The lyrics say one thing but mean another – sarcasm, understatement, or deliberate contradiction
'Only a Northern Song' (1969) is the last of the 11 Beatles songs to use Irony.
Song count per year
% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)
| # | Title | Year | Album | Lead Vocal(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doctor Robert | 1966 | Revolver | John | Mock-promotional praise for a pill pusher |
| 2 | And Your Bird Can Sing | 1966 | Revolver | John | Mock-congratulatory cataloguing of the addressee's boasts |
| 3 | Taxman | 1966 | Revolver | George | 'Be thankful I don't take it all' – sarcastic reassurance |
| 4 | Getting Better | 1967 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | Paul | 'It can't get no worse' undercuts optimism |
| 5 | Good Morning Good Morning | 1967 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | John | Cheerful greeting over bleak content |
| 6 | Baby, You're a Rich Man | 1967 | Magical Mystery Tour | John | Mock-praise of materialism |
| 7 | The Fool on the Hill | 1967 | Magical Mystery Tour | Paul | Crowd calls him a fool; he is the wise one |
| 8 | Piggies | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | George | 'Clean shirts' juxtaposed with stirring dirt |
| 9 | Only a Northern Song | 1969 | Yellow Submarine | George | Dismisses the song while singing it |
Mock-promotional praise for a pill pusher
Mock-congratulatory cataloguing of the addressee's boasts
'Be thankful I don't take it all' – sarcastic reassurance
'It can't get no worse' undercuts optimism
Cheerful greeting over bleak content
Mock-praise of materialism
Crowd calls him a fool; he is the wise one
'Clean shirts' juxtaposed with stirring dirt
Dismisses the song while singing it
Updated
Book
The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics
Alan Aldridge
Book
Revolution in the Head
Ian MacDonald
Sheet music
Sheet Music Plus – Beatles Collection
Sheet Music Plus
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