Sunday, May 3, 2026

"I Will"

In the line "Will I wait a lonely lifetime" in "I Will," the phrase "lonely lifetime" alliterates.  The single initial sound of these two words matches this solitary nature.

Saturday, May 2, 2026

"Rocky Raccoon"

After the line "But Daniel was hot; he drew first and shot" in "Rocky Raccoon," the drums are struck more forcefully, apparently meant to represent the shot.  I didn't write about this previously (probably because it's pretty obvious), but when I heard it again recently, I realized that this specific sort of musical representation has precedent in a couple Buddy Holly songs (which may have influenced the Beatles).

Holly's version of Chuck Berry's "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" contains a similar stronger drum hit after the line "Well, two-three the count, and nobody on; he hit a high-fly into the stand" (representing the bat striking the ball), and Holly's own "I'm Looking for Someone to Love" features a programmatic drum beat after "Foot slip" (apparently the drunk man falling down).  While the drums in "Rocky Raccoon" portray a different element, the idea is the same.

Friday, May 1, 2026

"Blackbird"

I listened to The Beatles a couple days ago and noticed a few small points.

In "Blackbird," the line "All your life" is sung to notes of all different pitches (A B G), giving a slight sense of this extent.  "Life" is held for nearly a full measure (moreso in the first verse than in the second), and this duration also lends a sense of breadth.