Cultural snapshot

Nineteen songs use it, from 1963 to 1969, almost the whole of the writing. The Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album leans on it hardest, four of its twelve tracks. It first turns up on 'Money (That's What I Want)', cut 18 July 1963, and was last heard on 'Polythene Pam'. It goes quiet after 1964 and comes back in 1967 for 'Penny Lane'. This one is John's to sing, and he takes ten of the nineteen, five for Paul, and the two of them together on three. It sits on much the same share of each man's songs, 12% of Lennon's and 10% of McCartney's. On 'Revolution 9' it is 1968 avant-garde sensibility and Yoko Ono influence. On 'Good Morning Good Morning' it is 1960s suburban routine, meet the Wife TV show.