Beatlesongs.wiki
SongsPast MastersYou Know My Name (Look Up the Number)
Past Masters album cover

You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)

1970 · Past Masters

“Good evening and welcome to Slaggers”

A Lennon-led novelty B-side built around a single repeated phrase he saw on a London phone book, performed as a multi-style sketch (lounge, ska, cabaret, comedy). Notable for Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones on alto saxophone - a rare non-Beatle credit.
VinylCD

affiliate link - supports this wiki

Year1970
AlbumPast Masters
Track33
Duration4:19
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalJohn, Paul
RecordedMay 17 – June 8, 1967; April 30, 1969
ReleasedMarch 6, 1970 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)

● tap a tag for its page and notes

Text165 tags

Motif

Found inspirationSurrealismNumbersCountingCharacterDialogueTimeDirectionsGreetingsAbsurdist humor

Influence

Music hall influenceGoons influence

Title

Long titlePronoun in titleTitle in chorus

Vocabulary

Nonsense wordsDense lyricsLimited vocabularyPositive toneCasual language

Narrative

PersonaStream of consciousnessSecond personConversationalImperative

Lyrical device

Pastiche

Rhyme type

Identical rhymeInternal rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusThrough-composedMedley

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)No chorusHas introHas outroHas codaHas interlude

Section links

Verse variationOutro based on verseIntro based on verseCoda based on verseInterlude based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive lineConsecutive wordRecurring line
Word cloud

Recurring words

ahaeveningnumberokaygo onit forlook lookmy numberthat's allthat's rightthe numberup myup theup withoh you knowyou you know

Cover-shared words

allbabycomefourgogoodhearheyhuhitknowlookmemynameohrightringothreetwoyeahyoucome onhear itknow youmy nameoh youwith youyou knowyou youyou know myyou know you

Lyric shape

let's [VERB]that's [NOUN]that's [WORD][NOUN] [VERB] up[VERB] [VERB] up[VERB] it for[VERB] up thefor [WORD] [WORD]let's [VERB] itmy [NOUN] [NOUN]up the [NOUN][ADJ] [NOUN] and [VERB][VERB] [WORD] you [VERB][VERB] my [NOUN] [NOUN][VERB] up my [NOUN][VERB] up the [NOUN][VERB] you [VERB] my [NOUN]you [VERB] my [NOUN] [WORD]you [VERB] you [VERB] you [VERB]

Cover-shared shape

[NOUN] and[VERB] and[VERB] it[VERB] my[VERB] on[VERB] to[VERB] up[VERB] you[WORD] on[WORD] youand [VERB]for [WORD]me [VERB]my [NOUN]on [WORD]the [NOUN]to [WORD]you [VERB][ADJ] [NOUN] and[NOUN] [WORD] you[NOUN] and [VERB][VERB] [WORD] you[VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] on [WORD][VERB] to [WORD][VERB] you [VERB][WORD] on [WORD][WORD] you [VERB]and [VERB] toand the [NOUN]my [NOUN] [WORD]my [NOUN] andyou [VERB] [VERB]you [VERB] myyou [VERB] youyou you [VERB][NOUN] and [VERB] to[VERB] my [NOUN] [WORD][VERB] my [NOUN] and[VERB] you [VERB] youand the [NOUN] youthe [NOUN] you [VERB]you [VERB] [VERB] [WORD]you [VERB] my [NOUN]you [VERB] you [VERB][WORD] you [VERB] my [NOUN]you [VERB] you [VERB] you

Rhyme scheme

ABAXUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

2-3Unique line length

Distinctive word

denisfeaturinggibberishha-heyo'bellprrrpumslaggerswelcomeyahooyou-a
You might also like:Nas – Teaches Hip-Hop StorytellingAll the Songs

affiliate link - supports this wiki

Music186 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsLead guitarBass guitarPianoDrumsPercussionMaracasBongosHandclapsSaxophoneHarmonicaVibraphoneNoisesSpoken wordOther percussionAlto saxophoneSound effects

Instrument group

GuitarsWoodwindKeyboardsPercussion

Bass work

Stepwise bass line

Music genre

VaudevilleSkaAvant-gardeMusic hallNovelty song

Influence

Avant-garde influenceGoons influence

Vocal work

Vocals on interludeGroup vocalsShouted vocalsScat singingVocal ad-lib

Solo / Riff

Saxophone solo

Melody

Call and response

Tempo

UpbeatTempo change

Key

D major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusThrough-composedMedleyUnique structure

Sections

Has introHas outroHas codaMany choruses (4+)Has soloMultiple interludes (2+)Has interludeMany verses (5+)Through-composed

Section links

Verse variationOutro based on verseIntro based on verseCoda based on verseInterlude based on verse

Section transition

I to IVI to I

Harmony

Perfect cadenceHalf cadenceBorrowed chordCircle of fifthsPlagal cadenceJazz cadencePedal point

Composition

Tonic openingTonic endingChorus in IVVerse in ITonic verseNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majorminordom7

Scale degree

III7iiiiiIVVV7vi

Chord degree

I–iii–IV–Viii–vivi–IIII–IVIV–II–iiiIV–VV–IIV–V–Iii–VI–iii–vivi–II–IVII–IV–Iii–V–Ivi–II–IV–II–VIV–I–Viii–vi–IIIV–I–ii–VV–I–iiiIV–I–iiiii–IV–V–Iiii–IV–VI–iii–IVIV–I–ii–V–II–iiIV–I–V–II–ii–Viii–IV

Chord shape

Am → DmAm → DAm → D7C → E♭C7 → E♭C → EmC → DC → FC → D → GC → GC → DmC7 → FC → Em → AmAm → D → FC → E♭ → B♭C → G → AmAm → D → GAm → D → F → CC → G7C → G → DC → G → D7C → G → Am → D7C7 → E♭ → B♭C → E♭ → B♭ → Cm → F → B♭C → G → Am → D7 → GC → G → D7 → GC → Em → Am → DC → F → AmAm → B♭ → CC → Em → FC → G → Am → DAm → B♭ → C → FAm → Dm → G7C → G → D → GAm → Dm → GC → Dm → GAm → B♭C → Em → F → GC → G → Am → D → GC → Dm → G7Am → D7 → GAm → D7 → F

Chord literal

Bm → EG → AA → DG → DEm → AA7 → DD → AE → G → DD → F♯mA → D → F♯mEm → A7 → DBm → E7D → A7Em → A → DG → A → DG → D → AD → EmE → GG → D → A → DG → D → EmD → F♯m → GD → Em → A7Bm → E → GF♯m → BmE7 → GD → Em → AEm → A7F♯m → Bm → ED → F♯m → Bm
You might also like:John Legend – Teaches SongwritingHarmony & Voice Leading

affiliate link - supports this wiki

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.

Updated

Feedback

Got a tag idea for You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)? Or think we've got it all wrong - no, no, no? Don't let it be.