Death

The song engages directly or metaphorically with mortality, dying, loss, or the afterlife

songs

The Death motif is on 7 of the 16 songs the Beatles released in 1966, and 2 of 26 by 1969.

Analysis

Song count per year

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

Early3 · 14%

Mid-period14 · 64%

Late5 · 23%

Year

Album

Writer

Lead vocal(s)

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Notes
1	And I Love Her	1964	A Hard Day's Night	Paul	–
2	Every Little Thing	1964	Beatles For Sale	John	Die
3	Baby's in Black	1964	Beatles For Sale	John, Paul	Mourning implied by black dress; 'he'll never come back'
4	Run for Your Life	1965	Rubber Soul	John	'I'd rather see you dead'
5	In My Life	1965	Rubber Soul	John	'Some are dead and some are living'
6	What Goes On	1965	Rubber Soul	Ringo	Die
7	Girl	1965	Rubber Soul	John	Dead
advertisement
8	Rain	1966	Past Masters	John	Dead
9	Eleanor Rigby	1966	Revolver	Paul	Eleanor buried; Father at the grave
10	Love You To	1966	Revolver	George	'Before I'm a dead old man'
11	Taxman	1966	Revolver	George	Final verse: 'advice for those who die / Declare the pennies on your eyes'
12	Tomorrow Never Knows	1966	Revolver	John	'It is not dying' – ego death
13	She Said She Said	1966	Revolver	John	'Like to be dead' refrain
14	For No One	1966	Revolver	Paul	'Her love is dead'
15	Within You Without You	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	George	'When they pass away'
16	A Day in the Life	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	John, Paul	Tara Browne car crash
17	I Am the Walrus	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	John	Dead, bury, death
18	Julia	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Elegy for deceased mother
19	The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	'What did you kill'
20	Yer Blues	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Repeated "want to die"; "if I ain't dead already"
21	The Ballad of John and Yoko	1969	Past Masters	John	Dead
22	Maxwell's Silver Hammer	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Three killings, victim 'must go free'