Text · Motif

Loneliness

Themes of isolation, longing for connection, or emotional solitude

songs

59 songs use it, across almost the whole of the band's recording life, 1963 to 1970. The first is 'Anna (Go to Him)' and the last 'I've Got a Feeling', with the Help! album leaning on it hardest, nine of its fourteen tracks. More of them come from 1965 or earlier than from 1967 on, 36 against seventeen. The lead vocals go John on twenty, Paul on eighteen, George on four and Ringo on four. Three of them share it on 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)'. 30% of McCartney's songs have it, including 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'The Long and Winding Road', against 22% of Lennon's. On 'Blue Jay Way': alone in the fog, friends lost their way. On 'I Call Your Name': sleepless without her after she's gone.

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The Loneliness motif is on 15 of the 33 songs the Beatles released in 1965, and 4 of 34 by 1968.

1965 1968

Analysis

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

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

By Era

Early17 · 35%

Mid-period22 · 45%

Late10 · 20%

By Album

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band4

The Beatles (The White Album)4

Past Masters4

A Hard Day's Night3

Revolver3

Magical Mystery Tour3

Book

The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics

Alan Aldridge

Book

Revolution in the Head

Ian MacDonald

Software

Native Instruments Komplete

Native Instruments

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Songs(52 of 59)

Year

Album

Writer

Lead vocal(s)

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Notes
1	There's a Place	1963	Please Please Me	John, Paul	'When I'm alone' - solitude as solace
2	Misery	1963	Please Please Me	John, Paul	Without her, in misery
3	It Won't Be Long	1963	With The Beatles	John	'Sitting all on my own'
4	Hold Me Tight	1963	With The Beatles	Paul	'Never be the lonely one'
5	Don't Bother Me	1963	With The Beatles	George	Isolation after lover left
6	All My Loving	1963	With The Beatles	Paul	Miss, missing
7	Little Child	1963	With The Beatles	John, Paul	'I'm so sad and lonely'

8	I Call Your Name	1964	Past Masters	John	Sleepless without her after she's gone
9	A Hard Day's Night	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John, Paul	Alone
10	Things We Said Today	1964	A Hard Day's Night	Paul	'Someday when I'm lonely'
11	I'll Cry Instead	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John	'Can't talk to people that I meet'
12	She's a Woman	1964	Past Masters	Paul	Lonely
13	I Don't Want to Spoil the Party	1964	Beatles For Sale	John	Leaves party because she's absent
14	What You're Doing	1964	Beatles For Sale	Paul	'Feeling blue and lonely'
15	Baby's in Black	1964	Beatles For Sale	John, Paul	Unrequited longing for grieving girl
16	Every Little Thing	1964	Beatles For Sale	John	'I was lonely without her'
17	I'm a Loser	1964	Beatles For Sale	John	'I lost someone who's near to me'
18	I'm Down	1965	Past Masters	Paul	Alone, nobody
19	Help!	1965	Help!	John	Independence vanishing, needs someone
20	You've Got to Hide Your Love Away	1965	Help!	John	Isolation under public gaze
21	I Need You	1965	Help!	George	'I'm lonely as can be'
22	Another Girl	1965	Help!	Paul	Nobody
23	I've Just Seen a Face	1965	Help!	Paul	'I've been alone and I have missed'
24	Yesterday	1965	Help!	Paul	Narrator left without explanation
25	You Like Me Too Much	1965	Help!	George	'Walk out and make me lonely'
26	Wait	1965	Rubber Soul	John, Paul	'How I've been alone'
27	You Won't See Me	1965	Rubber Soul	Paul	Shut out by partner, ignored
28	Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)	1965	Rubber Soul	John	'I was alone' on waking

29	Nowhere Man	1965	Rubber Soul	John	Isolated figure with no direction
30	For No One	1966	Revolver	Paul	Protagonist abandoned emotionally
31	Eleanor Rigby	1966	Revolver	Paul	Both characters isolated from community
32	Got to Get You into My Life	1966	Revolver	Paul	Alone
33	Strawberry Fields Forever	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	John	'No one is in my tree'
34	Good Morning Good Morning	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	John	'You're on your own, you're in the street'
35	She's Leaving Home	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul, John	'Living alone for so many years'
36	With a Little Help from My Friends	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Ringo	'When my love is away'
37	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul, John, George	Lonely
38	The Fool on the Hill	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	Misunderstood and ignored by everyone
39	Blue Jay Way	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	George	Alone in the fog, friends lost their way
40	Yer Blues	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Refrain opens "Yes, I'm lonely"
41	Don't Pass Me By	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Ringo	Narrator alone, waiting
42	I Will	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	'Wait a lonely lifetime'
43	I'm So Tired	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Insomniac isolation at night
44	Hey Bulldog	1969	Yellow Submarine	John	Offering to listen to a lonely person
45	Don't Let Me Down	1969	Past Masters	John, Paul	Nobody
46	Maxwell's Silver Hammer	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Alone
47	Oh! Darling	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Alone
48	I've Got a Feeling	1970	Let It Be	Paul, John	Miss, nobody
49	The Long and Winding Road	1970	Let It Be	Paul	Standing alone, waiting
50	Free as a Bird	1995	Reunion singles	John, Paul, George	Lost connection between two people
51	Real Love	1996	Reunion singles	John	Alone
52	Now and Then	2023	Reunion singles	John	Missing an absent loved one