D7Am → GD7 → G7G7 → CG → 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
Studio13 tags
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People14 tags
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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