Text · Motif

Money

Currency, wealth, or financial transactions as subject.

songs

From 1962 to 1969, which is most of their years together, twenty songs use it. McCartney's 'P.S. I Love You' came first and Lennon's 'Mean Mr. Mustard' last. It never skips a year. The singing splits John on eight, Paul on six, George on one and Ringo on one. Neither man reaches for it more than the other, 11% of Lennon's songs and 10% of McCartney's. On 'Revolution 9': fortune, price. On 'Taxman': 'There's one for you, nineteen for me' - 19/20ths = 95% supertax. Among them, 'Money (That's What I Want)' has Baldwin Satin Ebony Grand, and only two other recordings do.

The Money motif first appears in the Beatles catalogue on 'P.S. I Love You' (1962).

Analysis

Song count per year

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

Early4 · 22%

Mid-period7 · 39%

Late7 · 39%

Book

Revolution in the Head

Ian MacDonald

Book

The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics

Alan Aldridge

Course

Hans Zimmer – Teaches Film Scoring

MasterClass · Orchestration + storytelling – resonates with 'A Day in the Life'.

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Year

Album

Writer

Lead vocal(s)

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Notes
1	P.S. I Love You	1962	Please Please Me	Paul	Treasure
2	Can't Buy Me Love	1964	A Hard Day's Night	Paul	'I don't care too much for money'
3	A Hard Day's Night	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John, Paul	'Get you money to buy you things'
4	I Feel Fine	1964	Past Masters	John	'Diamond rings', 'buys her things'
5	Drive My Car	1965	Rubber Soul	Paul, John	'Working for peanuts'
6	Paperback Writer	1966	Past Masters	Paul	'It could make a million for you'
7	Doctor Robert	1966	Revolver	John	'You'll pay money just to see yourself'

8	Taxman	1966	Revolver	George	'There's one for you, nineteen for me' - 19/20ths = 95% supertax
9	Penny Lane	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	Penny
10	She's Leaving Home	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul, John	'Everything money could buy'
11	Baby, You're a Rich Man	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	John	'Big brown bag' of money
12	Lady Madonna	1968	Past Masters	Paul	'Who finds the money when you pay the rent?'
13	Revolution	1968	Past Masters	John	'Money for people with minds that hate'
14	Revolution 1	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	'Money for people with minds that hate'
15	Revolution 9	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	-	Fortune, price
16	The Ballad of John and Yoko	1969	Past Masters	John	-
17	Mean Mr. Mustard	1969	Abbey Road	John	'Saving up to buy some clothes'
18	You Never Give Me Your Money	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	'You never give me your money'