The words are played with for their own sake: puns, invented compounds, choices driven by sound.
Top lyrical devices by writer – Lennon: Anaphora (39), Simile (11), Wordplay (10); McCartney: Anaphora (21), Extended metaphor (8), Pastiche (8); Harrison: Anaphora (11), Extended metaphor (4), Double meaning (3).
Song count per year
% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)
'Please' as noun and verb
'Be long' / 'belong' pun
'Day tripper', 'Sunday driver' – part-timer puns
'Bird' as British slang for woman
'Nowhere'/'nobody' / 'know'-'no'
'Four of fish and finger pies'
'Natural E... another key' – musical pun
'expert textpert'; 'crabalocker'
'cha-cha-cha-chance' stutter pun
'Glass onion' = layered/transparent metaphor
'Bullet-headed Saxon mother's son'
Inside/outside, deeper/higher inversions
'good news' = brand name + idiom
'Northern song' = Northern Songs publisher
'Right is only half of what's wrong'
'Steal but she could not rob'
'Toe-jam football', 'walrus gumboot'
Verbs chosen for sound: penetrate, radiate, indicate
Updated
Book
Revolution in the Head
Ian MacDonald
Book
The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics
Alan Aldridge
Video
The Beatles Anthology (DVD box set)
Apple
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