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SongsThe Beatles (The White Album)Yer Blues
The Beatles (The White Album) album cover

“The eagle picks my eye, the worm he licks my bones”

A Lennon composition for the White Album, lead vocal by Lennon. A 12-bar blues parody in 6/8, recorded in a small annex next to EMI Studio 2 to capture a deliberately cramped, claustrophobic sound.
VinylCD

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Year1968
AlbumThe Beatles (The White Album)
Track19 · Side 3
Duration4:01
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedAugust 13 – 14, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song familyFragile LennonRaw confession of depressionWritten in India

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Text182 tags

Motif

Self deprecationWomenSpiritualChildhoodFamilyTimeNatureWeatherColorNumbersTime referenceAnatomyAnimalsReal peopleMusicSelf reflectionSadnessLonelinessDeath

Influence

Blues influenceBob Dylan influence

Title

Title not in lyrics

Vocabulary

Negative toneCasual languageDark lyrics

Narrative

ConversationalConfessionalFirst person

Lyrical device

HyperboleSimilePasticheAnaphoraNon-Beatles reference

Rhyme type

Feminine rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

12-bar bluesNo verse-chorus

Sections

Has introStandard verses (2-4)Has refrainMany choruses (4+)

Section links

Outro based on refrainRefrain variationOutro based on verseSolo based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive wordRecurring lineConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

blackcloudcrosseddeaddieeartheveningfatherhatejonesmindmotherpicksreasonroundfeel sohate myi'm lonelyif iit's worthknow theknow whatmother wasmy mindround mythe earththe eveningthe universeyes i'mand you knowi feel soin the eveningknow what it'sthe reason whyyou know theyou know what

Cover-shared words

blueeyefeelgirlheknowlikelonelymorningmrmyrockrollskysoulthreetwowantyeahyouand youbut igirl youi ain'ti ami feeljust likemy eyemy soulthe skytwo threewant toyou knowin the morningrock and roll

Lyric shape

[NOUN] was[WORD] heain't [ADJ]even [VERB]i'm [ADJ][ADJ] my [NOUN][VERB] so [WORD][VERB] what it's[WORD] he [VERB]and you [VERB]i [VERB] soof the [WORD]yes i'm [ADJ]you [VERB] what[NOUN] [VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] the [NOUN] why[WORD] [ADJ] my [NOUN][WORD] [VERB] to [VERB]i [VERB] so [WORD]just [VERB] [WORD] [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] why[NOUN] you[VERB] and[VERB] my[VERB] so[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] whatand [VERB]he [VERB]i [VERB]it's [NOUN]just [VERB]my [NOUN]my [WORD]so [WORD]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]wanna [VERB]you [VERB][NOUN] you [VERB][VERB] and [VERB][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] my [WORD][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][WORD] [VERB] my[WORD] [VERB] toin the [NOUN]my [NOUN] andof the [NOUN]the [WORD] [VERB]you [VERB] the[VERB] my [NOUN] and[WORD] [VERB] my [NOUN]you [VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] my [NOUN] and [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

ABCBAABAUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Unique line length

Distinctive word

alreadybonesdylan'seaglelicksmistsuicidalworm
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Music121 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarLead guitarRhythm guitarBass guitarDrums

Instrument group

Guitars

Guitar work

Heavy guitarsGuitar solo

Drum work

Drum intro

Music genre

Blues rockHard rockBluesRock

Vocal work

Shouted vocalsVocal harmoniesSpoken melody

Solo / Riff

Guitar soloSolo based on verse

Melody

Blue note

Tempo

Moderate

Key

E major

Time signature

6/8

Song form

12-bar bluesNo verse-chorusUnique structure

Sections

Has introHas refrainMultiple solos (2+)Has soloMany verses (5+)No chorus

Section traits

Drum intro

Section links

Outro based on refrainRefrain variationOutro based on verseSolo based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Harmony

Perfect cadenceSecondary dominantBorrowed chordHalf cadencePlagal cadenceChromatic mediantParallel harmony

Composition

Tonic openingAll major chordsVerse in ITonic verse

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majordom7

Scale degree

I7♭IIIIV7V7

Chord degree

I–♭III♭III–VV–II–V♭III–V–IV–I–IVIV–I–VV–I–IV–II–IV–I–VIV–II–IVI–♭III–V–I–IVI–IV–I–♭IIIIV–I–♭III–VI–♭III–VIV–I–♭III

Chord shape

C → E♭C7 → E♭C → EC → E → AC → F → B♭C → G → DC → F → B♭ → FC → F → C → GC → GC7 → F7C → FC → E → A → DC → E♭ → G → C → FC → E7 → A7 → D7C7 → F7 → B♭7C → G → B♭ → DC → F → C → E♭C → E → A → EC7 → G7 → D7C → G → B♭C → E♭ → GC7 → F7 → C7 → G7C7 → F7 → B♭7 → F7C → E7 → A7C → E7C7 → G7

Chord literal

B → EA → EE → AB7 → E7 → A7E → G → BA → E → GB7 → E7 → A7 → E7G → B7 → E7 → A7B7 → E7E → A → E → BE7 → A7A → E → G → BG → B → E → AA → E → BB → E → AE → GG → BE7 → GE7 → B7B → E → A → EG → B7E7 → A7 → E7 → B7A7 → E7E → B
You might also like:Harmony & Voice LeadingMusicnotes – Beatles Piano/Vocal/Guitar

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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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