CategoriesTextMotifAutobiography
Text · Motif

Autobiography

The lyric draws on the songwriter's own life events or relationships.

23
songs
23 songs use it, from 1964 to 1970. More of Rubber Soul has it than any other album, four of its fourteen tracks. 'I'm a Loser' came first, 'Two of Us' last. More of them come from 1967 on than from the first four years, fourteen against seven. John takes the lead on fourteen of the 23, five for Paul, and the two of them together on two, with George on two. On 'Blue Jay Way' it is Harrison waiting for Derek Taylor in LA fog, 1 Aug 1967. 'Here Comes the Sun' was written in Clapton's garden, escaping Apple stress. Of those, 'Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)' has sitar solo on it, one of only three of their recordings that do.
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15 of the 23 Beatle-written songs carrying the 'Autobiography' motif are John Lennon's, more than any other Beatle (Paul McCartney has 6).

Analysis

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

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

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Songs(23)

Year
Album
Writer
Lead vocal(s)

I'm a Loser

1964·Beatles For Sale·John

Lennon: 'Part of me suspects I'm a loser'

No Reply

1964·Beatles For Sale·John

Inspired by 'Silhouettes' by The Rays

Help!

1965·Help!·John

Lennon's 'fat Elvis period' isolation

Nowhere Man

1965·Rubber Soul·John

Written about himself at 5am, Kenwood

In My Life

1965·Rubber Soul·John

Lennon's first explicitly autobiographical lyric

I'm Looking Through You

1965·Rubber Soul·Paul

Written after Jane Asher argument

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

1965·Rubber Soul·John

Lennon's coded account of an affair

She Said She Said

1966·Revolver·John

Specific LSD trip event

Got to Get You into My Life

1966·Revolver·Paul

McCartney's first cannabis experiences

Strawberry Fields Forever

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·John

Salvation Army orphanage near Mimi's house

Getting Better

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·Paul

Lennon admits past abuse of women

Good Morning Good Morning

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·John

Lennon's Weybridge suburban malaise

Blue Jay Way

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·George

Harrison waiting for Derek Taylor in LA fog, 1 Aug 1967

Sexy Sadie

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John

Lennon's disillusionment at Rishikesh

I'm So Tired

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John

Insomnia during India retreat

Julia

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John

Mother who died when Lennon was 17

Don't Let Me Down

1969·Past Masters·John

John on his love for Yoko

The Ballad of John and Yoko

1969·Past Masters·John

John & Yoko's wedding and bed-in

Here Comes the Sun

1969·Abbey Road·George

Written in Clapton's garden, escaping Apple stress

I Want You (She's So Heavy)

1969·Abbey Road·John

Lennon's documented Yoko obsession

You Never Give Me Your Money

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

Apple business dispute with Klein

Let It Be

1970·Let It Be·Paul

Paul's dream during Beatles tensions

Two of Us

1970·Let It Be·Paul

Paul and Linda's countryside drives

Updated