Call and response

Lyrical pattern where a line is answered by a contrasting line – often between lead and backing vocals

songs

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The Beatles' commonest melodic device is Call and response, on 52 songs, ahead of Appoggiatura on 41.

Appoggiatura Melody

Analysis

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)

By Era

Early10 · 23%

Mid-period22 · 51%

Late11 · 26%

By Album

Past Masters7

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band5

The Beatles (The White Album)5

With The Beatles4

Revolver4

Magical Mystery Tour4

Songs(42 of 52)

Year

Album

Writer

Lead vocal(s)

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Notes
1	Love Me Do	1962	Please Please Me	Paul, John	–
2	Please Please Me	1963	Please Please Me	John, Paul	Lead and backing vocals trade 'Come on'
3	Do You Want to Know a Secret	1963	Please Please Me	George	Backing 'Do-da-do' answers lead from verse 2
4	Thank You Girl	1963	Past Masters	John, Paul	'Way that you do' echo in bridge
5	She Loves You	1963	Past Masters	Paul, John	Reports her words to him
6	All I've Got to Do	1963	With The Beatles	John	Verse promises mirrored by bridge 'same goes for me'
7	I Wanna Be Your Man	1963	With The Beatles	Ringo	Lead vs backing 'I wanna be your man'
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8	It Won't Be Long	1963	With The Beatles	John	Lead 'yeah' answered by backing 'yeah'
9	Hold Me Tight	1963	With The Beatles	Paul	Backing echoes 'Hold', 'Me tight', 'Tonight'
10	You Can't Do That	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John	Backing vocals echo 'let you down' lines
11	I'm Down	1965	Past Masters	Paul	Lead vs. backing 'I'm really down'
12	Help!	1965	Help!	John	Backing vocals echo lead in verses
13	The Night Before	1965	Help!	Paul	Backing 'Ah, the night before' answers each line
14	You're Going to Lose That Girl	1965	Help!	John	Backing vocals echo lead lines
15	Nowhere Man	1965	Rubber Soul	John	Lead phrase answered by 'Ahh, la, la, la'
16	What Goes On	1965	Rubber Soul	Ringo	Ringo lead answered by John/Paul 'Ooh'
17	You Won't See Me	1965	Rubber Soul	Paul	Lead lines answered by 'Ooh, la, la-la'
18	Rain	1966	Past Masters	John	Lead lines answered by backing 'When the sun shines down'
19	Paperback Writer	1966	Past Masters	Paul	Lead vs. 'Paperback writer' chant
20	Taxman	1966	Revolver	George	Bridge backing-vocal echoes
21	I'm Only Sleeping	1966	Revolver	John	Backing-vocal echoes of final verse lines
22	Yellow Submarine	1966	Revolver	Ringo	Echoed phrases in verse 4
23	She Said She Said	1966	Revolver	John	She said / I said alternation
24	She's Leaving Home	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul, John	Paul narrates; John & Paul voice parents in chorus
25	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul, John, George	Group shouts (Bye!, What?, Ah, Shake it) in intro
26	With a Little Help from My Friends	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Ringo	Backing voices ask, lead answers
27	Within You Without You	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	George	Jawab-sawal between dilruba/sitar and violins in instrumental break
28	Getting Better	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul	Backing vocals answer lead throughout
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29	All You Need Is Love	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	John	'(Love)' answered by lead vocal line in verses
30	Magical Mystery Tour	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	Lead 'Roll up' answered by parenthetical asides
31	Blue Jay Way	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	George	Backing 'Don't be long' / 'Know… Go… Day… Way…' answers
32	Your Mother Should Know	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	Lead 'Your mother should know' answered by backing 'Your mother should' / 'Know'
33	Good Night	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Ringo	Lead vs choir parenthetical echoes
34	Birthday	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul, John	Backing 'Birthday' answers each line
35	Revolution 1	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Lennon answers hypothetical interlocutor
36	The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Lead asks; group answers
37	Happiness Is a Warm Gun	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Doo-wop backing 'Bang, bang, shoot, shoot'
38	Hey Bulldog	1969	Yellow Submarine	John	Lennon/McCartney exchange in outro
39	All Together Now	1969	Yellow Submarine	Paul, John	Backing 'All together now' answers lead
40	Octopus's Garden	1969	Abbey Road	Ringo	Backing vocals echo lead lines
41	You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)	1970	Past Masters	John, Paul	Lead vs. backing 'You know my name'
42	I've Got a Feeling	1970	Let It Be	Paul, John	Paul and John alternate, then overlap