Text · Motif
Self deprecation
Narrator mocks or belittles himself rather than the addressee.
10
songs
Analysis
By Year
Song count per year
By Songwriter
% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)
By Era
Early1 · 11%
Mid-period6 · 67%
Late2 · 22%
You might also like
Book
Revolution in the Head
Ian MacDonald
Book
The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics
Alan Aldridge
Album
Help
Vinyl
affiliate link - supports this wiki
Songs(9 of 10)
Year
Album
Writer
Lead vocal(s)
| # | Title | Year | Album | Lead Vocal(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I'm a Loser | 1964 | Beatles For Sale | John | Names himself the loser, then admits the mask |
| 2 | Help! | 1965 | Help! | John | Drops the self-assured pose and admits insecurity |
| 3 | Yesterday | 1965 | Help! | Paul | Measures himself short against who he was |
| 4 | You've Got to Hide Your Love Away | 1965 | Help! | John | Shrinks himself to two foot small |
| 5 | Run for Your Life | 1965 | Rubber Soul | John | Calls himself the wicked one |
| 6 | Nowhere Man | 1965 | Rubber Soul | John | Lennon wrote the nowhere man as a portrait of himself |
| 7 | The Fool on the Hill | 1967 | Magical Mystery Tour | Paul | The fool figure read as the writer's own outsider stance |
| 8 | Yer Blues | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | John | Blues-parody self-mockery ("yer blues") |
| 9 | I'm So Tired | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | John | Exhaustion tipping into self-disgust |
I'm a Loser
1964·Beatles For Sale·John
Names himself the loser, then admits the mask
Help!
1965·Help!·John
Drops the self-assured pose and admits insecurity
Yesterday
1965·Help!·Paul
Measures himself short against who he was
You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
1965·Help!·John
Shrinks himself to two foot small
Run for Your Life
1965·Rubber Soul·John
Calls himself the wicked one
Nowhere Man
1965·Rubber Soul·John
Lennon wrote the nowhere man as a portrait of himself
The Fool on the Hill
1967·Magical Mystery Tour·Paul
The fool figure read as the writer's own outsider stance
Yer Blues
1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John
Blues-parody self-mockery ("yer blues")
I'm So Tired
1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John
Exhaustion tipping into self-disgust
Updated