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Social commentary

Songs critiquing society, class structures, cultural norms, or contemporary life

29
songs

Analysis

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

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

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Songs(29)

Year
Album
Writer
Lead vocal(s)

Nowhere Man

1965·Rubber Soul·John

Everyman complacency critique

Drive My Car

1965·Rubber Soul·Paul

Gender role reversal - woman dictates terms

Girl

1965·Rubber Soul·John

Pain-pleasure Christian critique

Think for Yourself

1965·Rubber Soul·George

Warning against lies and unthinking conformity

Rain

1966·Past Masters·John

Mocks people who 'run and hide' from rain

Doctor Robert

1966·Revolver·John

Wealthy clientele paying for chemical relief

Love You To

1966·Revolver·George

'People standing round who'll screw you'

Eleanor Rigby

1966·Revolver·Paul

Anonymous urban isolation in postwar Britain

Taxman

1966·Revolver·George

Protest at the UK's 95% supertax bracket on top earners

And Your Bird Can Sing

1966·Revolver·John

Sneer at a materially comfortable but unenlightened addressee

Within You Without You

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·George

Critique of people 'who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion'

Good Morning Good Morning

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·John

Suburban tedium and aimlessness

A Day in the Life

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·John

Detached news consumption

She's Leaving Home

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·Paul

Generation gap of 1960s youth

Baby, You're a Rich Man

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·John

Satire of hippie 'beautiful people'

I Am the Walrus

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·John

Mocks listeners and Hare Krishna devotees

The Fool on the Hill

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·Paul

Outsider sees what crowd misses

Lady Madonna

1968·Past Masters·Paul

Working-class poverty portrait

Revolution

1968·Past Masters·John

Skeptical of violent radicalism

Blackbird

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Paul

Civil rights allegory per McCartney

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·George

World's failure to realise universal love

The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John

Critique of trophy hunting

Piggies

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·George

Establishment greed satirized as pigs

Sexy Sadie

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John

Guru exposed as fraud

Revolution 1

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John

Critique of violent radicalism

Only a Northern Song

1969·Yellow Submarine·George

Veiled jab at publishing deal

You Never Give Me Your Money

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

Apple/Northern Songs financial turmoil

Mean Mr. Mustard

1969·Abbey Road·John

Sketch of British eccentric outsider

I Me Mine

1970·Let It Be·George

Critique of ego-driven behavior

Updated