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SongsThe Beatles (The White Album)While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

1968 · The Beatles (The White Album)

“With every mistake, we must surely be learning”

A Harrison composition for The White Album, lead vocal by Harrison, with Eric Clapton as guest lead guitarist. Recorded at EMI Studio 2 in September 1968 across two days, with Clapton's solo passed through ADT and varispeed to give it a 'wobbly' character.
VinylCD

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Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track7 · Side 1
Duration4:45
Songwriter(s)Harrison
Lead VocalGeorge
RecordedJuly 25, August 16, September 5–6, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song familyWritten in India

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Text181 tags

Motif

Self reflectionPhilosophicalSleepMusicSpiritualSocial commentaryMusical instrumentsSadnessLove

Influence

Eastern philosophy influence

Title

Title in refrainPronoun in title

Vocabulary

Negative tonePoetic lyrics

Narrative

First personObservationalConversationalSecond person

Lyrical device

PersonificationAnaphoraExtended metaphor

Rhyme type

Triple rhymeFeminine rhymePerfect rhymeIdentical rhymeExtrametrical rhymeMulti-syllabic rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

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

Section links

Intro based on verseOutro based on verseSolo based on verseChorus variation

Repetition

Consecutive versesRecurring lineRecurring fade lineRecurring verse
Word cloud

Recurring words

boughtmistakenoticesleepingsomeoneturningwhileat youdon't knowhow toi looki seeknow howlook atlook lookno onenobody toldsee itthe lovetold youwe mustyeah ohyour loveand i seedon't know howi don't knowlook at thethe world andyeah yeah ohi don't know whyyeah yeah yeah yeahyeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Cover-shared words

alleveryitknowlooklovemyneedsnobodyohoneoohseetheretheytoldweworldyeahyouyourand ihow youi don'tsee thethe worldyeah yeahyou allyou wereyeah yeah yeah

Lyric shape

[ADV] be[ADV] that's[VERB] at[VERB] whyone [VERB]that's [VERB]with [WORD][ADV] be [VERB][NOUN] [VERB] you[VERB] [VERB] at[VERB] at you[VERB] how you[WORD] [NOUN] the[WORD] [NOUN] weand [VERB] youat the [NOUN]don't [VERB] howhow to [VERB]i [VERB] [VERB]i [VERB] it'sit [VERB] [VERB]no one [VERB]with [WORD] [NOUN]you [WORD] [NOUN]you were [VERB][VERB] and [VERB] you[VERB] at the [NOUN][WORD] [NOUN] the [NOUN]and i [VERB] it'si [VERB] it [VERB]i [VERB] it's [VERB]i don't [VERB] whythey [VERB] and [VERB]the [NOUN] and i [VERB]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] and[NOUN] we[VERB] and[VERB] how[VERB] it[VERB] it's[VERB] the[VERB] too[VERB] you[VERB] your[WORD] myand [VERB]be [VERB]don't [VERB]i [VERB]it [VERB]it's [VERB]my [NOUN]the [NOUN]they [VERB]to [VERB]were [VERB]you [WORD]your [NOUN][VERB] and [VERB][VERB] it [VERB][VERB] it's [VERB][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] my [NOUN]and i [VERB]i [VERB] iti don't [VERB]my [NOUN] [ADV]the [NOUN] [ADV]the [NOUN] and[VERB] the [NOUN] [ADV]to [VERB] your [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

AAABCABCBABAAABAB

Line length

12-7-12-79-6-9-6Unique line length

Distinctive word

ah-ah-oohalertedcontrolleddivertedfloorgentlyguitarinvertedlearningpervertedsoldsurelysweepingunfoldweeps
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Music168 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarPianoOrganDrumsPercussionTambourineOther percussion

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Guitar work

Heavy guitarsGuitar solo

Bass work

Stepwise bass lineChromatic bass lineDescending bass

Music genre

BluesHard rockRockBallad

Influence

Blues influence

Vocal work

Vocal harmoniesOoh vocalsAah vocalsYeah vocals

Solo / Riff

Guitar soloSolo on verseSolo based on verse

Melody

Appoggiatura

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

A minorA majorKey change

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABA

Sections

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

Section links

Intro based on verseOutro based on verseSolo on verseSolo based on verseChorus variationSolo on outro

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to iV to I

Harmony

Half cadencePerfect cadencePicardy thirdCircle of fifthsJazz cadenceParallel harmony

Composition

Only basic triadsMajor to minorMinor to majorTonic openingAll diatonic rootsAll natural rootsNon-tonic endingVerse in iTonic verseChorus in ITonic chorus

Mode

AeolianIonian

Chord type

majorminorslash chord

Scale degree

Iiii♭IIIiiiIVV♭VIvi♭VII

Chord degree

I–iii–viI–iiiii–Vii–V–I♭III–VV–i–IVIV–VIV–♭VI♭VII–IViii–vi♭VII–♭IIIV–ii–IV♭VI–i♭VII–IV–VV–I–iii–viV–Ivi–iivi–ii–V–IV–I–iiivi–ii–Viii–vi–ii–Vi–♭VIIii–V–I–iii♭VII–♭III–VI–iii–vi–ii–VIV–V–i

Chord shape

Am → DC → Em → AmC → EmC → F → AAm → G → DC → GC → DC → FAm → DmAm → GC → FmAm → G → CC → Fm → B♭Am → D → FC → EC → G → AC → E♭C → F → Am → DmAm → D → GAm → Dm → G → CAm → Dm → GC → F → AmAm → Dm → Gm → CAm → D → G → BmAm → D/F♯C → Em → Am → Dm → GC → Em → D → GC → E♭ → GmC → D → GmC/E → E♭

Chord literal

C♯m → F♯mAm → D → FAm → G → CG → C → EBm → EE → AmA → C♯m → F♯mG → CG → DD → EE → AD → FC → EAm → DF♯m → BmAm → GBm → E → AA → C♯mF → AmF♯m → Bm → EE → A → C♯mC♯m → F♯m → Bm → EE → A → C♯m → F♯mAm → G → DE → Am → DG → D → E
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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.

External entity links: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz recording · MusicBrainz work · Wikidata

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