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SongsMagical Mystery TourYour Mother Should Know
Magical Mystery Tour album cover

Your Mother Should Know

1967 · Magical Mystery Tour

“Let's all get up and dance to a song that was a hit before your mother was born”

McCartney's affectionate music-hall pastiche from Magical Mystery Tour (1967), built on a circle-of-fifths verse, a sing-along title hook traded between lead and backing vocals, and a piano-led vaudeville feel. Used as the film's grand finale, with the band descending a white staircase in tuxedos.
VinylCD

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Year1967
AlbumMagical Mystery Tour
Track5 · Side 1
Duration2:33
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon-McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedAugust 22 – September 29, 1967
ReleasedNovember 27, 1967
Song familyPiano songGranny song

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Text129 tags

Motif

NostalgiaDanceFamilyMotherTimeSoundMusic

Influence

Music hall influenceVaudeville influence

Title

Pronoun in titleTitle in chorus

Vocabulary

Positive toneCasual languageNonsense wordsLimited vocabulary

Narrative

PersonaConversationalSecond person

Rhyme type

Internal rhymeExtrametrical rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA form

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Many choruses (4+)Has introHas outroMultiple instrumentals (2+)

Section links

Chorus variationVerse variationIntro based on verseOutro based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive wordConsecutive lineRecurring lineRecurring verseConsecutive verses
Word cloud

Recurring words

agobornheartsliftmothersingsonga songall getand danceand singborn aget upknow knowknow yourmother wasshe wassing itthough sheup yourwas bornyour mothera long long time ago

Cover-shared words

alldancegethititknowlongmeshethoughtimeyoura longit againlong timeme athat wasup anda long longa long long time

Lyric shape

[NOUN] should[NOUN] was[VERB] beforewas [WORD][NOUN] was [WORD][VERB] to a[VERB] up and[VERB] up yourshe was [WORD]to a [NOUN]up your [WORD]was a [NOUN][VERB] up and [VERB]a [VERB] [VERB] [NOUN] [ADV]

Cover-shared shape

[VERB] it[VERB] me[VERB] to[VERB] up[VERB] your[WORD] a[WORD] and[WORD] shea [NOUN]a [VERB]and [VERB]should [VERB]your [NOUN]your [WORD][VERB] it again[VERB] me a[VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] and [VERB]a [VERB] [VERB]and [VERB] meand [VERB] tome a [NOUN][VERB] me a [NOUN]a [VERB] [VERB] [NOUN][WORD] a [VERB] [VERB] [NOUN]

Rhyme scheme

ABCAABAAAAAAABBCAAAAAA

Line length

5-5-45-5-5-5-5-55-5-5-55-5Unique line length

Distinctive word

dada
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Music167 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsBass guitarPianoOrganDrumsPercussionTambourine

Instrument group

KeyboardsGuitarsPercussion

Bass work

Descending bass

Music genre

PopMusic hallVaudeville

Vocal work

Scat singingGroup vocalsVocal harmonies

Melody

Call and response

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

A minor

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusAABABAAABA form

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Has introHas outroMultiple instrumentals (2+)Standard choruses (1-3)

Section links

Chorus variationVerse variationInstrumental on chorusIntro based on verseOutro based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to i

Harmony

Borrowed chordCircle of fifthsSecondary dominantParallel harmonyHalf cadencePicardy third

Composition

Tonic openingNon-tonic endingVerse in iTonic verseChorus in iTonic chorus

Chord type

majorminordom7maj7slash chord

Scale degree

I7i♭IIIIV7ivV7♭VImaj7♭VII7

Chord degree

I–IVIV–♭VII♭III–Viv–♭VII–♭IIIIV–♭VII–♭IIII–IV–♭VII♭III–Ii–♭VI♭VII–♭III♭VII–♭III–V♭VI–iviv–♭III–VIV–♭VII–♭III–V♭VII–♭III–I–IVI–iv–♭VII–♭IIII–iv–♭VIIiv–♭VII♭VI–II–iv♭VII–♭III–II–IV–♭VII–♭IIIIV–♭VII–♭III–I♭III–I–IViv–♭III

Chord shape

C7 → F7C → F → B♭C7 → FC → Fm → B♭Am → D → GC → F → DC → FC → AAm → GC → AmC → F → B♭ → E♭C → F → D → GC → F → AAm → FC → EC → FmC7 → FmAm → DAm → D7Am → Fmaj7C → E → AmC7 → F7 → B♭C → A → D → GC7 → F7 → B♭7C → Fm → B♭ → E♭C → E → Am → DC7 → F7 → B♭ → G7C → F → B♭ → E♭ → GC → Fm → B♭ → E♭ → C → F → B♭C7 → F → D7C7 → F/EAm → G → BC → A7C → A → DC → E7C → F → B♭ → GC → A7 → D7C → Am → GAm → D → G → EAm → F → DmC7 → F7 → B♭7 → E♭C → F → B♭ → DC7 → Fm → B♭7

Chord literal

C → AA → D → GA → DD → GA → Dm → GDm → G → CG → CA → D → G → CG → C → ED → G → CAm → FA → DmDm → GAm → Fmaj7C → A → D → GG → C → A → DA7 → D7D7 → G7C → EA → Dm → G → CD7 → G7 → C → A7A → D → G → C → EDm → CG7 → C/BG7 → CC → E7A7 → DmC → A7D7 → G7 → CG → C → AF → DmC → A → DDm → G7F → AA7 → D7 → G7 → CD → G → C → AC → A7 → D7
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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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